The Journey: For Better, For Worse

By Euric Thomas

The Journey is author Euric Thomas' deeply personal account of ambition, commitment, and personal fulfilment. Born and raised by a loving family in the sunny climes of the British Virgin Islands, Thomas' longs for more opportunity than his native land can provide. His journey begins with a relocation to the US Virgin Islands, a move that changes his life in many ways but only temporarily fulfills his longing for educational and professional success. When the chance to try his luck in New York City presents itself, Thomas jumps, only to be met by cruel winters, unsatisfying jobs, and a pining for his warm island home.

Standing at possibly the most important crossroads of his life, Thomas faces a decision—seek comfort in the Caribbean or embrace all New York has to offer those with dreams of not just upward mobility, but also intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth. Either way, Thomas presents this roadmap of his life, through all its peaks and valleys, with an honesty, humor, and sensitivity that will resonate with anyone who has embarked on a journey of self-enrichment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Euric Thomas
• Release date: Feb 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215169322

Book preview

Introduction

The United States and the British Virgin Islands are a group of around fifty islands discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. Three of those islands, St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, became the United States Virgin Islands during World War I. The United States chose the name Virgin Islands when it took formal possession of the Danish West Indies on March 31, 1917. The United States bought the three islands from Denmark for $25 million. The capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands is Charlotte Amalie.

Other islands that are part of the Virgin Islands are Tortola, Peter Island, Salt Island, Necker Island, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Beef Island, and many more that are still governed by the British and are called the British Virgin Islands. Tortola is about 21.5 square miles and is the largest of the British Virgin Islands. Most of these islands are uninhabited, but sixteen of them are: Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Peter Island, Beef Island, Jost Van Dyke, and a few others. Beef Island is where the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport is located, and Road Town is the capital of the British Virgin Islands.

The first people on the islands when Christopher Columbus discovered them were Indigenous people called Caribe and Arawak. Others came to the Virgin Islands after Christopher Columbus, such as Sir Francis Drake from 1585 to 1586, the pirate Bluebeard from 1500 to 1530, and his brother Blackbeard from 1680 to 1718. In St. Thomas, Bluebeard’s camp was located on a hill looking over the harbor, and this was where he kept his prisoners. That camp is now a hotel called Bluebeard’s Castle. On another hill, across from Bluebeard’s Castle, is where Blackbeard’s camp was, and that building is now used as the governor’s house. Sir Francis Drake did not live on St. Thomas, but his lookout point was on a little hill overlooking Magen’s Bay Beach on the island’s north side.

Chapter 1

Tortola

My name is Euric Thomas. My mother’s name was Celestina A. Thomas, and my father’s name was William B. Thomas. I was born on September 12, 1945, and I am thetwelfth of thirteen children. I have four brothers and eight sisters. My brother’s names are Elijah A. Thomas, Ethan E. Thomas (Sammy), Edwin R. Thomas, and Elliot A. Thomas. My sisters are Olivia Thomas-Stout, Emma Thomas-Leonard, Sophia A. Thomas-Comabach, Isabella Thomas-Canton, Antonella Thomas-Roumou, Amelia H. Thomas, Cassandra Thomas-Lettsome, and Dorothy Thomas-Gibson. Elliot and Edwin are fraternal twins.

The people who lived on the Virgin Islands grew most of the food they ate and lived mostly on fish and fresh crops. My father got fish from the fish traps he put in the ocean. Some people, including my family, had cows, goats, pigs, sheep, and chickens, which they also used for food.

My family came from a little village called Long Look, better known as Nottingham. Anyone from Long Look was likely related to one of fifteen families: Thomas, Lettsome, Gordon, Stouts, Crabs, Malone, Penn, Fahie, Chalswell, Georges, Turnbull, Potter, Wilkins, Rabsatt, or Frets.

