When I was 16 years old, my parents decided to take me with them to Tobago, where my father's drinking partner and family member had a place where there were four rooms for“rent.” We got one for free, and I begged my parents for my friend Orland, whose parents were African, to go with us since I didn't like going alone with nobody to“lime” with. My parents agreed, so the four of us headed to the boat.

My father was considered a“white man” because his mother was“half-white.” It was what we called a“bacchanal” in those days. Her parents, both father and mother, were from India. Her Indian father knew that the child was not his but one of the higher-level workers from Northern Ireland. My Mom was one of the very dark Indians, and several people, seeing the four of us, said to my mom,“You know that while the light-skinned boy looks like his father, this other one look just like you!”

Later, I worked with the prime minister, Dr Eric Williams, and spent a long time in Tobago getting information that I used in the government's television shows that I managed. I remember once that Dr Williams and three of his senior managers went to Tobago for a major meeting in a huge area. We reached there, and the place was locked, and none of the Tobagonians, including those expected to meet the“Doctor,” showed up. I jumped the fence and opened the gate to let the Doctor and his Trini leaders in. What happened after the Tobagonians arrived was that a cricket match between the Caribbean and English teams was taking place. Fortunately, I had my little phone and every few minutes had to tell the prime minister and the others what the score was and who got out.

What I liked was not just my getting to Tobago and spending time with the mix of work and people, but the mix that was, and is, Tobago. The Spanish came first with names like“tavaco” (tobacco),“Aloubaéra” (black conch) and“urupaina” (big snail). Among the place names from the early days were“Bloody Bay,” a great sea battle that left the water crimson, and“Pirates Bay,” a real haunt for 18th-century buccaneers looking for buried gold.

There are also“Buccoo” and“Castara” from the Amerindians; next were“Speyside,”“Glamorgan,” “Louis d'Or,” and“Parlatuvier” from the Europeans; and“Moria,”“Bethesda,”“Canaan,” and“Bethel” from the missionaries who went to Tobago in the 19th century. I still love“Pigeon Point Heritage Park,”“Store Bay,”“Fort King George,”“Buccoo Reef,”“Agryle Waterfall,”“Main Ridge Resort Reserve,” and most in some ways and yet smaller than most,“Little Tobago Island.”

What we all love about it is that there are seabirds and a protected area. I also like Englishman's Bay and Nylon Pool, as well as Argyle Waterfall and Main Ridge Forest Reserve. Interestingly, and totally Tobago, are places based on personality and physical traits such as“Spanner,”“Bigeye,” Torchlight,”“Tomahawk,”“Sugarhead,”“Jimboots,” and“Lion.” From the Africans were“Congo,”“Sobo,”“Madingo,” and“Ibo Hill.” Other unique names are“Yaraba Village,”“Egypt Tracte,” and“Egypt Village.” There are also“Old Housing Scheme Road,”“Jeema's Treehouse,”“Booby Island,”“Man O War Bay,” and“Goat Island.”

Then there is the best of all.“Villa in Bloody Bay” or“Auchenbago” rustic luxury, stunning panoramic views. My son, Zubin, brought me for fishing and his mom to enjoy a place when we were out. It was the best place I've ever stayed, and that includes my days in the Caribbean and international workplaces. As we all agreed, it was a stunning hideaway with breathtaking ocean views and lush rainforest surroundings. What we all liked were the scenery and sounds under the open skies, as well as an outdoor show under the open skies. For me, there were hundreds of books in several places that I could reach, review, read and remember from the old days. Then my wife found one book that she knew I would like and keep.

It was by two Tobagonians, Leaton Eastman, the father, who is known as“Sonson,” and his son Steve Salfieild. It is from Charlotteville and, because of their use of local dialect, which is a mix of English and sentence construction from African languages, it became“Chaalatville Taak.” And if you want to know more, tell them“Wappen boi?” and that is“How are you” or“How's it going.” More, they will tell you,“Mi gud” (I'm good);“Mi aal raid” (I'm all right);“Yeahman” (common greeting); and“Evriting cool” (everything is cool or“Jas (just) cool.”

So, like the last time when we had gone fishing and did very well with Andre Green (aka Pata), we arranged for at least one day with him. We arrived in Tobago on Monday, and there was a lot of rain. So, I decided to go with what the“Wi staat Man” or“Men” felt about fishing in Tobago. It started with,“Dey ketch big fish boy.” Moh laikam. I like it. Or a Trini would say,“I in dat!” When they catch good fish, they ate it with Coconut Bake (gud fish and kokonut behk) but I preferred“Deh fish wid bot and ketch big grooper.”

Better yet,“Dey kot up a heh.” (They caught them in the bay). They also said,“Ma ketch fish, ya goh dong a road ya shell a blo.” In other words, you have a shell conch blowing to tell everyone they have fish to sell (and eat). The price was“four dollah a pong.” When we went, the sea was high from the rain and we were close to“Crapo smok” we pipe. But we got some because our friend Andre knew his way around. In fact, he had got a big one and gave it to us for a few of the small ones we caught. In other words, together we were like me and my friend Orland so many years before, one family and not just in the sea, river, or Chaalatville Taak.

*Tony Deyal said that as they were leaving on the boat to go home, Trinis from there were flooding the street in Tobago's Carnival behind bands like Fog Angels, Iconic Mas, Bago Limers, and Jade Monkey. My father's nickname was“Monkey” because he loved climbing trees.

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