Our grandparents, Leoncio Nieves-Figueroa (Papá Leo) and Dolores Torrens-Carrillo (Mamá Lola) lived in Estate Whim, #128B. (The street that runs by the house is now JCT 701. To the west is JCT 1073 and to the east is 667. To me the area is more like Carlton since it is right next to what was once the Carlton Hotel now Estate Carlton Condominiums.) The family called where my grandparents lived La Granja, farm. Farm? There were chickens, ducks, goats, guinea hens, etc. Some folks in the area had cattle. Almost every Sunday, we visited them. Sometimes we'd walk and at other times someone would drive us. We referred to Whim as the country. It seemed so far away! Papá Leo was strict. Kids were to be seen, not heard. When among adults, kids were not to speak unless spoken to. Kids were not to be in the house unless they were infants, sick or called in by an adult. When we arrived at the house, we´d greet the adults then head to the yard to play with the other visiting relatives. Mamá Lola on the other hand was as sweet as they came. She was always there to comfort us. Mamá Lola was an angel. Mamá Lola was short but, in my eyes, she was very tall. [Ma informed me that when Mamá Lola's mother died, her father remarried. Therefore, Mamá Lola had siblings from this second marriage. When Mr. Torrens died, his wife remarried to someone by the last name Ortiz. In May 2004, I learned that one of Ma's Uncles, one of Mamá Lola's brothers, died. His name was Don Raimundo Torrens, March 16,1923 to April 15, 2004. Mamá Lola and Raimundo had the same mother and father. Don Felo, who I mentioned in my story about Estate Coble, was related to Mamá Lola and Raimundo by father only. Don Felo was one of the men who came by Titi Guilla´s house for coffee/food.]
Papá Leo looked like he was over 6 feet tall. His skin was a dark cinnamon color (more like a dark reddish brown) and I remember him having beautiful straight hair. (I was later told that under the hat he wore he was somewhat bald. A photo posted on the home page proves taht he was somewhat bald.) To me he was Black, but we were told he was Indio (Indian). For all I know, Grandpa could have been part Taino, a group of Natives found on Puerto Rico. [The story goes that when Papá Leo registered to vote, he was listed as Black. He ripped the card up since he wanted to be considered Indio. That was not one of the options on the card. I suppose they could have chosen "other". He must have felt that indicating Black negated his Indian heritage.] Mamá Lola was short, very light skinned (almost European). I was told that one of Mamá Lola's parents was Spaniard.] I always remember her with whitish hair that was always kept in a bun. [Years later, I would meet Mamá Lola's sister, Doña Juana Torrens, on Vieques and it was like seeing a ghost. They looked like twins!! However, Mamá Lola's sister was more vibrant, full of fun and laughter. I suppose living with Papa Leo was not easy!]
When we greeted our elders, we had to ask for their blessing. We´d say, "Bedición Mamá Lola". She would in turn answer by saying, "Bendición mi hijo" or refer to us by name. When we left for the day, we again had to ask for their blessing. This time the response would be, "Qué Dios te bendiga". [Today the custom is slowly disappearing. Only a few of my nephews/nieces refer to me as "Tio". And no one asks for my blessing.]
I always noticed huge metal barrels in Papá Leo´s yard. I was eventually told that molasses was in the barrels. Papá Leo would disappear into the bushes across the street and return hours later with a jug or two in his hands. I soon found out that the old man was good at making moonshine! [I later discovered taht other relatives, including aunts, were also in the business of making moonshine. It was a source of income.]
Papa Leo also had a horse and cart (buggy). It was fun riding in it. However, when he got into drinking, he would ride all over the island in the cart. One day, he appeared at St. Patrick's. My siblings, and I pretended we did not know who he was because he was drunk. We were embarrassed. The moonshine he made must have been strong!
The house Mamá Lola and Papá Leo lived in was small. There was an outhouse and shower in the back. The shower contraption was cool for the time. One would lower a bucket fitted with a shower head, fill it with water, lift it back up and tie it securely, then open the shower head to let the water run. One would get soaked, turn the water off, soap oneself then turn the gadget back on to rinse off. Back then, this system was state-of-the-art for that time and considered an advancement. It was better than having to keep taking water out of a bucket with a container and throwing it over one's body to wash then rinse. [The house was eventually renovated and made larger. Pin and his family lived in the house for a while until Titi Paca and Don Carmelo moved back to St. Croix. UPDATE, 05/20/2008: The house we called La Granja was purchased by Don Carmelo Belardo. It is said that Don Carmelo's father sold him the property. The other version is that it was bought from the government in an auction. Tía and Don Carmelo lived on St. Croix from 1945 to 1952. When Titi Paca and Don Carmelo moved to New York in 1952, it was apparently sold to Pablo (Pin), one of Titi Guilla's sons. Mamá Lola and Papá Leo lived in the house for a while. When Titi Paca and Don Carmelo decided to move back to St. Croix in 1982, they re-purchased the house. It is said that the house had been sold to Pin to keep it in the family. Pin built a 2-story house across the street.]
