Two weeks ago after a 94 year sojourn wid us, our beloved Elma Caesar, mother, moths, mother-in-Law; granny, great granny, aunt, great-aunt passed away. Gone to meet her Saviour. Mothers-in-law more so dan fathers-in-law make very interesting stories and trust me, twice ah son-in-law, ah should know.

Ah cant eulogize my mother-in-law and not men-shun my father-in-law, Robert Caesar who predeceased his wife eight years ago. He was affectionately known by de family as grampy, ah more humble and peaceful man yuh couldn’t find. He had no silver or gold but he freely gave what he had. He left me ah simple gift, ah plant foh life. Being de typical Hopewell/Marriaqua Valley farmer, he visited us foh ah
weekend wid his hoe, fork, cutlass and ah sack wid planting materials (slips) including ah couple “short” banana plants, best cooking bananas. Within ah couple days he converted de yard into ah nice kitchen garden. He had green fingers, de ground bore food like magic. Dat was 27 years ago, we have never bin out ah bananas since, as fast as we harvested, we replanted, we shared wid our near-bours, and we never done call grampy name.

But dis piece is ‘bout my mother-in-law Elma. Is only recently her younger children and grand-children discovered dat she was christened Eltina Violeta, and de name Elma is no where on her Birth Certificate. De marriage between my in-laws produced three boys and five girls. Dey was no regular monthly or fortnightly income. Ah half acre of land around de lickle board house, and ah small plot ah Crown land in de mountain was all dey had. Was no secret dat Elma and
Robert Caesar was among de hardest working family in Hopewell. Every morning daddy and an older sibling would head foh de mountain at 5:00 a.m. to milk de cow. While at home, mother ran things. She operated her own Animal Farm wid goats and sheep to tie-out, pigs to feed, also
Ducks, Rabbits, Fowls creole chickens eggs. Dey was ah donkey foh rent as well.

Money was scarce but dey was always food, and mother made sure dey was always some left-overs in de pot in case any late comer passes by. She would cook one big pot ah food foh all and she would say: “who nah want could lef it right dey and starve.” Dey was no picking and choosing!

Wid de family home adjacent to de public road she always had ah tray wid something from her farm to sell. At nights when all was sleeping, moths was up making soursop popsicles, to sell next day to help pay school fees.

My in laws made ah heavy sacrifice ensuring every child in de house got an education built round de Chrstian Faith. Mother firmly believed dat “Faith in God.” played ah great role in dey daily Lives. Very early in dey marriage de couple became Born Again Christians (Gospel Hall).

Every child in de home was baptized at an early age, and grew up in church and Sunday School.

Space limits me to say only ah few more things about my moths. How ah thank her for caring her last child and most beautiful daughter foh me. She cared foh all her grand-children, mine included, wid Love. Our two children grew up in de Best Day Care Centre wid Granny as Care Taker. One of my fondest memory of her was her expertise in Folk Medicine foh kids. Our baby daughter was only months old when she picked up ah skin rash all over her body. Mother took ah look, went in de yard, came back with ah few leaves from ah plant, and sapped her skin wid de bush. Two days after, de rash was completely gone. She was de Best Day Care Nurse. May her Soul Rest Peacefully. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.