Had I known the joys of being a grandfather, I would’ve skipped the children and gone straight for the jackpot. People tell you the “getting” is the nice part but that wasn’t my experience.
It was more a constant battle of trying to keep a strong, unruly dog on a leash and having to pay the damages every time he got loose and wreaked havoc among the pet hares.
To date there are four grands, all special. Little Dom, one year old, is granddad’s shadow. Lately he toddles in when I’m in the bath and rips off his diaper as if for purposes of comparison. The upstart!
Today I want to highlight Haillie, a cute eight-year-old. Hailles thinks the world is a splendid place and her big eyes open wide as new vistas present themselves. This often doesn’t leave much time for the exact details of schoolwork.
Thus it was that for her latest Heroes Day report she wrote: “Bussa was a good man. He freed the African snails.” I greatly fear that, if the Steel Shed is renamed to please David Comissiong, Haillie’s version will be: “Marcus Garvey is best known for stealing a shed.”
Like most Bajans, Haillie has a wonderfully mixed-up ancestry, blending Barnett, Hoad and Roach genes.
My interest today is in the Roach side, whence cameth my wife. Historian Patrick Roach, author of The Bridge Barbados, researched his family history from two brothers, James and John Roach, who were sent to Barbados from Ireland in the 1630s, just a few years after Barbados was settled. Patrick is descended from James, my wife from John.
Apparently, James and John were rebels and their father had to pay a hefty bribe to save them from hanging. Eventually, they flourished and multiplied in Barbados. Patrick Roach and his wife did visit Ireland and had tea with Baron Fermoy of the same family as the Roach/Roche boys. Let’s leave him there for a while and talk school.
For obvious reasons, our educators focus heavily on African and black West Indian history and culture.
That is okay by me. Haillie was in THE NATION sometime back dressed in African garb. She looked the part too. (By judicious introduction of Nubian strains, all my grandchildren will have far greater claims for reparations than friend Comissiong if hue is the criterion.)
And young Raffie, my star boy, was a Jamaican last week in green, yellow and black gear (his mother was overruled on the dreadlocks), singing “No woman no cry” and “Carry me ackee down Linstead Market” all the way to school. Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to concoct Jamaican bammy (cassava bread) and rundown (vegetables in coconut milk with saltfish).
But it’s a big-able world. Why limit our children to certain cultures? For many years I’ve played Trini/Venezuelan parang and tasted South American culture. Being part of a Celtic group opened my eyes to the parallels between the Irish and African experiences. In fact, it was in Beltaine that I met Ridley Greene on banjo. Many were the ladies who wanted a ride on his “threshing machine”. Ask him about it.
I used to visit a Jewish family and Hava Nagila while we played Hatikva. Hindus would be there singing beautiful music from different parts of India.
My Muslim friend Sabir brags that his wife makes the best somosas ever and has promised to bring me some. Remind me to hide Andrew Bynoe’s “proper” pig ornament.
Why not broaden our horizons? The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is attracting publicity all around the world. Jamaica had Prince Harry racing Usain Bolt, dancing with the local girls. He boogied with the enthusiastic crowd at a Belize street party.
In contrast, his visit here was “low-key” for fear of offending the Africanists.
But think on this. Princess Di, Prince Harry’s mother, is a direct descendant of the Fermoy Roches/Roaches. Edmund Maurice Burke Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy, was her grandfather.
In other words, Haillie and Prince Harry are cousins. Furthermore, at least one Bajan Roach liaised with a dusky damsel way back in 1811. Our historians could have unearthed several other family members.
What a glorious photo op for Barbados – Prime Minister Stuart hosting a reunion party at Ilaro Court for Prince Harry with his Bajan blood relatives, black, white and in-between! The world would have lapped it up. Instead, we blew it.
• Richard Hoad is a farmer and social commentator.
