Tales from Ichirouganaim

Some story samples Peezoff is dead: A man reminisces when he is asked by a mother to eulogise her son, a friend from his schooldays. “Best eulogy I ever heard,” I heard over and again while I mingled with mourners as we exited the church. His family was excessive in their praise. “Excellent eulogy, you knew him so well,” sad faces repeatedly said. “Better than even some of his family,” a few added. Only Curtis Greene, one of our old school mates said, “I almost didn’t recognise the character you were speaking about. That wasn’t the Peezoff that I knew.” Golden Beach: A holiday job at a luxury hotel is a young man’s introduction to a wider world and an inside view of the pros and cons of tourism in a developing country. Now, I was in my last year in sixth form and my teachers had said that I needed to work harder to achieve the results required for admittance to university. I worked really hard and was looking forward to spending some time at the beach during the holidays, but liming with friends, not working--I must confess that my uncle’s stories of the people he had met over the years had always intrigued or entertained me. The Golden Beach Hotel attracted some of the wealthy and famous to Barbados. Uncle Bert had met world leaders, movie stars and millionaires. But, working in a hotel, particularly one like Glory Beach, I mean Golden Beach--a hotel where a suite for one night might cost more than a month’s pay for some in my island--was never in my thoughts. Tina and Huey: The life of a village is disrupted when a young woman throws off the bonds of repression. People used to say that Tina was mad, but she wasn’t mad-no-mad, if you know what I mean. It is true that she was a bit peculiar, very fussy, and certainly different. She was stylish and used to dress up like the lady she used to work for in the plantation house. She was a good looking, brown-skinned woman and people used to say that her father, Barney Crawford, better known as Reds, thought she was too good for any fellow in Maroon Village, far up in the country. Tina reached thirty-six years old and was never known to have had a man. Fellows would try talking to her but would always get the brush-off from her or a send-off from Reds Crawford. “Anybody who want to talk to you got to come to me first.” But then, Huey came back from university. From the time Tina set eyes ’pon that tall, broad shouldered twenty-two-year-old man with his bright smile and big afro, the woman like she gone crazy. Unburdened: A Bajan (Barbadian) in the diaspora reflects on what it is like to be burdened by having to represent the race. “We were taught responsibility from early, and we were also taught never to forget that outside of this house you are a representative of your family and your race. Anything you do will be a reflection on our people. It wasn’t just told to me and my sisters, Judy and Louise, it was drilled into us from the time we were little.” Jerome and his sisters lived a schizoid existence. They were warm, even rambunctious at home and perfect citizens outside of the home. Home was their space, a place where they were allowed to be themselves. Outside of the home was a place where they performed, they would always be on show, a place where they would always be judged not as individuals, but as representatives of an entire people. Coming Home: When you and your spouse decide to retire to Barbados, you must consider that it is not the same island that you left all those years ago. After the burial, notwithstanding the denial printed on the back of the funeral pamphlet, ‘There will be no reception after the burial since the family would prefer to spend this time in quiet reflection,’ Elsie discreetly invited a selected group of family and friends to, “come back to the house for some refreshment.” John was getting drinks for Gabrielle and himself when there was a tap on his shoulder. He glanced backward to see a beaming, smiling Reverend Edwards. The Rev said, “I just heard that you are returning to live in Barbados.” “I am thinking about it,” John replied. The Rev then proceeded with a little sermon on what they should expect and how not to conduct themselves. He spoke softly, “You mustn’t do like some of the others who came back, expecting Barbados to be like the country they left all those years ago, or to be like the country you have just left. You must think of ways you can make it better; of ways you can apply your skills and knowledge for the betterment of our country. And by the way, I do agree with their criticisms about unprofessional and poor customer service. It is too common. I don’t know why.” He quickly looked left and right, lowered his voice and said, “I can recommend an attorney. Unfortunately, we have too many lawyers in Barbados and some of them are scrunting. So, they are dipping into clients’ funds to fund their lifestyle. We have some o’ them in prison, now, you know. So don’t just pick one out of the yellow pages. Go with a recommendation. If you don’t take my recommendation, make sure you write two separate cheques for your purchase, one for your lawyer, to cover legal fees, and the other directly for the vendor.” The Rev wasn’t finished yet. He continued, “And don’t be cliquey, just hanging out with other returnees. Mix with the rest of us.” He patted John on the shoulder, smiled, turned and sought another shoulder to pat.