Today was one of those 'why I am still on the Rock' days. Children and grandchildren, friends, noise, food and drink, great conversation, men only in the kitchen ( for the most part ), family and happy times. No talk about crime nor the economy nor politics, plenty picong. We work hard and one day a week is all we need to regenerate, to bring ourselves back to being relaxed and to enjoy the simple things in life, family and friends.
We traveled to the east coast during the week and it is still one of the most beautiful drives ever. Matura, Balandra, and Cumana. In my early days, we would vacation at a house in Cumana. I cannot remember whose house it was but we were there with family friends. In my early teens, we stayed at a house in Salybia. We would walk everywhere, exploring the river, going fishing in a boat, great times.
In our later teens, we then ventured further north to a 'lime tree' estate on the road leading to the Toco Lighthouse. A friend's father was the manager of the estate. Again, roaming the area for days at a time, the beach, the abandoned airstrip, the Toco Lighthouse.
Young adult, married with children, we had access to a home in Rampanalgas/Balandra where we spent many weekends and August holidays.
I have wonderful memories of the East Coast and these past few days have just brought back a lot of good times.
I ventured into Cumana this week and went to 'Frank's' establishment. Of course, I remember it as an old wooden structure, low slung, with a regular shop on one side and a rum shop on the other. For some time now it has been renovated and is now a modern building, complete with burglar proofing at the serving counter. The service has not changed, you still have to ask for your items over the counter, no self-service.
On one occasion shopping at 'Frank's' many years ago we wanted to buy a toilet tank float. Frank left the counter and took an eternity to return but with the required float in hand. When we asked how much, he replied that he could not remember how much he had paid for it and therefore he could not sell it to us.
Sunday was not a day groceries could open so if you went to 'Frank's' you had to go to the side of the closed building and stand outside a wall and call, 'Frank, Frank, papers and a bottle of rum'. A voice, we can only assume it was 'Frank' would reply '$XX', you hand over the money and the contraband goods would be passed only by a hand over the wall. With his new security system, he now has a higher wall but with a 'hole' in it for after-hours service.
Frank would be the only person serving at the counter. He would service both sides of the establishment, the regular goods area and then the bar area. In order to keep everyone happy, he would give you one item at one end, run over to the other end, serve one item and head back to the other side for a repeat. This could be considered the early start of good customer service relations, Frank style.
On this most recent visit, I went to 'Frank's' to buy potatoes. Behind the burglar proofed counter was a lady who when I asked if she had 'potatoes' she looked at me with a blank stare. I repeated my order, but off she went into the nether regions of 'Frank's'. Soon another lady appeared, Frank's wife, whose arrival in Cumana I remembered. One day we go to 'Frank's' and there is this 'new' lady behind the counter. We ask Frank and he says that the lady was coming from China to marry a guy who had died whilst she was en route. Frank was informed of the availability and Mrs. Frank was now ensconced.
Frank is now 76 years old and has been at the shop since he was 18, his parents owned the shop. The gas station is still his but he has closed the tire shop. Frank laments the lack of a real vibrant social life on the East Coast.
Frank is the unofficial 'Mayor' of Cumana, Toco. Not sure who the 'potato' lady is.
Rampanalgas was in the national news this week as a result of criminal gang violence and (3) murders. This is just the sorry state of affairs on the Rock. The Ag CoP, for the thirteenth acting time, claims that the fishing village of Matelot, population (500), is the safest community on the Rock. This statement is based on only (20) violent crimes reported for 2017. Unknown to the Ag CoP this is a very high crime ratio. In a village of (500) persons, you only have (20) violent crimes?
This my friends on the Rock is the real problem, failing for one moment to accept that we have a problem!
Good night, good luck and listen to Nat King Cole on a cool, tropical Rock night!
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