“I believe when your days down here are through

There’s a place up there for people like you”

— Gramps Morgan

The past few weeks have seen Devonshire lose two more of her precious queens — Dorothy Saints, of Poinciana Estate, and Robin Tota, of Devon Springs Road.

Mrs Saints was a stalwart of the community, building not just a home but a loving family and strong community.

Ms Tota, originally from Parson’s Road, Devonshire, was of St Kitts heritage via the clans of Douglas, Francis and Tota.

She was without a doubt one who, despite her own challenges, always looked out for others. Not too long ago, she sent me a message to come and see her. When I got to her house, she handed me three grocery vouchers. In a stern but loving voice, she said: “Make sure you give these to so and so and so and so. Do not tell them it is from me because if they say anything to me, I will know it is you!”

During the last year of her life, she made sure to keep everyone informed of how things were going for her, sharing her family updates and how others should look out for their health. Never once did she want or expect pity or sympathy.

One of the things she wanted was for people to grow their spirituality. Her absence will be felt in the physical form, but her vibes will be with us for ever. Just in time for the Cup Match, Somerset Cricket Club have gained themselves a new guardian angel.

I may just miss her annual taunts.

Stewards of the parish

Our young and not-so-young people of Devonshire have taken it upon themselves to ensure that our parish is as best-kept as can be. Over the past few weeks, they have brought out their weed whackers and lawnmowers, and addressed the ever-growing green grass.

Along the roadside of Hermitage Road on the sidewalk leading to and from Elliot School, there were patches of cane grass growing. Amon Robinson and Donald DeSilva brought out their tools to resolve the matter. Mr DeSilva used his power tools to initially cut down the blades. Then Mr Robinson used a hoe to dig out the roots.

On the hillside of Devon Spring Lane, there were four pole lengths of cane grass. Owing to the logistics of the area, this required a slightly different approach. Amon Robinson and Deszion Davis took two days of working in the intense heat to clear the hill. Earlier in the day, they were blessed to have a conversation with Devonshire resident Reuben Mallory.

Mr Mallory took time out of his morning to have a frank talk with the young men about different aspects of life. This would include the finer details about business ownership, parent-child relationships and avoiding the pitfalls of instant gratification and materialism. The young men listened intently and absorbed the knowledge being passed on to them by one of the parish’s elder statesmen.

Clearly, this pep talk had a profound effect.

A few days later, via WhatsApp, we were alerted to a situation at the Mary Prince Emancipation Park at Devonshire Bay. Apparently, a stolen bike had been dumped in the area and the grass had grown above acceptable levels.

We reported the stolen motorcycle to the Wayne Furbert, the Minister of Transport, and within a few days, the vehicle had been removed. With regard to the grass itself, Amon brought out the lawnmower and weed whacker, and spent three mornings beautifying the area. To beat the heat, he started at 7am each day.

The people of Devonshire East thank Donald DeSilva, Reuben Mallory, Amon Robinson and Deszion Davis.

• Christopher Famous is the government MP for Devonshire East (Constituency 11). You can reach him on WhatsApp at 599-0901 or e-mail at carib_pro@yahoo.com