My name is Eyare Marshall and I’m 102 years old.
I must say all I knew was piano repair. My father taught me that.
My two brothers I had died. One was a young fellow. I am here alone now. Anyway, we all have to go, one after the other, but we all have to go.
I am from Tragarete Road. I have lived all my life in Woodbrook. Same place. My father was here before me.
It was one road in Wrightson Road, from the La Basse as we called it, right back up to the Furness-Smithy building. One road. It wasn’t two as it is now. And the traffic was nothing like it is now.
I remember when the harbour scheme was built, where the ships come and offload their cargo. I was a little boy then. I used to swim in the sea right where the harbour was built.
The sea was right there, very close to Tragarete Road, but they backed the sea right out and made it harbour scheme. That educational school – what’s-its-name, John Donaldson! – that was sea and they built it up and built John D right there.
A lady asked me where I went to school. I replied, “Right there in St Patrick’s”. She said, “Oh, but you speak so well!” She told me that. I said, “Well, I don’t know. You must tell me”.
I never went on to secondary school. In my days, there were not a lot of opportunities. Only those who won for QRC and St Mary’s and things like that.
I remember World War II. I had a little brother and, if I tell you the story! Hah! You would be amazed. He was the last, you know, and he died just a couple o’ years aback.
My little brother didn’t know what he wanted, really. Things were so slow in the piano repair trade and he was one of three of us, and it was slow to get biscuit and so on. My bigger brother worked on the harbour. My little brother thought he would join the Trinidad army. But he was disappointed. I believe he had too much ambition. In that he wanted to join the army, which he did, and, up to now, he hasn’t got a penny.
My little brother joined the army and was sent to Guyana. But they brought him back and said he was disobedient. So they put him in the Woodbrook barracks. And he was in there, below the Earth, for quite a while.
I’ve lived a long time and lost a lot of friends. But the only person who treats me bad in this world is [one named person].
My hands, so frail! They weren’t always like this.
Not a penny do I get. If not for this great lady, who is now prime minister, I would have died many a time. She gave us pension, O Great Lady! You must put that in the papers! Because of her, I have some money in the bank. Every three months, they have something called “pension month” or something so.
If anyone should say who can park outside the shop, I am the one who should say that. This was my father’s house. My father and I helped build this house. Tote and mix concrete and build this house. Now today I sit here.
I remember when Dr Eric Williams won the election. It was a good day for Trinidad. He was just as good as Kamla, perhaps a little bit better – but she has the money! Look at Trinidad now! Rich! This is a rich country, you just look and see it. But people are forgetting there is a God and you must praise God.
Look at what Kamla did for the calypsonian, what’s-his-name, he went to have an operation in America and she gave him a million dollars! Sparrow! I mean, this woman is good. She gave all the churches money, you know. She gives Sparrow a million dollars and I get pension. My pension bought a new stove for this house. But some people hurt me.
It’s a good question to ask, whether I’m in good spirits. I’m not happy all the time. Because of [a named person] who gives me Hell.
Trinidad is a blessed country. I was born in Barbados, you know, but Trinidad is a rich and blessed country. And the people in it don’t know this, you know, they don’t appreciate it.
• Read a longer version of this feature at www.BCRaw.com