Trinbagonians talk. (122) A Child can tell if a person is a Good Person just by being in their Presence for a Moment.

We neighbor, Mr. Sampath, was an East Indian man an’ he was a good person. Our friendship did start when ah was real young. Every Friday when ah reach home from kindergarten, he use to tell meh mudder to send me over to he home. From de time ah reach over by he, he would tell me to hav’ a seat on de peerha (A low bench) in de front gallery an’ he would sit on a chair. He wife, Mrs. Sampath, would be in de kitchen cookin’ an’ de food always did smell yummy. Mr. Sampath always talk real loud to Mrs. Sampath. Every now an’ then, dey would both laugh at their jokes. Ah would sit quiet, listen an’ look serious at he. Ah was never afraid or feel uncomfortable wit he. After a while, he look at me an’ say, “How was school?” Ah always had a story to tell he, so ah would start to talk. Mrs. Sampath would come out of de kitchen wit a large enamel bowl of curry goat an’ put it on de table. She then han’ he one little bowl an’ a bowl a little bigger than de little one. Mr. Sampath use to dish out some curry goat into de small bowl an’ give it to me. After he take some, he use to say to me, “Eat. Tell me how it taste.”           Ah would say, “Nice. Hot. Pepper.”   He would smile an’ say, “Bring some water for de child.”   Ah sip meh water an’ eat de curry goat. When ah finish eatin’ what was in meh bowl, he would put more meat in it. We would talk over our bowls of curry goat. Sometime later, ah went home hopin’ for de next Friday, little talk an’ eatin’ curry goat.

Our neighbor, Mr. Sampath, was an East Indian man and he was a good person. Our friendship started when I was very young. Every Friday when I came home from kindergarten, he used to tell my mother to send me over to his home. The moment I arrived, he would tell me to have a seat on the peerha (A low bench) on the front porch and he would sit on a chair. His wife, Mrs. Sampath, would be in the kitchen cooking and the food always smelt delicious. He would be talking loudly to her. Every now and then, they would both laugh at their jokes. I would sit quietly look seriously at him, and listen to them. I was never felt afraid or uncomfortable with him. He would eventually look at me and say, “How was school?”      I always had a story to tell him, so I would start to talk. Mrs. Sampath would come out of the kitchen with a large enamel bowl of curry goat, put it on the table, then hand him two bowl. A small bowl for me and a bigger bowl for him. Mr. Sampath would dish out some curry goat into the small bowl and hand it to me, serve himself, then say to me, “Eat. Tell me how it tastes.” I would say, “Nice. Hot. Pepper.”  He would smile and say, “Bring some water for the child.”     I sipped my water and ate the curry goat. When I was finished eating what was in my bowl, he would put more meat into it. We would talk over our bowls of curry goat. Sometime later, I would head home with great anticipation for the next Friday, of our little chats and eating curry goat.