Elijah did not date too many girls from Long Look for fear that he might be dating one of his cousins. He liked a lady named Blanch, but when he found out she was his cousin, he left her and started dating a lady named Gloria from Hope Hill in the countryside. Blanch and Gloria were two beautiful women.

Gloria lived so far from Long Look when Elijah went to visit her, the night would catch him when he left. Because he did not have a car or a horse to ride, he had to walk back and forth. One night while he was coming home, he stumbled and fell. It was dark, so he could not see where he was falling, and when he landed on a small animal, there was no telling what it was. The ordeal left Elijah so afraid, he never let night catch him at Gloria’s house again.

My father did not go to high school, college, or any trade school, but he knew how to read, write, and count. While he was dating my mother, Celestina, he knew he wanted to marry her and have children, so he went to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, cut sugarcane, made money, bought some properties, and built a house for his family. When he returned from Santo Domingo, he married Celestina. Of the three properties he owned, he built his house on a small piece in Long Look, and the two larger pieces in the countryside he called Joe Hill and Goma saw were for his animals and gardens.

There were not too many things being imported from other islands or countries to use for food besides rice, flour, and sugar. Our cornmeal was made from the corn we grew, and we were able to import some seasonings like onion and black pepper. Some of the people were able to grow more food than they needed, so they took it to the market to sell. We had a very lucrative market. Harvest time in Tortola was a big event. On that Sunday, people from all areas of the island brought some of the crops/food to the church in Long Look to give thanks to God and offer it to the church as a donation.

There was a service on Thanksgiving, and they sang songs like Lord of the Harvest, Father of Mercies, Crying Jehovah, Thine Be the Praise and Glory, Crowning the Earth, and With Thy Goodness and Mercy. In those days, when we did not have vehicles, the people brought the crops/food on horses, mules, donkeys, and their heads to the church as donations to sell in order in order to raise money to keep it functioning. One of those churches was the Long Look Church located at the western end of the village.

The salt we used came from a Salt Lake on Salt Island, which we harvested once a year. During the harvesting days, many people took small boats to Salt Island to gather the salt. It was collected in big chunks called rock salt, put into bags, taken home, and stored in a cool, dry area where it could not get wet to prevent it from dissolving. The salt would have to last for at least one year, or until the next harvesting. When we used the salt, we put several pieces into a mortar and used a pestle to grind it very fine to season our food.

Some of the fruits and vegetables my father grew in his garden were bananas, apples, mangos, cherries, avocados, sugarcane, and potatoes. My father did other things to take care of his family, such as fishing, sailing, and burning wood to make charcoal for cooking. When my father got coal from his coal pit, he took some of it to St. Thomas to sell to feed his children. He did not have money to catch a taxi to Market Square, so he carried it on his head.

One day, I was taking his breakfast to him at Long Look Hill, where he was cutting the wood for the coal pit. Usually, he would take supplies with him to make breakfast, but this day, he had no supplies, so he said to my mother, Make me some breakfast and send it to me by one of the children, and my mother said, Okay.

While I was taking the breakfast to him, a snake crept out from under a rock and frightened me so badly the breakfast spilled. I felt so bad when I got to my father and told him his breakfast had spilled. My father looked extremely disappointed because he was waiting on that breakfast, but he did not get mad. He said to me, It is okay! I have some supplies left over from the day before. I will manage.

Some of the meals my mother made for her family were fish soup, black-eyed peas soup, red peas soup, mashed potatoes, fungi, rice, chicken soup, meat soup, baked chicken, roast pork, fried fish, fried fish soup, lobster, stew goat, stew lamb, stew beef, beef soup, conch, wheat bread, banana pudding, tania, yuca or cassava bread, fried bread, tarts, cakes, and much more. I could not eat my mother’s red peas soup because I would get heartburn, but when I visited my Aunt Analyzer, I could eat her red peas soup. I think it was the sugar my mother put in her soup. Because we did not have money to buy soup bowls, my mother made soup bowls from the fruit that grew on the calabash tree.

