The Longstretch (Long Stretch)
The Longstretch referred to a straight portion of the San Fernando-Siparia-Erin Road (no wonder they resort to numerical or alphabetical systems for naming roads in this country) between Charlo Village and Syne Village. It was also known as Melford Flat. It wasn’t really that long, but for a child walking two and a half miles to and from school looking at this seemingly interminable stretch of road amply justified the name of The Longstretch. Maybe that is why we chose this portion of the road to eat the part of our lunch we had saved for our homeward journey.
The Longstretch was known for other things, too. You’d never know it today, because there are houses built along the way, but when I was a child it was a long, lonely stretch. This was where the unwary encountered lajablesse (la diablesse) and lagahoo also known as les garoux (werewolf). We always made sure that we were not traveling alone when we had to traverse this stretch which the spirits haunted. We traveled in groups. It was safer, and it was more fun.
When I was in my teens I rode my bike the two and a half miles to Bible Study or choir practice and found myself riding this long, lonely stretch alone at night. Although I was not really superstitious, by then one had heard so many stories of encounters with the supernatural that it was hard not to think about it. With only a small battery powered lamp to illuminate the big darkness thoughts of the supernatural kept crowding in. It was in those moments one summoned up faith, and the words of the Shepherd Psalm became very real. I would say it silently, and sometimes out loud, so that the evil spirits would know that I was not traveling alone.
Of course the Longstretch was only a small part of the experience of walking to and from school. We did walk two and a half miles, but it was not uphill both ways. It was uphill and downhill both ways at Molai hill and Murder’s hill, although most of the rest of the way it was flat. As noted earlier we walked in groups. Going to and from school was a social experience, and sometimes even more. It was also the time when tensions were worked off, and occasional scuffles or fights were also part of it.
Funny thing, but it seemed to rain on the way to school more often than on the way back, as I recall. On those occasions we would hope someone would stop and give us a ride. (In those days we were not quite as afraid of riding with strangers, although just a bit). Sometimes it would be the ’bus, sometimes the police van, sometimes a private car. Most of time we tried to find shelter, although there were not many places along the lonely road that offered much shelter. We would cut banana leaves and use them as umbrellas, but most of us did not carry knives, and banana leaves definitely need to be cut.
So we got wet. If we got wet enough we could not be expected to go to school and stay wet. So to be sure we were wet enough to return home we would sit under the wayside pipe stands (hydrants) and get wet enough. Then it would be a holiday at home all day. (I get that feeling today when there is a really big snowstorm that leaves me homebound. It feels like a holiday!) Although I discovered that if one did get to school it was like a holiday in school, too. Since most of the children who came to school got there much the same way that we did, most of them did not get there when it rained. But those who did get there got to have a day of doing fun things rather than regular school work.
In general, walking two and a half miles to and from school was not a hardship. Indeed, it was often fun. When we were younger we walked with my older sisters and their confreres. We probably learned as much from them as we did in school, and not all bad, I might add. When we got older, then we were the elders who passed on wisdom to the young. This was where wisdom was dispensed and learned. This was where tensions were worked out. This was where relationships were developed and strengthened.
There were milestones along the road every quarter of a mile, but we marked distances by referring to Dada gap, Dhan gap, the New Road, Longstretch bridge, Quinam Road Junction, Charlo Village Junction and so on. These were the designations the adults used, and even now as I try to recall the names I form mental images of these places in my mind’s eye.
The Longstretch was a part of the road to school, to home, to relationships, to fun, to experiencing ourselves as children. I guess there were times when it was a very hot sunny day and my legs were too weary, I wished we had a school bus. Today I am glad we didn’t; we would have missed so much!
The Longstretch was known for other things, too. You’d never know it today, because there are houses built along the way, but when I was a child it was a long, lonely stretch. This was where the unwary encountered lajablesse (la diablesse) and lagahoo also known as les garoux (werewolf). We always made sure that we were not traveling alone when we had to traverse this stretch which the spirits haunted. We traveled in groups. It was safer, and it was more fun.
When I was in my teens I rode my bike the two and a half miles to Bible Study or choir practice and found myself riding this long, lonely stretch alone at night. Although I was not really superstitious, by then one had heard so many stories of encounters with the supernatural that it was hard not to think about it. With only a small battery powered lamp to illuminate the big darkness thoughts of the supernatural kept crowding in. It was in those moments one summoned up faith, and the words of the Shepherd Psalm became very real. I would say it silently, and sometimes out loud, so that the evil spirits would know that I was not traveling alone.
Of course the Longstretch was only a small part of the experience of walking to and from school. We did walk two and a half miles, but it was not uphill both ways. It was uphill and downhill both ways at Molai hill and Murder’s hill, although most of the rest of the way it was flat. As noted earlier we walked in groups. Going to and from school was a social experience, and sometimes even more. It was also the time when tensions were worked off, and occasional scuffles or fights were also part of it.
Funny thing, but it seemed to rain on the way to school more often than on the way back, as I recall. On those occasions we would hope someone would stop and give us a ride. (In those days we were not quite as afraid of riding with strangers, although just a bit). Sometimes it would be the ’bus, sometimes the police van, sometimes a private car. Most of time we tried to find shelter, although there were not many places along the lonely road that offered much shelter. We would cut banana leaves and use them as umbrellas, but most of us did not carry knives, and banana leaves definitely need to be cut.
So we got wet. If we got wet enough we could not be expected to go to school and stay wet. So to be sure we were wet enough to return home we would sit under the wayside pipe stands (hydrants) and get wet enough. Then it would be a holiday at home all day. (I get that feeling today when there is a really big snowstorm that leaves me homebound. It feels like a holiday!) Although I discovered that if one did get to school it was like a holiday in school, too. Since most of the children who came to school got there much the same way that we did, most of them did not get there when it rained. But those who did get there got to have a day of doing fun things rather than regular school work.
In general, walking two and a half miles to and from school was not a hardship. Indeed, it was often fun. When we were younger we walked with my older sisters and their confreres. We probably learned as much from them as we did in school, and not all bad, I might add. When we got older, then we were the elders who passed on wisdom to the young. This was where wisdom was dispensed and learned. This was where tensions were worked out. This was where relationships were developed and strengthened.
There were milestones along the road every quarter of a mile, but we marked distances by referring to Dada gap, Dhan gap, the New Road, Longstretch bridge, Quinam Road Junction, Charlo Village Junction and so on. These were the designations the adults used, and even now as I try to recall the names I form mental images of these places in my mind’s eye.
The Longstretch was a part of the road to school, to home, to relationships, to fun, to experiencing ourselves as children. I guess there were times when it was a very hot sunny day and my legs were too weary, I wished we had a school bus. Today I am glad we didn’t; we would have missed so much!
posted by cornelius @ 5:38 PM
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