LAST WEEK Barbados said farewell to several people and among them were a loyal son and daughter who I knew personally. It is entirely possible that these two persons never met; however, a comparative reflection on their passing helps to demonstrate the impact of human kindness versus unkindness. These individuals were born into different circumstances and on that basis would have made their contribution to this country and to the enhancement of the lives of their family and friends in the best way they could.
Notwithstanding one set of loved ones would have been focused on the celebration of a long and happy life, while the other set is more likely to reflect on the tragic circumstances under which their loved one’s life was cut short.
The older of the two loved ones was Evelyn Walcott, but was known to us all as “Granny”, which is a title that conveys considerable affection. Our culture is one where formality is often reserved for proprietors, but in the case of this lady she was called Granny, not only by those who were her legitimate grandchildren, but also by myself and thousands others whom she fed either at the Christ Church Foundation School or at her other business in Oistins. Her title was both affectionate and appropriate since those of us whom she fed quickly understood that she was not just doing a job or running a business, but were touched by the love of both her craft and also for those whom she fed.
Inevitably a person in the business of feeding people and actually caring for those who she feeds will encounter situations that are antithetical to good business, and Granny no-doubt encountered several such situations at Foundation. Fortuitously, her commitment to feeding the hungry that might have been unable to pay could be accommodated within the four corners of her proprietorship and her resulting generosity was a quality for which she is lovingly remembered. Among the many tributes that have already been presented, this quality has consistently been identified. This much has been said, but less well-known is the fact that she extended her family circle both formally and informally to accommodate “adoptees” whom she never forgot.
Dwight Marlon Lomar Holder is other Barbadian we bade farewell to last week and while Granny Walcott was a full three-score and ten, plus 26, Dwight was a mere 29 years old when his life was tragically cut short. The socio-political circumstances of his slaying are worthy of a separate reflection, but it is more important here to convey some sense of who this young man was. Those who knew Dwight thought of him as a “quiet” and “easy going” young man and his mother agreed that his childhood was not the least bit troublesome. He progressed through primary school and thereafter attended Combermere, which was his school of choice and his love for that institution was reflected in his own words etched in the School’s Graduation book. He said simply “being a Combermerian is a great privilege.”
Dwight’s studies progressed with some distinction thereafter and he attended the UWI, Cave Hill graduating with a BSc. in management and then more recently he achieved his teaching Diploma with a Distinction in Teaching Practice. Dwight was academically inclined but also had an eye for entrepreneurship, businesses and serving others. His public service started at secondary school where he became a scout leader and mentor, while one of his most recent assignments in teaching was to give additional coaching to the students at his school who were deemed unsuitable to take the 11+. As an entrepreneur, Dwight would no doubt eventually have risen to the heights that Granny Walcott did, but in his short time he sold CDs and DVDs before setting up an online business which sold phones and other small electronics, all consistent with his proclaimed desire to be “master of his own fate”.
At the time of his passing, Dwight was a teacher at the Half Moon Fort Primary School in St Lucy where he focused on information technology and prior to that he was employed as a clerk at CGI and also worked part-time at CADRES. His most recent assignment, however is one which highlights the tragedy of his passing. On September 7, 2015, his daughter will come into this world and will sadly never know her father. Already Dwight and his girlfriend Leandra Franklyn agreed to name their baby girl Amber Deandra Holder and she will no doubt be loved by all who mourn his passing. Still, one cannot help but reflect on the lawlessness and senseless of the act which denied that unborn girl a father.
Peter W. Wickham is a political consultant and a director of Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES). Email peter.w.wickham@gmail.com