My mother and father did whatever needed to be done to support their families. My father, Joe Bob, Sunny Bob, and Usher Penn got a boatbuilder named Richard to build them a boat, which they named Unity, and they used it for fishing and transporting cargo from the other islands. My mother was more of a tradesperson; she believed in learning a trade. She sent some of her children to a trade school and some to work with other people who would teach them a skill they could use to help support their families. My mother was very gifted. She knew how to make candies, sew clothes, make straw hats and baskets, pierce ears, deliver babies, and fix fractured bones. She was one of the midwives in Tortola and was honored by the Nurses Association in December 1987.

Chapter 2

The village where we lived did not have electricity, running water, or a toilet that flushed. We took baths in a washbasin and used an outdoor toilet. We caught water from the rooftops of our houses when it rained, stored it in a cistern under or on the side of the house, and used it for drinking and cooking. We got water for washing clothes and dishes and taking baths from wells or springs. We did not have automobiles to get around, so we used horses, mules, and donkeys.

A tinsmith named Frado made drums for us to bring water from the wells to our houses on our mules and donkeys. These drums were big enough to carry more water than we were able to carry on our heads. This was in the 1950s, but some people still use those water drums today. Shortly after 1950, the government cut roads for automobiles, and electricity was installed throughout the island.

At age five, we started going to Long Look School, located in Long Look Church. When we reached seven, we transferred to East End School at the East End Church. East End was located at the eastern end of the village, and we lived on the western end. The distance between East End and Long Look was about ten miles, which was a little far for small kids to walk.

When we got up in the morning, some of us went to the farm/pasture to draw milk from the cows to make breakfast before we went to school. The farm was located about ten miles from where we lived, and we had to do this twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, before and after school. After we finished eating breakfast, we walked another ten miles to school and, after school, another ten miles back. After we got home from school, we changed our clothes and went to the farm to water the cows and put them in the pen.

My father and mother did not have much money, so my siblings and I walked barefoot wherever we went. If we had shoes, we would put them on when we reached our destination. Most of the time, that would be to school or church. Some of the people on the islands wore shoes made from car tires.

Our breakfast in the morning was coffee or cocoa with cow’s milk, scrambled, boiled, or fried eggs, fried fish or lobster, oatmeal, fried bread, or dumb bread. The dumb bread was made with flour, baking soda, grease, and a pinch of salt. The ingredients were massaged to form a dough baked in an iron pot into a nice crispy, brown bread. Sometimes, my mother would add coconut to the recipe for an extra bit of sweetness.

When I was a child, I started eating dirt, which was not good for my body and made me very sick. My mother took me to all the hospitals in the region. She took me to Road Town Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital to help me get better, but nothing worked because I was still eating the dirt. I knew it was making me sick, but I could not stop eating it. I had a craving for it; I was a dirt-eating addict. Some of the time, my mother had to leave me in the hospital for the doctors to run more tests on me. That was the worst thing that could ever happen to my young self, so I cried for hours.

I started going to school at the age of six at the Long Look School. Because I was very sick, I did not start earlier like everyone else. I liked going to school. I had lots of fun playing with the other kids. At seven, I transferred to the East End School. The distance was a little far for me to walk, but I was able to do it.

When I was nine years old, I got a cup as a gift from Queen Elizabeth for doing well in school, and I still have that cup in its authentic form. Some of my other sisters got this cup also. Thank you, Queen Elizabeth, for your recognition and generosity.

I was still eating dirt but felt much better during that time. Then when I reached ten, I abruptly stopped eating the dirt, and the craving disappeared.

The next school I attended when I turned twelve was the Major Bay Post-Primary High School. The post-primary school was the equivalent of junior high school in other countries. This was where the junior high school students went before going to high school.

