Good morning darlings! Auntie Cheryl here from Chaguanas, where I had THREE cups of cocoa tea this morning because the news is a LOT and I needed the preparation.

KAMLA STOOD HER GROUND AND I AM PROUD

Listen. I know some people are saying that Trinidad should have gone to the CARICOM meeting. But Auntie Cheryl has been watching Kamla for years and she does not back down when she believes she is right. She believes she is right. And while I am personally not a geopolitical expert, I will say this: if you are going to pay 22% of something’s budget and that something is not being run the way you want, you have a right to say so very loudly. This is how things change. You do not change things by going to the meeting and sitting nicely. You change them by making them very uncomfortable until they listen.

The reappointment went through. Fine. But they know now. They know how Trinidad feels. Mission: somewhat accomplished.

THE CRIME SITUATION IS NOT FINE AND I WILL NOT PRETEND IT IS

1,470 crimes. 117 murders. 45% increase. Auntie Cheryl lives in Chaguanas and she has two nieces who take maxi-taxis home at night and I am not going to act like these are just numbers. They are not numbers. They are people. The government needs to do something real, not something that sounds real. There is a difference.

THE FUEL PRICE SITUATION

The world is a mess. Iran, America, the Strait of Hormuz — this was always going to land on our shores. T&T imports fuel. Fuel costs more now. This affects everyone. Ali from Guyana wants to send us crude for the refinery. I think we should take him up on that quickly before he changes his mind or before the strait gets worse. Just my opinion.

METAMORPHOSIS DANCE COMPANY — I ALREADY HAVE MY TICKET

ILLUMINATION at Queen’s Hall on April 18 and 19. Yia-Loren Gomez is choreographing. I already called my sister-in-law. We are going on Saturday. I do not understand why more people are not talking about this. There is art happening in this country. Real, beautiful, intentional art. We need to show up for it. Life is not only crime statistics and CARICOM dramas.

A WORD ON PERSPECTIVE

It is easy in a week like this to only see the bad things. Auntie Cheryl is not telling you to ignore the bad things. Ignore nothing. But also: buy a ticket. Go see the dancers. Remember that Trinidad is more than its headlines. It always has been. It always will be.

Auntie Cheryl is a fictional correspondent from Chaguanas covering real Trinidad and Tobago news events with the warmth and opinions of a woman who is not afraid to have them.