This book is a compendium of short stories of my youth growing up in the island of Trinidad in the 1950s and 60s.
My 32 Chevy
The year was 1961, and I was still in high school. I lived in Trinidad at the time. This 32 Chevy was the apple of my eye. Trinidad was a British colony, and all we had were English cars. An American car was a luxury, and a 32 Chevy was a rarity. I would dream about this car. I would picture myself sitting behind the steering wheel cruising up High Street (the main drag in San Fernando, my hometown). My friends would be envious, and the girls would dote over me for having such a cool car. Some time passed, and I stopped seeing this car on the road.
The Racing Bike
I got my first bike at the age of twelve. In Trinidad in the 1950s, a bicycle was an essential means of transport. Few people could afford cars. The bicycle was the dependable machine that took you everywhere on the island: to work, to school, to the beach, across town to visit friends and relatives, to the shop to buy goods, and downtown to hang with the boys.
A Memorable Tobago Adventure
The first time I visited Tobago was in 1963. I went with my best friends Wahid, Bissoon, Karl, George, and Hamid (Wahids younger brother). It was Easter, and we had carefully planned this adventure to see the famous Tobago crab races and attend other Easter boat races and sport festivities on the beach.
Fondest Memories of Christmases Past
Christmas is the happiest time of the year for mealways was and always will be. Growing up in Trinidad, Christmas was celebrated by everyone. The whole island celebrated Christmas. Christmas was spree time. Every house stocked up with sweet drinks (Coca Cola, Pepsi, Solo, Red Spot, and Cannings), Fernandes Rum, babash (homemade rum), Cherry Brandy, Guinness, Mackeson XXX Stout, and Carib beer to offer friends, relatives, and neighbors who could drop in at any time for a Christmas toast.
An Avocado Story
The avocado fruit is native to Central and South America and has been around in these areas since 8000 BC. It was introduced to the Caribbean (Jamaica) in the mid-seventeenth century and the Tropical Asian regions in the mid-1800s. The avocado arrived in the United States in the early twentieth century, specifically in California and Florida.
