Trinidad Express

Love and devotion- the old-fashioned way

Trailblazing with Heather-Dawn Herrera

Saturday, January 1st 2005

TO the original folk, this festive season in Monte Video is much the same as anywhere else. Carib descendents who have managed to survive in a changing world still prefer to live life in their own way, even now.

Octave Martinez, brother of a former Carib queen travelled all the way from Arima to Monte Video in his youth. On one of these occasions, he was attending his nephew's wake when his eyes fell upon this beautiful lady. It was love at first sight.

Rosie Caraballo, born and bred in Monte Video, fancied the attentions bestowed upon her by this young man called Octave and to this day they remain together, she now 92 years of age and he, 67.

"We never want to move from where we are. We are accustomed to our own way of life among people we have grown with over the years. It would be a form of displacement for us to go to lands designated for our community. Most of us already have our lands anyway and have carried on our families here. Maybe our grand children or great grand children would benefit, but not us."

Octave still hunts game in the forests of Monte Video, Sans Souci and Grand Riviere. He still moves nimbly through the forest and knows every part of it. He digs what yam he could from his garden but does not depend on this too much because people usually take it out before he does.

"These days whatever you plant you can expect others to reap. It is easier for them. Most of them do not know what it is to work hard like us to live.These days you don't find real men taking care of their families. Look at my age and I am still a healthy man in all ways."

The Caribs are known for their strength and longevity of life especially those who live in hilly terrain. They are an independent people and according to Octave and Rosie will fight to preserve their way of life. Octave takes the habits of the people around him in good stead because according to him everybody has to live and he and Rosie still have their pensions to fall back on.

Rosie moves about the house like quarter her age. Her physique is petite but her obvious strength makes up for it. Her voice can be heard from time to time chiding Octave for this and that. She wants to use the stove but he takes the duty of cooking upon himself for fear of her forgetting to turn off the gas from burner to burner.

He still has to tote potable water from the stand pipe on the road to the house. Rosie has to make the trip to the bathroom outside because there is no running water inside the house. This is the life they are accustomed to and they go about it without hardship. Every year paranderos from Arima come up to Monte Video to give Octave and Rosie a parang. It is then that the area sees the hottest parang ever. Octave likes to dance so he turns out to be the life of the parang. Sometimes Octave and Rosie would go down to Octaves' sister's house to stay but it is not the same.

"When we home is provision and pork cooking, or provision and beef, or provision and gouti or lappe, any kind of meat. We eat all kinds of meat but we love pork best and when we have a good Carib to wash it down, that is the favourite. I like my beers especially Carib, not because I am a Carib you know" Rosie smiles, "We have rum and all kinds of other drinks around but for me Carib is my drink."

Most times Octave has to go to the nearby shop to purchase drinks or make it all the way down to Grand Riviere sometimes on foot, sometimes he would hop a ride.

"I take my lime every now and then when I go out. All the people know us up here so they are accustomed to our way. There is nothing like home. You could sing, you could dance, you could raise your voice however loud you want, this is your home. We live here for years upon years and watch babies grow to boys then to men. They know us and we know them. We know life here and we never want to leave it."