I was born and raised in
Trinidad where the tradition and culture are quite different from other
countries. Different in many ways, for
example, the climate is very hot during the year and another example,
Trinidadians use a lot of spices in their food which makes it very tasty. My parents raised six of us. I was the fifth born. I was born a breach child which made me feel
like I was the odd child in the family, but as I got older, I felt more secure in
myself. I considered myself shy because
I always stayed to myself. However, my
family members called me the hot pepper (by this I mean I was quick tempered)
as I grew older. This bothered me throughout
my life because I saw things through a different lens. But as time passed, I began to see myself
differently.
My father was a tall, slim
man who came from a wealthy family but despite the family’s wealth, we lived in
poverty. My father always dressed in a suit, so he was always addressed
as Mr. Cummings. People who knew him well were aware of
his family lifestyle, all strict and to the point. My father
was respected by many because he was a very strict man. My father
worked for a Radio Station called Radio Fusion, which was a good
job. He was a good provider and a good father. I always remember him
bringing food home when he came from work.
My
mother was a hard-working woman.
She was always
contently washing and doing all the household chores. I particularly remembered
her ironing the clothes late at night,
(in those days we used cold pot iron) you put the iron on some coals until the
coals become hot. In the morning, you
could
see all the effort
and time that was put
into it, the was so well ironed, folded and pressed. There were
also many sad
days in my mother’s days when we were growing up. My
mother was superstitious. As a child,
I had no knowledge of what happened in my mother’s days with
her family, but it was not a happy time for her. I
was exposed to a
lot of different beliefs. For example, turn
your back and walk inside your house.
You must turn around at your doorway and walk backwards
inside your home to look a jumbie (spirit of the dead) in its eyes. It
is said that when a spirit follows you home, it grabs on to your back like a
child so that you can carry it with you inside of your house. Turning around
and walking backwards into your home scares the jumbie, it jumps off your back
and stays outside.
I was born and raised in Belmont. Belmont produced many
residents who made significant contributions in the areas of sports and also
arts such as Steelband, Cricket, Music Bands and many favorite eating
places. Let me describe a few of them to
you.
Steelband is very famous in Trinidad, especially around
the Carnival season. To name a few is Amboy’s,
Belmont Harmonic, Casablanca, Classy Sounds, Pan Vibes, Super Sonics and many
others.
Calypso:
Calypsonians who were born in Belmont include: Lord Caresser, Mighty Shadow, and David
Rudder.
Music Band: Bert
Bailey and the Jets, Mas (querade) Bands
Cricketers born in Belmont who went on to represent the
West Indies in Test Cricket were Ellis Achong, Ian Bishop, Bryan Davis, Charles
Davis, and Andy Ganteaume.
Every year, Trinidadians enjoy the excitement of carnival,
a west Indian parade celebrated in February.
Costumes are designed by many band leaders and the people masquerade by
showing the costumes and parading the streets and dancing. Many New Yorkers and many people from various
countries attend this festival. It is a
pleasure to see. I remembered when
growing up in Trinidad my parents will cook palau, a menu that consists of rice
and beans, sometimes chicken all mixed in together. The family will all take pride in traveling
to the Band Stand where seats are assigned for the spectators. I enjoyed every moment watching all the
people parading in their costumes.
Life in Trinidad could be wonderful but on the other hand
could be financially hard. Such as having to deal with the
economy. Prices of various items are so expensive, which made it
hard for our family. As a child I remembered my mother working odd
jobs to make ends meet to provide for our family. Having both my
parents to support the household was a great help to our family.
My parents also wanted a better life for their children.
My mom left Trinidad to come to America, the land of opportunity, when I was ten.
And one by one, she brought over each child, starting with my sister who was the
oldest. During this time my father began to get sick.
When my father took sick, I was responsible for helping
him with many personal tasks. I stayed by his side after he became
sick. I was glad that I was there to help him. I spent my teenage years caring
for my daddy, and they were some of the hardest years of my young life. As his
youngest daughter, I always had a special place in my daddy’s heart, and he
will always have a very special place in mine. My mom, who was
living in America, was called home from New York when he became very
sick.
My father died. I loved my father but there
was nothing I could do to help him at the time. God took him to a
better place. He died from
asthma. No one knows what a person goes through unless
that person discusses it, but the Lord has a way of working things out.
My mother made arrangements to bring me to America after
the death of my father. Maybe if he had come to America, he might
have had better medical treatment, but my father did not really want to travel
to America. I believe, being there for my father when he was
sick was a way that God was showing me that when you honor your parents, God will
always honor you. I was glad to be able to help my daddy before he
died.
My father’s death was very painful for me. I
watched my father as he slowly died. For a long time, I felt hurt, and I longed
to see his face just one last time. But I knew deep inside that he was suffering
and though I wanted him to stay, God decided that it was time for him to go.
The year my father died, was
1973, my mother filed papers for me and brought me to America, just like she
did for the rest of my siblings. I came
to America at the age of 16. Travelling on the plane with my mother was an exciting
trip. It was a bit different in a sense, I did not want to sit by the window because
of fear, so my mother sat by the window. It was a safe and relaxing flight. All
the while during the trip, I dreamt that my daddy was there on the flight with us,
and we were all going to America.
New York was the busiest city that I have ever seen. New York
City is the place where people from different countries come to make a better
life for themselves and their family.
When I arrived, my mother took me to the apartment in
which she lived with my other siblings. I had to travel on the train for the first
time and it was very interesting and very scary but after a few stops I got
used to it. Seeing people from all walks of life. I learnt that riding the
trains is very common for the native New Yorker. When you are sitting down in the cars you
cannot look too hard into people’s faces. If you do, they are quick to say
something to you. I’ve seen and
witnessed many bad experiences from people who ride the subway. I quickly adapted how to be a true New Yorker.
And being acquainted with THE BIG APPLE.
There were also many yellow cabs to take you to wherever you want to go,
unless you were my skin complexion. We had to use gypsy cabs, that were driven
by people from the islands.
Coming to America was not what I expected the country to
be. In my country, the names we know for
certain places or facilities are named differently. For example, we call bathroom, latrine. (LA-TRENE) This is common for all
Trinidadians. We call tomato, TA-MA-TOE.
My mother got me into High School. I started out in High School where the work
was much different than in Trinidad. I
started High School in the U.S. at a later age, however, I graduated. It was a
beautiful time having my mother and sister attending my graduation with the
rest of my friends and their parents as well. But I just wished that my daddy
could have seen me strutting across that stage, he would have been so proud to
see his baby girl get her high school diploma.
Throughout the years, I have been fortunate to have
developed a relationship with Jesus. God has filled all those empty places in
my heart that the love of my earthly daddy once filled. I found a greater love
with a heavenly Father that loves me unconditionally and promises to never leave
me nor forsake me.
You may be reading this, and you have a sick father or
maybe your father has passed on. So, I want to encourage you that you have a Heavenly
Father that will always be there with you. He will be there when you graduate,
and He will be there to walk you down the aisle. Your Heavenly Father will be
there through joy and more so when you are going through one of life’s
difficulties. And Your Heavenly Father Approves This Message!
