Since everything specific about Sam's childhood touches other lives and events and therefore demands explanations and comments for a full appreciation of his story, I will try to "bring him to life as it were" and try to follow him as he "moved and had his being." What I can tell you is only a minor portion of his travels but I think I can pretty well tell you the important aspects of family life that fairly well established our sense of values. We were fortunate to have God-fearing and loving, caring parents. We went to church every time the doors opened, twice on Sunday and any other time. All the children were expected to attend and no excuse was accepted as long as you were mobile. If one of us boys got a whipping in school, we got another from dad that evening when he came home. I digress here a little to give you a sense of my father's judicial methods. With so many children, he did not have time to conduct an investigation (one of us boys was always up to some mischief) so he took the easy route of going to the oldest child first and confronting him with the question "did you do it?" I realize now he was using the honor system, but I can tell you all my brothers flunked. It nearly always happened that the guilt was passed down the line to the youngest boy, me, who was punished. But all of us knew of the long hours our parents had to work and we pretty well understood what was required of us although we never felt driven to accomplish or do anything.

We lived on approximately 5 acres of land that narrowed to 50' at the beach front. Our home consisted of 3 separate buildings - the house (4 bedrooms, living room and small library with a reading table) dining room and kitchen. There was not any running water to be had, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. Neither was there a paved road, drug store or telephone except a communal one linking West Bay to Georgetown. There was one doctor for the whole island. All the schools in the island were built originally by Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) Missions.

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I apologize for sending this to you like this, but it has been a long day. I'm afraid to try and save this to continue at a later day. I am trying to create a setting for Sam’s activities so they make some sense but I'm afraid I'm bungling it all up.

Love, W

12/24/2003
10:48pm
End of Installment Three