Allan P and the Jewels was a hot, ground breaking Gospel Rap group from the Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Caribbean that was made up of Nelcia “Ali” Primus, Comsy Joyette, Desiree Murphy and Allan Palmer. Allan Palmer was the leader of the group and the main performer as the name of the group suggest. Allan was trying to get the girls into the spot light, but they were quite happy playing the role they were playing and did not one to take on or share the lead position.
Although Ali was not Adventist, Adventist leadership especially, those from the Kingstown Seventh Day Adventist Church considered the group an Adventist group, and were not going to stop at nothing, until they had destroy the group. This was so because Desiree, Comsy and I were affiliated to the Adventist community and were members of the Kingstown Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Allan P & the Jewels were a featured acts in the Caribbean biggest gospel show “Gospel Spectacular”. This very popular regional gospel show was hosted by the Emeralds Gospel Band, and featured the Caribbean biggest Gospel acts; of which Allan P and the Jewels were ranked. We were new, we were edgy and we were good. Desiree, Ali, Comsy and Allan took the bulls by the horn and we did our thing.
Our message was solid but to the leadership of the Kingstown Seventh Day Adventist Church, that did not matter, they insisted that we dismantled, however; we held our ground. When we organized and held our concert all hell broke loose among the church leadership. It was a rush to persuade the youths and other church members not to support the concert.
There was a new convert, by the name of Venus John. Venus was readily accepted, in the big shot click, because she held an executive position at the nation's only, and state own AM radio station, The National Broadcasting Corporation 705 Radio. She was a mother of two teenagers, her daughter with whom I became very good friend, who also attended the Kingstown Seventh Day Adventist Church regularly, and her son who came to church, only when he was forced to. But they were all good kids. However, she was sent to infiltrate the church, to be used at the right time a goal which she accomplished.
Venus and I also had a good relationship. She was new and trying to find where she fitted in; and I wanted to help her facilitate the process. One Saturday after church, the “big shot click” got together and had their informal chat. I was outside just chatting and having fun with the other youths of the church as usual; cracking jokes, throwing a little heckle here and there; as we all recount old story and have a good laugh.
While I was outside, Venus John exited the church, a kind of hot; she came up to me and said, you still insisting on keeping this group and bringing the world into the church. I did not know where this hostility that Venus was showing me came from. Up to this point Venus and I had a good relationship. As a result a little back and forth between Venus and I ensued. Then Venus declared, "You see that recording you have at 705 Radio, that they normally play on the radio, It will disappear, I will get the rid of it. You will never hear it on the radio again.
What did that mean, was Venus going to use her office and her official access to destroy the recording the girls and I spend so much time to put together; so we can share with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines listeners what we were doing. If she did that amounted up to a crime. I just could not believe what I was hearing coming from the mouth of a public Servant.
This was a public declaration, of a blatant intent, to Misuse her office and destroy property belonging to a sate agency. Venus John was an executive at the National Broadcasting Corporation, the sole radio Station on the island, and she had access. But most importantly, there is nothing I could have done to stop her from doing what she declared, she was going to do. I did not have any control over her actions, As a result, I say to her, "Venus, you are the big shot, you have the power to do whatever you choose to and you could do whatever you choose to do."
I was hoping Venus did not take so drastic an action. After all, I have never offended her, and we always had a very good relationship. However, after Venus John made the threats I stop hearing the song on the Radio. I said to myself maybe Venus lived up to her threats and destroyed the tape with the song of Allan P and the Jewels.
There was nothing, I could have done so I moved on with my life. Accepting the fact, in this world there will be people, who are placed in position, to up lift their fellow men, but often misuse and abuse their post and do the direct opposite to their calling. Life went on, I forgot about Venus’ threats, I was not sure if she destroys the tape or not, I had no proof to say she did; however, the absence of the song being played on the radio suggested that she did. After Venus' threats to destroy the recording, I have never heard the song played on the radio again.
By this time the Church have forgotten about the group and I, and they had moved on. and then, I began to hear whispers in the church, and there were many angry faces that accompanied the whispers and there were the tears of Venus John that flowed freely along with the whispers. What had happened everyone asks. In church the women are always crying over a fail marriages, the infidelity of a husband, the arrest of a wayward child, etc. Could it be that Venus John’s husband was butting her, I asked myself. But the whispers only seem to get lower with my efforts to find out what was happening.
At first everything was kept hidden, the whispers were loud enough to know that something was wrong; but they were not loud enough to be understood, what was going on, and the legs of whispers did not walk into my circle. However, it was not too long that I got wind of what the whispers were all about. By this time the comess came into my directions and fell into my lap. My snooping around to get the scoop did not bear any dividend, however, later the whispers got loud enough for me to hear and understand what was going on; by this time it was now public knowledge.
I had already “thrown water” on Venus' threats, and moved on. I discovered, that the Government had made Venus' post at the National Broadcasting Corporation redundant, paid her, her severance and now she was out of a Job. Venus came to me and discussed this matter, on several occasions, I did not know why, however; I got the impression she wanted my sympathy and hoped that I would have wrote an article, which were normally published in the local News paper, to bring attention to her cause. However, the thought never crossed my mind.
While in discussion, Venus related to me her conviction that the Government was victimizing her, but when I asked why would they: she said she didn't know. her answer was strange, because everyone, who was ever victimized, always have a vivid picture of why they were and are being victimized. The reason may not be justified, or right but the reason is always known. it may even be a misunderstanding or a miscommunications or something but the reason is always known. Since Venus did not have or claimed to know the reason then; in my mind, maybe the lost of her Job was an act of Government cutting back on wasted spending.
However, it was ironic, the job and the post that give Venus John access to illegally destroyed the young group's recording, was ripped from right under her. Now she was not even allowed onto the property except to collect her belonging.
It was later revealed why Venus John's job was made redundant and that was because she, used her office too be continued - Joking!
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