I was just about one-year-old when my father gave one of his cousins a job and a place to stay with us in a typical home, upstairs for all of us, and downstairs to ensure that we were not being under the water! Most of the time we were okay, but my father wanted to build a ‘rum shop’ including ‘goods’ for everyone in the village.

Until then, as his young son, I stayed upstairs unless Mom was with me. But, even as a little child, I made my own rights and speeds. My Father was allowing his cousin, my uncle, to use his bicycle. My uncle was heading home at speed to go home and “lime” with his friends. On the other hand, I was trying to catch up with my uncle to give me a little ride around the yard. I tried to reach him before he stopped.

I looked down shouting, “Ah coming, ah coming!” I was looking down and not bothering if I would fall, especially because there was nothing to protect anyone falling down. I hit the bottom and, in addition to my leg and other places and damages, I had to stop school and go to the doctor every day for almost one year to be “treated”. As the doctor said, “And if he lives, and tries again, he will get licks every night and day.”