The high school was in Road Town, and to get there from where I lived in Long Look, I had to take public transportation. Public transportation was privately owned by people who were able to buy a vehicle—some people who used their vehicle for public transportation were Monroe, Baldwin, Ashley, and Jonathan.

I did not have money to go to high school, so I accepted my post-primary certificate when I was fifteen, and at that time I stopped going to school.

***

My grandmother’s name was Catherin Thomas. She was an exceptionally good baker. On Saturdays, my brother Edwin would get the wood from the bushes for her to heat her brick oven, and she would bake tarts, cakes, and bread, which she would sell to make money. Her baking was so tasty they would be sold out before the next weekend. She charged five cents for a tart, five cents for bread, and five dollars for a wedding or birthday cake. Sometimes, when the families didn’t have money, she would give them what they wanted for free, and in return, she would ask them to bring her some wood.

My grandmother was a Christian lady. Most of the people she knew died before her, so every time she got a little sick, she would think her Lord was going to take her home, and she would call the neighbors and her family to come and sing for her. But on the day, she died, she did not call anyone to sing for her because it was sudden, and she did not know she was going to die. I attended the funeral to pay my respects and condolences. It was a very bright and sunny day, but when we entered the church, it was the saddest day ever.

Chapter 3

Olivia had six children: Aelita, Ruth, Rose, Doren, Ilene S., and Faye. Olivia was having family problems, and unfortunately, she got divorced. Aelita and Ruth were taken by their father, while Rose, Doren, Ilene S., and Faye were left with their mother. Olivia had to work in St. Thomas, so she needed someone to take care of her children. Rose and Doren stayed with Grandmother Celestina, and unfortunately, Ilene S. and Faye were left with a lady on Virgin Gorda. The woman was abusing Ilene S. and Faye so badly, my Uncle Alfred brought them from Virgin Gorda to their Grandmother Celestina. Faye’s back was broken, so Grandmother Celestina massaged it and put the bones back in place. Ilene S. did not look too bad, but both were malnourished. Unfortunately, one day, while Doren was out playing, she came across a beautiful flower tree in our neighbor Frodo’s yard. She took one of the seeds and ate it. The seed was poisonous, and Doren died. Soon after that incident, they cut the tree down.

***

After most of my siblings left for the U.S. Virgin Islands, it was my responsibility to take care of the animals. The procedure was still the same. I got up at 6:00 a.m. and went to the farm to draw the milk from the cows and make breakfast for us to eat before school. The farm was located about ten miles from where I lived. I had to do this twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, before and after school. After I finished eating breakfast, I walked another ten miles to school, and after school, I walked another ten miles back home.

After I got home, I changed my clothes, then went to the farm to take the cows for water and put them in the pen. When I took over, Antonella and Rose went with me until I was old enough to do it by myself and Rose went to live with Olivia in New York. I took care of the animals until I moved to St. Thomas. Then my father took over.

When I wanted to be by myself, I built a Kiley wang (bird trap) with sticks and went to Greenland, near the village, to catch birds. These birds were called mountain doves, and a lot of those birds came to Greenland to feed on the seeds that fell from the grass stalk. Sometimes, I went home with two or three of them. The mountain dove was an incredibly beautiful bird. I liked looking at them in the cages. When it did not rain for a while, the mountain doves would hum a song, which sounded like they were saying, Father God, send rain.

In Long Look, there were two girls I liked very much, Pearl Penn and Elenita Rabsatt. Pearl and Elenita also went to East End School and Major Bay Post-Primary High School. I liked Pearl more than Elenita because she was more beautiful. Pearl Penn was brown-skinned, and Elenita Rabsatt was dark-skinned. Elenita Rabsatt was my carnival dancing partner, and I found out later she was my cousin.

