These anecdotes are strung together from my Facebook posts of April, 2014. The stories are copied, which is why I am having difficulty with the layout.
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, December 16, 1926 - April 09, 2014, former Prime Minister and former President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
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| Robinson with trade union leaders, oil and sugar strikes of the 1970s |
Anecdote: The Sou Sou Land team were in Tobago as guests of Robinson, his wife Pat and Member of Parliament Pam Nicholson some time in the early 1980s. Robinson was head of the Tobago House of Assembly at the timeJohn Humphrey, Mr and Mrs. Sankersingh and Asad Mohammed were travelling in Pam Nicholson's car and I rode in the back of the Robinsons' green Land Rover. It was a Saturday and lots of people who had been to their Seventh Day Adventist services were on their way home. One white pick-up we saw was loaded, really loaded on the back and still waiting for more people. Pat commented on the safety of the passengers. Robinson pulled alongside the pick-up and I said to myself: "Oh oh we are in for it”, keeping low in my seat. He spoke to the driver "My brother, if you must carry my children like that, please drive with care". There was loud and sustained applause. As the Land Rover pulled out, Robinson looked at me in the rear view mirror and said, "Okay Zorina, you can lift your head up now". He had seen it all.
Day 2
Today, an ANR Robinson joke. I hope it is not in poor taste. After the 1990 coup attempt, Robinson went to Venezuela to recuperate (he did). He was provided with security by the Venezuelan government. Every morning the security greeted him with "como estas" (with all the accents included of course) and Robinson would reply "un dia".
One day the security asked: Mr. Prime Minister, do you know what I am saying?
Robinson: Yes you are asking how I am doing.
Security: And why are you saying un dia.
Robinson: Well I am replying as Trinidadians do. I am telling you "ah day”....
Day 3
I was working at All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union when the first ever Tobago House of Assembly elections were called for November 24, 1980. Robinson had contested the 1976 general elections as leader of his own party, the Democratic Action Congress, but the party was only able to muster two Tobago seats and he became the Member of Parliament for Tobago East.
I travelled to Tobago for a weekend to assist in the campaign in the company of a ULF activist from Siparia, Dindial Maharaj and Joseph Lum Kin, a shopkeeper of Chinese descent who was also a councillor in the St. Patrick County Council.
We visited Robinson at his office in Tobago and he made time to see us, give us his assessment of how the campaign was progressing, called it a win, indicated which areas we could visit to assist and gave us the names of campaign officials in those districts. He was thinking it would 7-5 in favour of the DAC, but they did even better winning eight seats.
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The green Land Rover made its way through the village of Castara, heading for Little Englishman's Bay. Robinson stopped the vehicle on a slope as we turned a corner. I stared in wonder. Both Robinson and Pat looked back at me. "This is what heaven must be like," he said, "I hope our friends at the back also get a glimpse of heaven".
Many years later, making this trip with Anise Maybodi, I asked her to stop on or about the same spot. Robinson had his heaven in Tobago.
