To our dearly beloved Mrs. Holmes, affectionately called ‘Maddy’.
It seemed a vast, strange world that I’d entered when I was but a lad at the age of 11 years old. I was not alone; there were many others like me. Feeling lost and insignificant in a space occupied by my physical and intellectual superiors, I retreated sheepishly to a little corner where I could easily be overlooked. I was no longer the favourite boy at my Primary school...the guy who everybody knew and liked. I had become an insignificant amoeba in the deep blue sea or a speck of dust lost amongst the grains of sand on the seashore. Then you came along and changed all that.
Whether for good or bad, I held your attention for a while. Suddenly, my uneventful start at Jamaica College burst into activity. There was much scheming to be done and many pranks to play. Explorations were awaiting me, many of them right there in the classroom... if I could just get by your omnipresence. Though you commanded respect by your very presence, I never ceased trying to circumvent your rules to no avail. Your eagle sharp eyes would always spot the deviant behaviour even when it seemed that you were not looking in my direction.
You started with the ABC’s of the English language - Capital “A”, common “a”; Capital “B”, common “b”...and so on. Some rebelled at this retrograde, infantile step for had we not already done the rudimentary work at the kindergarten level? It later became clear that there was method to what seemed madness to us. Your standard was perfection – you accepted no less. Our days of doodling with erasable pencils, crayons and water colours were behind us. We had stepped into a new dispensation, a time when our thoughts would be permanently inked. Our letter formation had to be perfect, our responses to your questions, irrefutable. We got only one chance to get it right the first time around and after many failed attempts, some of us did.
We were your gentlemen, and you were one of the first to remind us of this fact. I liked the sound of the word gentlemen and the imagery it conjured up in my mind. Indeed it was a vast distinction between the labels ‘kayliss wutliss bwoy’ which some seemed to think was my middle name by the frequency with which they used it. My only acquaintances with gentlemen thus far had been on the electronic tube and the silver screen. They were usually decked out with top hats, tails, impressive looking canes and of course a Cuban cigar as their status symbol. I craved that image. Today, if you could see us, you would be proud to once again acknowledge us as your gentlemen by our statue and conduct, even without the status symbols.
You were our English teacher and our Homeroom teacher as well so we had plenty of you. We had even more of you in the detention room. You taught us that it is never correct to end our sentences with a preposition. It is grammatically incorrect to ask “a weh Maddy a gi wi dentention fah”? One should always say “For what purpose is Maddy giving us detention”?
I had potential – you told me so. Through your discerning eyes, I must have seemed like the proverbial diamond in the rough. The heavy equipment of mining needed for harvesting precious metals were brought to bear in the form of a rigid code of discipline. The rigors of polishing to perfection which were employed on your referral at the end of Mr. Seivwright’s cane, paid dividends on our backsides. Your voice then became the voice of authority that discouraged my wayward tendencies. Your strong hands were the guiding force that tempered my youthful exuberance. Your undeniable logics and reasoning constantly reminded us of your high expectations and your quiet words of encouragement - my motivation to succeed.
You served us well and today we want to celebrate you. Our tributes, though inadequate, are the simple means by which we express our gratitude to you for your positive impact on our lives. You were the chief architect who fashioned our thought processes and blueprinted our courses to success. You moulded and shaped our characters and equipped us for service in our communities and the wider world.
You left behind a legacy that spans the corridors of time; a memory that will be carefully preserved for many generations to come. You left giant footprints in the sands of time and indeed, those who have come behind have found you faithful and unflinching in the face of your many trials and adversities. Your accolades are hung high on the billboard of life for all the world to see. You withstood the opposition, looked the beast called modern secularism squarely in the eyes and stood tall for your principles. You are a true champion of our favourite institution, the beloved Blue.
We wish you well in your future endeavours for yes, we believe there is still much that you have left to give. We are proud to have had your tutelage and wiser for knowing you.
May the Lord grant you sufficient strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
May He calm your fears of the unknown and give you the fortitude of mind and spirit required for the challenges ahead.
May you trust in His everlasting arms secure in the knowledge that no one can pluck you from His grasp.
May the refreshing of the Holy Spirit breathe on you like a soft gentle caress of the evening breeze kissing your cheeks.
May His grace supplant your infirmities, His touch ease your discomfort and His matchless love warms the tender places of your heart.
May the light of His countenance radiate on you and bathe you in the glorious sunshine of His presence.
May He find you worthy to be with Him through the ceaseless ages of eternity when He comes to claim His own. May He give you of His peace – the peace that passeth understanding. And if we never again meet this side of Heaven, may we someday walk together on the streets of gold; hold each other’s hand across the sea of glass, and gather for His praise by the tree of life that stands beside the fountains of living waters. There we will reminiscence and be glad. May we never forget each other.
Thank you dearest Maddy. You made the difference in my life.
-
You, Carl Whyte, Stuart Moncrieffe, Yvonne McCalla Sobers and 4 others like this.
-
-
