T20 Cricket, Carnival and Beryl the Prowler

The past three weeks were something else, a period which for me will long be remembered. We welcomed once more international cricket, however, without the West Indian team. Yet the attendance was relatively good as the crowd came out to have a good time, some seeing the teams for the first time, many probably hearing the names of the players for the first time. Some attracted by Cricket at Night! I remembered as a school boy hearing a woman say that she didn’t expect our team to win in Australia because they had them playing in the night! A woman in front of me was on top of things when the Netherlands was batting. But she did the same when the other team was batting. She was simply out for fun. One woman danced from start to finish. One of my favourite teams, South Africa, did get through to the semi-finals. Afghanistan I also liked and agonised with them over their loss to South Africa.

Carnival followed, Friday, June 27, the Calypso semi-finals, a show I try never to miss. I was aware then that we were monitoring what was merely a tropical wave which appeared to have room to develop to a tropical storm and possibly a hurricane. I was concerned about how far east-south-east it was being formed, realising that the further south it was the more likely we could be affected. The following day the news was that it was likely to strengthen to a hurricane. By June 29 the signs were ominous. We were under a hurricane watch and were informed that all carnival activities were to be suspended by Sunday. Would it hit or pass nearby I wondered!

I was off the mark late, getting the windows and doors that were on the exposed side boarded. I had almost forgotten bottled water, but on Sunday morning a visit to Randy’s near to the Russell’s mall settled that, and while on my way, stopping at Jacks to get a solar flash light. With other things secured I sat waiting on Beryl. I was not sure when electricity went but listened by transistor radio to NBC which stated that roofs were blown off from a few schools. The two announcers reported what they thought was the lifting of the roof of the Thomson Home. Sounds around alerted them to their own safety, so they left leaving us to listen to music. I was not sure when Beryl arrived, but later found out that the centre seemed to have moved over Carriacou and Union Island as she wrenched most of her bottled up anger on the Southern Grenadines. With total darkness and loss of telephone signals, I had no option but to settle for a late afternoon/early evening sleep as I had to do for the next three days.

Tuesday was one hell of a strange day. No electricity, no communication with anyone outside of my home. For most of the day little news of what had happened. The small transistor radio was with my wife, and we were not necessarily in the same room all the time. No way of letting my children and other relatives know about our situation. Still in some darkness since my shutters were on. Beryl left me untouched, except for a small tree that rested on my fence. When I could take it no longer, I walked over to a friend about a quarter of a mile away. My gate operates by electricity. A solar panel which was supposed to have kicked in when there was no electricity did not. My friend was in a similar situation with little news.

On my return home later in the afternoon it was back to square one. Not being able to read, getting no phone signals. I got to know that there was massive destruction in the Southern Grenadines. Out of the blue I heard a loud explosion. A second explosion followed. I soon realised that the sounds were from a fire in a neighbour’s car that was parked in her carport. I was one house away. Smoke for so! A fire truck appeared around half an hour after. Water was a problem, but fortunately they were able to get water from a tank attached to the house and a neighbour who had been collecting rain water brought four buckets. The car was destroyed as I believe were the contents of the room just above the carport.

Wednesday was another horrible day. Another day waiting on electricity and hoping for phone signals. On Thursday I got my shutters off and allowed in some light. Another visit to my friend. I got some phone signals on the way and a WhatsApp message from a sister in Toronto that reminded me about a funeral of a good friend of ours that was to have taken place in Layou on Friday morning. I was before that not sure that the funeral was still on. I got a copy of the funeral announcement and noticed that Father Ulric Jones was one of the officiating ministers. I tried phoning the Good Padre. Although I was able to hear him, he could not hear me. After a few further attempts on Friday morning, we connected. My ride to the funeral was assured. On my return I passed Vinlec vehicles working in Cane Garden and prayed and hoped that it was the signal I hoped for.

Later that night at about 8.45 I saw light in an area of Cane Garden. A miracle was about to happen I thought! Then my lights came on, but lasted for about a second. Some minutes after a repeat, lights for about a second. Then I became hopeful as I saw two Vinlec vehicles pass and began working on poles about one hundred yards away. Then at 10 pm it happened! My first reaction was to go to my refrigerator and put a bottle of water in the freezing compartment. My wife had earlier dumped most of what we had in our freezers, waiting on the grand occasion. Next day I was able to open my gate and drive into Kingstown. As I write this Thursday afternoon away from home, I am still hoping for the return of internet services. I pay my bills online but have up to now not been able to. I have a bill for FLOW. It will be something else if they cut me off, But who is to Say!

An issue which I will address in my next column is that of having carnival at a time when part of our country had an unofficial national emergency and persons elsewhere had suffered losses.