I don’t think Pearl Penn liked me as much as I liked her because, one day, while we were in class at the Post-Primary High School, I took a rubber lizard and put it on her shoulder as a joke. When she saw it, she screamed as loud as she could and started running down the aisle. All the teachers, including the headmaster, started asking her what the matter was, and she told them I put a lizard on her shoulder. Headmaster Logan took me to his office and gave me six lashes in the palm of my right hand. I was hurting for days. I never forgot that, and that was the day our friendship ended. Elenita Rabsatt and I continued being friends and dancing partners.

I also liked Lidia and Princess. Lidia was Nolan’s sister, and Princess was another girl I met in school. They both lived in East End at Major Bay. Most of my teachers lived in East End, including the principal and his sons, Chloe and Noah. I liked Chloe because he used to take us on field trips. The councilman’s name was Terrance, and the police officer was Ivan. Terrance was my cousin, and Ivan was my uncle.

Some of the kids I went to school with who also lived in my village were Oliver, Nuts, Tire, Bult, and Rex. I also went to school with Elroy and Nolan, but they lived in East End. Screw and Nails did not go to school with me, but they lived in the same village. They were bad boys. Mr. Screw was in jail a few times. Nuts had a beautiful sister named Priceless, whom I liked very much, but she did not like me at all. I played games with all the kids in the village or on the beach, and sometimes, I got into fights with them.

While going to Major Bay Post-Primary High School, I had the privilege of meeting some students from our farm area, and there was one student named Pricilla. When I saw her, I fell in love immediately. She was the most beautiful girl I had seen in a long time, and it was love at first sight. I got to spend time with her while walking her home. One day, Pricilla threw a rock at me playfully and struck my ankle. It hurt me so badly, I struck her back with my fist. Pricilla got mad and would not speak to me anymore. I was deeply sorry after I hit her, so I apologized, but my apology was not accepted. After that, Pricilla and I were not friends anymore.

***

I liked going to the beach by myself on weekends. Sometimes I went fishing, and other times swimming. On the days I went fishing, my cousin Oliver joined me. We did not always catch fish, but the fun part was getting to go fishing in the first place. When we needed fishing hooks, Oliver and I walked to Lisha in East End, ten miles away, but walking was no problem in those days because everybody was walking to get where they were going. Karis was Lisha’s husband; he was the island’s property tax collector.

There was an area in the back of Fat Hogs Bay we called the Pond. At high tide, the ocean would fill the area with seawater and fish. The fish would live in the Pond because there was lots of food and places for them to lay their eggs under the pond trees. When the fish grew nice and big, we went into the pond and caught them. There were mostly bass and mullets. The mullets did not get bigger than one foot, but the bass got as big as two feet long, their weight reaching as much as ten pounds.

Chapter 4

At Christmastime, my mother would make a big pot of pudding from pumpkin, potatoes, water, sugar, flavoring, and butter. It tasted delicious. She also made tarts and a great dinner. This was a special occasion, so she would kill a goat, a pig, or some chickens and cook them. We had lots of food.

My sister Antonella sent a box from St. Thomas for Christmas by the tugboat, and she sent a letter ahead to let us know the box was coming. When we never got it, we figured the box might have been left on the boat. We knew where the boats stayed, so we thought if we went there, we might find the box.

We did not have money to take a taxi, so Sophia and I rode the donkey to the pier at Bogus Bay. This was a twenty-mile ride, so we rode the donkey one at a time. She let me ride most of the time because I was her little brother, and she knew it was too far for me to walk. I was mostly there for companionship. We did not find the box, so to go back home without it was very disappointing. My sister bought me a pear juice to drink, we rested for a little while, then off we went back home. I never knew what happened to the box.

***

One day, our mother made peppermint candies and gave them to Antonella to sell around the village. A crazy man from Antigua, who lived with one of our neighbors, saw Antonella and tried to talk to her. This man did not want to buy candies; he wanted to flirt with Antonella. She did not want to talk to him, so she started to walk away from him, but the faster she walked, the faster he tried to catch her. Antonella ran away from the man and spilled the candies on the ground. When she got home, she told our mother, Celestina, what happened. Our mother