DEAR KAMLA:

GYUL, I tired hear people call you all kinds of things from the time Basdeo Panday give you the job as Attorney General about 11 years ago, and then take it back after a few months, when he give it to Ramesh Maharaj.

And imagine that was even before you start to talk about pipe and all kind of things on the platform, in the hey days when your party, the United National Congress (UNC) was in power.

Remember how they say that Bas have yuh there in the background, baylaying roti and thing, while he and the boys having a time?

But it look like you make a name for yuhself in between all the things that people had to say and there are plenty people across the racial divide, especially the female supporters of the People’s National Movement (PNM), who like yuh spirit.

After all, to qualify in this town, yuh need to know how to put down a good wine -- whether it is inspired by chutney or soca.

But yuh must also remember that you did not cross the rubicon for Indian women in this town and that doh mean that the credit should go to the former ladies of Bas, namely Hafeeza Khan and Hulsie Bhaggan.

Drupatee Ramgoonai did not have to mount a political platform to have the whole town happy and wining along with her when she mashed up the place with the tassa laced hit, Mr. Bissessar.

And everybody already knows that it wasn’t yuh husband Gregory that Drupatee was singing about.

So, here it is yuh land the big job as Opposition Leader -- again, because Bas say so since he running things from in jail -- and while that places yuh in the history books, yuh better be careful that yuh don’t end up as a disgrace in the end.

Especially with hawks like Jack Warner and Ramesh Maharaj waiting in the wings for the right moment to strike because Bas -- who put yuh there -- will not live forever and you will just have to find the balls to do it all alone.

And yuh know Jack knows how to play the game and that is why he has found himself in the middle of the UNC, as the de facto bossman, now calling the shots.

He knows that the way to Bas’ brain is through Oma and it would appear that he’s well versed in getting her attention, although for the time being I cannot say how Oma is going to juggle -- all by herself -- them two powerbrokers, Jack and CL Financial honcho, Lawrence Duprey, who remains as a string friend of the family.

Yuh know Madame is one person who will never say that you cannot handle your stories, as I have seen you stand up to them fellas in the PNM and you are also much better equipped to jump to yuh feet with mouth in gear on any kind of issue.

Yuh could take the plaudits for that because it makes you as effi-cient as Camille Robinson-Regis is to the rul-ing party.

But I also know that you are smart enough to check out the real situation and understand why they have yuh there even though you might not tell that to anyone and would only discuss that with Gregory after allyuh pull the covers to sleep at night.

Talk was making the rounds that Kelvin Ramnath would have been the man most likely -- but then while Bas make up with him in a big way and Kelvin has been spouting words of loyalty, town know that he cannot handle that wuk.

It really doesn’t take much for him to get carried away.

After that the UNC in a real bind and you, too.

In truth, you will end up as the “leader” of men like Subhas Panday, Adesh Nanan, Chandradesh Sharma and Roodal Moonilal all of whom are wimps, who would be nothing and nowhere without Panday’s stamp of approval.

So you definitely cannot have an independent mind in that place as you are bound to do as Bas would want you to, as the millstones that I mentioned above are well poised to mash up yuh party at any given time.

They will stop yuh music and pull the rug from under yuh feet.

And then how yuh explain your part in sidelining a decent man like Winston Dookeran and a relevant brainy (and some say sexy) man like Gerald Yetming, in the scheme of things?

Haven’t yuh figured out as yet that the outpouring of support for you that’s been coming from the urban population is simply because you are a woman they expect you to be the nurturers and lovers and do the thing right.

So what? Do you have the right balance of estrogen and progesterone for this wuk; because is only testosterone behind yuh?

All the UNC is left with is men with testosterone vessels, many of which are hanging limp and empty.

Based on that, I cannot expect that you would make decent overtures to the people who know that the country comes before the party and that yuh could never pretend to want to fix the country or rescue it from the PNM, if yuh cannot fix the party.

And if it comes down to you showing all kinds of bad mind and thing, yuh know that will bring an end to yuh political career, since as much as people want a woman up there, nobody will excuse a woman for being bitchy in national office.

Truly, even if you are pushed into a position where you come across as bitchy, you will not be forgiven for not having your own mind and I wonder how you will be able to show that in this rounds, so closely monitored by Jack and Ramesh.

It is not beyond Ramesh to immediately start a smear campaign on you, once you start to look rosy and nice and comfy in the Opposition Leader’s chair and people start to like yuh.

Everyone in town is already convinced that he will revisit the time that you mistakenly remove some cutlery and dishes from the apartment at Flagstaff, Long Circular, after you were forced to vacate, when Ramesh give the PNM information about Panday’s London bank account and the apartment where his children lived.

And people whispering all kinds of stuff under their breath after they saw you dancing up a storm one Old Year’s night, looking as if you had a couple of drinks, in between that.

So that is the kind of stuff that you will have to deal with because there is no one in the UNC (sadly, including you) who is relevant to Trinidad and Tobago, now.

Sister, we are swimming in high food prices and oppression that is far worse than that which Bas claims to be experiencing and for the past year, you and the people around you have totally ignored all of us.

Now, everybody is playing to the gallery and they want me to endorse you as the breath of fresh air, but while allyuh carrying on like devils, Mother Trinbago crying sister Kamla!

Sincerely, Madame!