It was great visiting La Granja because we´d get to see other relatives. During our visits there was a lot to eat. On some weekends, the men would kill an animal and the women would do the cleaning, cooking, etc. I liked it when they let the kids help. When one of the relatives that lived off island came to visit the food was more plentiful. During these visits animals were slaughtered to celebrate the visit.
I remember once a pig was hung from a tree, killed and skinned. The killing was usually done by one of the men. Every part of the pig was saved, including the blood. The blood was used to make blood pudding (morcillas). The only thing discarded was the waste found in the pig's stomach and intestines. On one occasion the children were allowed to help clean the intestines in order to make morcillas. Though the intestines stunk, it was great helping out. Talk about a learning experience! It was an assembly line operation. Everyone on the line had a different function. By the time the goods reached the last person, the morcillas were ready to be cooked.
Mamá Lola and Papá Leo had all kinds of fouls. They had chickens, turkey, ducks and Guinea hens. Guinea hens were smaller than chickens with feathers a combination of black, gray with specks of white. Ducks were nasty. Every time anyone spat, they would run towards the spit and catch it before it hit the ground! For that reason, most of the fouls were placed in cages for a week or two to have their system cleaned (purged) before being prepared for eating.
Papá Leo was known to inhale something out of a can. The substance came in a green rectangular can with red letters. A little of the black powder would be placed in the cap of the can or small receptacle and it would be lit. It fizzed like gun powder and gave off a strange fragrance. Papá Leo would inhale the smoke. It was said that he had asthma and that this product helped him feel better after an attack. I found out it was called Asmadol. What was really in Asmadol? [Naturally, some relatives felt that Asmadol contained marijuana.]
I can`t remember ever being hit by Grandpa. He did yell a lot, but I can´t remember him laying his hands on us. The man was so stern that just his stare was enough to discipline up. He did not need words to discipline us and he surely didn't need to strike us. We were all scared of Papá Leo. However, when he was calm and peaceful it was a pleasure to talk to him, sit next to him, etc. [I regret not talking more to him to find out about his childhood, his family background, etc.]
Eventually, Mamá Lola and Papá Leo moved back to Vieques. A cousin, Pablo (Pin, 04/1935 to 01/1993, St. Croix) and his family moved into the house. Pin always had a smile on his face and he loved to tease us. He had a nickname for all of us. He knew we didn't like to be teased so he teased us even more. He'd make some of us cry!!I suppose it was his way of teaching us how to be tough. If Piano, a family friend, dropped by he too would tease us. When the two were together, the teasing would be non-stop. However, at the same time Pin and Piano were a kind men. Pin was an auto mechanic and was very good at it. He had a truck and he'd take up all over the island in it. Some of us were embarrassed to ride in the back of the truck. I loved feeling the air against my skin as the truck moved along the roads. In my opinion, the best trip was when Pin took us to Sandy Point. (Keep in mind that today the area is protected and unavailable during the months turtles lay egg and the hatchlings arrive.) What a beautiful beach! There was sand all over. The water was very clear and had a beautiful blue hue. A certain time of the year, there would be coco plus (Chrysobalanus icaco) on the beach and we'd gather them to eat. They grew on a small bush found mostly on the beach and were abundant at Sandy Point. The plums were pinkish in color and soft. Almost like a turtle egg. Inside was white and very sweet. Pin, and other adults, would tell us not to eat too many because we could become constipated. (In Crucian the term for constipated is "cack up". I suppose "cack" is from cork, thus having your anus corked could create constipation?)
Strangely enough, I always thought Pin was an uncle. At one point or another, I learned he was one of Titi Guilla's sons. I think Mamá Lola and Papá Leo raised him. [Titi Guilla's other children were Genoveva (Veva), Adriano (deceased, St. Croix), José Antonio (Toñin), Carlos Juan (deceased), and María Esther (06/1939 to 08/1982, St. Croix), and she later adopted Yolanda.]
One summer during one of Pin´s excursions there was a Calypso that was very popular and which we would sing on our way home as we sat in the back of the truck. The only words I can remember are: "How your panty geh wet? The sun ah shine and the rain no fall, how your panty geh wet?" I don't know who say the song. The line was used to tease someone in the group if during the ride they had an accident, like urinating on themselves. We'd also sing other songs and play games as we rode through the countryside.
