As a good observer and one who strove constantly to elevate herself, she mimicked many of their habits and attitudes. She always dressed immaculately, made a concerted effort to speak standard English, and insisted that all those close to her did the right thing in the right way. If you were handing her a cup, or laying a table, she insisted that it be done in the right way. If your were folding a shirt or a towel in her presence, she insisted that it be done in a special way. She acquired all the social graces and was very devoted and conscientious in her approach to her duties. She rose early in the morning and rode a bicycle with immense skill daily from Bayfied to Thicketts, and was rarely late or absent. Her employers loved and trusted her and this motivated her to go the extra mile. They enjoyed mutual respect. I remember the nights she would stop by our home in lower Bayfield to hand us some milk and a few ice cubes. In those days, ice cubes were a novelty and we, as children were thrilled to receive them. We were actually disappointed when they melted. She was very fussy. I remember, as a boy, visiting her at the plantation house and being taken, along with others on a grand tour of the residence. She took delight in explaining the various features of the very attractive home. I remember being very over-awed by the sheer magnitude of the building.
She made a concerted effort to instil positive values in her two children, Marcelle and also Sylvan who resides in England and who has travelled many miles to be present today. She was a no-nonsense person who practised zero-tolerance for indiscipline. She understood the value of education and insisted that her children attended school. Sylvan journeyed to England where he excelled in his vocation, while Marcelle, by dint of hard work, reached a senior level in the Barbados Postal Service. They both do credit to her loving and caring attitude as a working mother.
Her love for children did not end with her own. When her son, Sylvan, and his wife, Marion, emigrated to England in the 1960s, they left two of their children, Ricardo (Ricky), and Laurel, with her. Relatives called her Bernadette, but her grandmother, Irene, called her Laurel. She cared for them well and showered them with love. They were privileged children for they enjoyed most of the basic needs of life which many others found difficult to acquire. But her attachment to children did not end there. She developed a strong relationship with one of her nieces, Florette who as a young girl, lived in Auntie Irene's household. She possessed an authoritarian air, but beneath that fa�ade was a gentle and humane individual. If she gave an order, she expected it to be carried out forthwith and without grumbling, she was strict, but loving. MORE