In 1966 I was eight years old. I remember clearly that my cousin Donald came to live with my grandparents. His parents were my Uncle Jackie and my Aunt Phyllis. They left their only son Donald with my grandparents so that they could follow work in England.
My uncle and auntie were very upset about having to leave Donald. He was only six years old and he was very fond of bananas. His parents promised him that they would buy him a banana. Back then that would have been an exceptional treat.
He was a small boy suffering from eczema and asthma. My grandparents would call it tightness. Donald did have a pleasant life at out house compared to me. He was never abused by my grandfather. My grandfather loved Donald, the exact opposite of me.
I remember thinking back how Donald would whimper at night for his mother. I would give him a cuddle to try to comfort him because that’s what children need.
His parents would write letters to him often and two years later they came back to St. Helena to take Donald back to England with them. As soon as Donald saw his mum and dad he ran to them and asked for for his banana.
A month later my uncle Jackie, auntie Phyllis, Donald and the new baby Ivan left Saint Helena to move to England. I sat and watched the ship taking Donald away until it got smaller and smaller and they finally disappeared. How I longed to be on that same ship to see my mother, and how I would miss Donald ever so much.
About 16 years later I met up with Donald. He had grown into a fine young man and played the piano very well. We had a drink and talked about the old times. I told him that I would hear him wimpering at night for his mother.
But he turned to me and said he remember clearly that it was me whimpering and crying out for my mum. How we both missed our mums but yet his returned for him.
To this day, I still see Donald every summer. We sit and have a drink and catch up on old times. He is now a grandfather, and my how time goes on.