One by one they are going to their sugar cane heaven.
My cousin Roy, to the left in the photo, was born into the sugar cane world in Princes Town 80 years ago. His brother Polly is the last surviving member of that generation. The third generation from India.
As a child, when I visited them, I was overwhelmed to see the hard, very hard work they put in day after day. VERY, VERY hard work! But they saved their money, built homes, sent their children to school, and eventually several young ones emigrated to Canada and have prospered. Many are prominent today in the local society. In Trinidad they are comfortable, and soon, all of this will be relegated to the history books. It must be remembered that not only oil contributed to Trinidad’s wealth, but sugar cane farming and later produce farming. Today, they dominate the local pineapple industry.
I mourn this loss, but celebrate new beginnings.
By Herman Silochan