2014-JAN-06-2151Hrs
For young people leaving high school in Tobago in the early seventies, job and continuing education opportunities were very limited. If you were an A-level student, you had the opportunity to get into UWI. If you had relatives in North America or England, educational opportunities were aplenty there, and many Tobagonians took advantage of these opportunities.
Things were different for me however. Having been raised in “National Geographic” poverty, the opportunity to attend Mausica was a big deal to me and the family. After all, cousin Rodney (yes, Rodney’s grandfather is my uncle) was a graduate of Mausica and he was a “big teacher” in Trinidad. With the help of the Parish priest, Reverend Bess ( who later became the Bishop), I applied and appeared before the interview panel. I hit the first question for six, and from that moment Mausica ran through my veins.
“Mr. Gray, you were born on the 6th of January, and you indicated that you are an Anglican, do you know what day is that on the Anglican calendar?”
My first day at Mausica was interesting. After a cordial welcome from the second year students in the presence of our parents, all hell break loose as soon as our parents left. We had to go through customs; all of our personal items were confiscated and later rationed off to us. It tough, but I went along to get along. That night the music for the party was provided by DJ Springs. Only it was not a party, it was an attempt to get us to sleep on bed springs.
The Muffin man left quite an impression on me and on what I had for an Afro. So much so, that in my second year I became the Muffin man – my fingers were sore for days after. It was the study habits that I learned at Mausica that became my vehicle for success – thanks to a young lady from Pleasantville. Using the back of the bedroom door as a chalkboard, and your bedroom as a classroom was new to me. These study habits and analytical processes took me through several colleges. In fact, some of the “new” educational concepts that are now being used in the USA were common practice at Mausica.
Although my Mausica training made my educational path through life easy, it is the life-long friendships and relationships that I cherish most. You can’t live with people with names like Valdez and Sanchez (noted gun slingers from the old western movies), and not remember them. What a cast of characters we were: Howard’s mother visiting every weekend with essential supplies; Denzil trying to fight Hudson over some lady from Wingate. Oh! what fun we had. But behind it all, we never forgot our main goal. “Drunk or Sober, mind your business”, was our mantra.
Through all the marriages and divorces, break-ups and make-ups, our friendships live on. "Back ah yard" (my choice) or Cruise....I will be there. Let the conversation continue
Carlston A. Gray 74
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