My name is Stephen Cumberbatch, and I install PBX phone systems.
I went to Erdiston. I can only assume my teacher didn’t like me because she used to beat me practically every day.
[She used to beat me] for my handwriting. She considered it “too small”. So she used to beat me. Licks on my hands every day. That was supposed to make my handwriting better. It was really strange.
Morals, respect, those kind of things I could understand flogging for. You disrespect a teacher or hurt another student. But flogging for academics made no sense.
I kept my head above the 60s, 70s. I did enough to get the pass or a little beyond, but I didn’t excel. I might get a few A’s here and there but I wasn’t a grade A student.
From very young, I liked using my hands. I continue to use my hands. I do woodwork around the house when I have time. I definitely save a few bucks in handyman charges.
I have one sibling, my sister, six years older than me. I have one girl and two boys. My wife is Sherica, my daughter is Saamiya, and my sons are Saajid and Saysuddeen.
My wife was born Muslim. I was raised in a Christian family but was never actually confirmed. Sherica is from Trinidad. I converted after I met her and she was more or less the deciding factor but, before I met her, I had a friend, a Muslim guy, who got me interested. But she was more persuasive.
It’s not so unusual to be Muslim in Barbados now. In the early days, Muslims who came to Barbados stuck to themselves. But about 15 years ago, you started seeing articles in the paper about why they celebrated what they celebrated.
You get people making jokes after 9/11 about Taliban and so forth but, other than that, I never face any difficulty being Muslim in Barbados.
Barbadians are kind of tolerant. They may say something that might seem a bit anti-Muslim if asked. In some more aggressive countries, if you’re white, people might want to beat you; if you’re gay, people beat you; if your religion different, you get beat. In Barbados, we talk a lot but we wouldn’t act on that talk unless forced to.
I chose to come across to Islam and have no regrets or doubts – I believe I did the right thing. But I will not go and tell anyone else that what they believe is wrong.
Only God has the authority to redeem you. If I’m raised as a Christian and not being exposed to anything else, that’s what I’ll believe is correct. If I’m being raised Muslim, likewise. The only way we’ll find out is when that day of judgement comes.
You can have a moral upbringing without having a religious upbringing, but Barbados is such a religious society, so it’s instilled in you from young that children need guidance. But it is a grown-up decision whether or not to believe in God. That’s why children should therefore be taught to seek knowledge themselves. As an adult then, you can make a better decision than if you were a child.
After secondary school, I did electrical installation at the polytechnic and started working with an electrical company. I was responsible for the electrical maintenance and installation at a phone company. I put in an application and one day they offered me a job.
I’ve been employed with the same company for 16 years. But there are guys there much longer than me – 32 years and things like that.
A PBX is a computer that controls a phone system. It has changed quite a lot in my time. Right now they are analogue, digital and IP – Internet protocol. PBXs can run all those phones on one network now.
The best thing about my job is the fact that it’s changing so regularly. There’s always something new coming out to learn. You don’t get bored of it.
The worst thing is, sometimes, not being able to help the customer the way you would like. In any company, there’s red tape. They may want something but your hands are tied and the best you could do is call the person. But I suppose that’s so in every company.
A Bajan is a very passive person who would take a lot, but, if backed into a corner, will retaliate.
Barbados is home, my centrepiece. Honestly, I love the place.
Email bc@caribsurf.com