Another song we used to tease each other was "Crompo Boy". The song was about a boy who didn't like getting wet, etc. It was a known fact that whenever it rained the Black Crucians would run for cover. They claimed that the rain would get them sick. The song was used to make fun of them, even though most were very clean. The few words I can remember are: "Crompo Boy, fraid water, when the rain come down you should see how he run for fun..." I think it went on to say: "...bathe nasty, and he dress dirty..." but I am not that sure.
And then there was "Mama bull passing..." We basically used these words from the song to tease fat or obese women. As they passed, we sang those words over and over to make them uncomfortable. We were mean kids. Many women cussed us!
On the days we walked to Whim, we'd cut through an abandoned house on the side of Centerline Road. We were told to avoid the house because it was haunted. Eventually, the house was restored, and it is now the Greathouse of the Whim Museum. If we hadn't believed the grownups back then, we would have been able to search the home and possibly find treasures.
Grownups had a habit of telling us that everything they wanted us to avoid was either haunted or inhabited by someone who would do us harm or both. Not knowing better, we avoided the places and individuals. We were told about werewolves, half-men, ghosts ("jumbies/jumbees), children-eating individuals, etc.
Except for the two towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted, most of the island was in darkness. There were a few lights on Centerline Road. Driving into the countryside at night was quite an experience. For most of the ride the only lights visible were those on the car one was in. From time to time another car would pass and there would be more illumination. At times a horse and cart (buggy) would pass with a kerosene lamp hanging on the side.
Because of all this darkness a lot was discussed about ghosts, spirits, "jumbies/jumbees", and the like. One was told to avoid walking in certain places alone. We were told not to go into the cemeteries at night. A friend, who said he could see ghosts. said he was born breeches and that gave him special powers allowing him to see ghosts. He had a habit of walking in the middle of the street at night and at every intersection he would make the sign of the cross. When asked why he did that, he stated that it is hard to be caught by a ghost if one walked in the middle of the street. Since streets at an intersection form a cross, he said ghosts were particularly scared of meting any human at an intersection. However, during the day it was okay to walk where one places since ghosts were nocturnal. I was very skeptical of all this though, and when I was walking alone at night, I kept looking over my shoulder from time to time.
Visiting my grandparents in Estate Whim also meant hunting for birds. We used mostly catapults we made. To make a catapult we'd look for a cedar tree that had a perfect Y formed in one of its branches. The bark would be removed, and the Y would let dry for about a day. We'd then cut two 1/2-inch strips from a bike or car tire. These we would attach to the top of the Y and secure them with more rubber or twine. in the middle of these two rubber strips would go a piece of leather that would be what we used to hold the projectile. To make the catapult unique some of us would use a piece of leather that was a color other than black. The projectile could be a small stone, a marble or a ball bearing. One or two relatives owned a B-B gun.
On the island we had birds like Blue Pigeon (Red-necked pigeon or Columba squamosa, the white-crowned version is known as Columba leucocephala), Ground Dove, Mountain Dove, "Chincheree" (or Chinchery, Tyrannus dominicensis, pitirre, wings and back feathers dark gray/black, the breast and underside whitish), "Trush" (Thrush, truche, wing and back feathers are brownish and he breast and underside creamish, a little larger than the "Chincheree", Margarops fuscatus), "Sin-Sin (yellow breasted Bananaquit, Coerebinae), Sparrow (greenish in color, male may have black head/ breast, gorión), "Gahlin" (or gaulin - egret, white and black, garza/garceta) and Cradle (possible the Bridled Quail Dove, Geotryon mystacea). There were also two type of black birds, one we called crow and the smaller one was called Black Witch (Crotophaga ani). Most of these were also found in and around Estate Whim. The Mountain and Ground Doves (Columbina passeserina) are about the same color but the former is larger. Blue Pigeons are majestic birds. They are larger than the widely known pigeons but are all blue. To hear them sing is like listening to angels!! Cradles were unique. They made their nests on the ground in the grass. The sound they made as they left their nest when they heard someone or something approaching was beautiful. They'd dash out of their nests but stay close by without flying away. They were hard to spot since they were almost the same color as the dry brown grass. [Update, April 2005: I have been told that the white-crowned Blue Pigeon exists on St. Croix and later after told, I saw one.]
"Chincherees" and "Trushes" tended to be annoying. "Trushes" will go after almost anything. They eat fruits, ravage other birds' nests, etc., while the "Chincheree" tend to go after fruits, seeds, etc. However, they can be very territorial. Once I was in a tree looking for fruits and did not realize I was close to a nest. A "Chincheree" appeared out of no place and began to attack me. The maneuvers the bird performed to get close to me were incredible. Luckily, it did not harm me. They are very protective of their nests!
