The back-up

Just last night I realised I said WEST BAY like a Caymanian would. Three times! Until I caught myself and Hubby laughed at me saying I was now truly and fully integrated. This sort of thing NEVER happened in Bermuda. Ever. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just saying. The Bermudian accent is a little harder to have sneak up on you without your knowledge and for that matter not all Caymanian pronounced words are easy to do so either.

My very good local friend's grandmother passed away last week. Here in Cayman, funeral programmes are quite elaborate, with the entire service outlined, including tributes from loved ones. So, of course Piglet being the oldest grandchild, and who was also quite close to her grandmother has penned a tribute that will also be read out, most probably by her. As we were going over it a couple of nights ago, she happened to drop the bomb of: I may become very emotional and may not be able to read out the tribute. Will you then step in and read it on my behalf?

My reaction: ME? Read it out in front of the entire congregation?

Piglet: Yes. You will have to walk up there with me and in case I can't read it you'll have to step in. Will you do it?

Me: Um ok... (how could I say no). There's just one thing. Do I have to read out Mummy with a Caymanian accent?

Because Piglet called her grandmother, Mummy; the tribute is entitled Mummy. Mummy with the Caymanian accent is pronounced Mummay. Most words are...like money is monay, fidelity is fidelitae, etc.

Piglet: Yes, you will have read it out Mummy with a Caymanian accent, where ever it says so in the tribute. Like you know, Mummy is Mummay.

Me: WHAT? (This is not so much of a problem because one of my cousins used to call out to her mom in exactly this way, except the ending syllable was stretched even further. We still poke fun at her for this, to this day).

Piglet: You know how to say it.

Me: Yeah, I know how to say it but I don't know. That's a lot of pressure. What if I get nervous and switch back to saying Mummy instead of Mummay. You know cause that's a lot of people and I've never really done this before. What then?

Piglet: Well, then you'll have to practice, won't you?

Yeah, easy for her to say. However, I am honoured that she asked me to be her back up.