[Strangely enough, during my visit to St. Croix during 1989 after Hurricane Hugo the island felt void of birds. It was as if the Hugo had made the birds fly to other islands to be safe. How many were killed by the hurricane? As a matter of fact, a co-worker at Social Security Administration (SSA) told me that his mother commented to him that strange birds appeared in North Carolina after Hurricane Hugo. Could birds from the Caribbean have gone that far? During my April/May 1990 visit to St. Croix, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of birds visible. About the only one I found lacking was the Ground Dove.)
In my opinion, the two birds that are extremely beautiful are the Hummingbirds (locally called Dr. Bird because the long beak of the hummingbird that is used to obtain nectar from the flowers, etc., is said to look like a hypodermic needle in Spanish, pica flor) and the Blue Pigeons. The Hummingbird I remember most is the small black one with green iridescent feathers on its head, wings and back. The feathers glisten in the sun. One had to see a Hummingbird in flight as it goes from flower to flower collecting nectar to understand what I mean. How can a bird so small move it's small wings so fast and fly from flower to flower with such grace? If one does not believe in a higher being, one would have to do so after seeing a Hummingbird. The Blue Pigeons are just as elegant and produce a heavenly sound. The Almighty is incredible!
The other thing that's incredible about birds, is the way they make their nests. Each bird has a different architectural style. Each uses different materials. Each bird uses a particular tree/shrub, etc., to make the nest in. It's fascinating to see them at work building a nest. And what about the eggs? The eggs can be white, cream, light blue, etc., and some even have spots. And the sizes vary!
We also made homemade traps to catch doves since they are ground walking. The traps were in a pyramid shape and the wood used was "Tan Tan" (an invasive plant from Central America, Leucaena leucocehala). The trap would be held up by a piece of wood that was cut in two. A string would be place as low as possible from the back of the trap to the piece of wood that is holding up the trap. Food would be placed inside the string. As soon as the bird enters to eat the food it touches the string which causes the wood to separate bringing down the trap. What did we call the trap? Canawall? Canawar? (I found something online stating that in Jamaica something similar is used and called "calaban".)
On one hunting expedition, a cousin who had a B-B gun shot me on a finger. I remember I was doing something in a puddle on the side of the road to La Granja. Something tells me I was looking at tadpoles. My cousin told me he had the urge to shoot me. I told him I dared him to do it so he pulled the trigger. It hurt. I could swear the finger was disfigured because of what he did. I avoided any dares with this cousin after this incident. In my eyes, I thought my cousin was crazy!
We also grew up with such things as Lizards, Iguanas (though rarely seen), Mongoose (pronounced mangoose), "Gongolos" (millipedes, variety of colors - red, black which were bigger, and black ones with yellow-green stripes), Salamanders (salamancas), Centipedes (alacranes, Ma was cared of these), various types of Ants, Butterflies (such beauty and grace), Bees (avejas), "Jackspanas" ("jackspaniards, wasps, avispas), Hornets and many others. The greatest miracle of the insect work to me is the butterfly. It's magical how a caterpillar can become a cocoon days later evolve into one of the prettiest Butterfly ever seen!! Ah!! (Supposedly the Mongoose were brought to the island to get rid of snakes that were eating chickens and their eggs. The Mongoose got rid of the snakes and since it had nothing else to go after, they began to eat the same thing they were there to protect, the chickens and their eggs!! The snakes on St. Croix were non-venomous. Iguanas are now readily seen throughout the island.)
In the area where my grandparents lived were many trees that were referred to as pinos (pines). I found it weird that they were concentrated in this part of the island. There were two on the property where my grandparents lived. We had a habit of carving our names and/or initials on the bark of the trees. However, one day a few of the girls decided to remove the bark from one of the two trees. I think Lee was the leader of the group. When Grandpa found out, he had a fit. If it was not for Mamá Lola interceding on our behalf, Grandpa would have beaten the hell out of us!!
Close to where my grandparents lived there was a windmill. It was located southeast of the residence. We went to the mill for water. It was mostly used by the cattle in the area. NW of the residence was a concrete fixture on 4 columns used to store water. [Ma could not remember if the water was pumped into the structure from the windmill and she could not remember what the water was used for.] Also, there was a house close by that appeared to be falling down thus it looked crooked. We called it La Casa Broca (The broken house in Span-English). Not too far, on the Johnson's property, were two date palms. The trees were off JCT 7013. The trees when they were in season would produce many green berry-looking fruits which would eventually turn yellow. I cannot remember ever eating any dates from either tree.
I miss La Granja!
