The Seeds we Plant

Before I met Charles “Trinidad Charlie” Deyalsingh I knew two things: he makes hot sauce and Kenny Chesney wrote a song about him.

On November 12th, 2018 All Hands and Hearts volunteers arrived to help Charlie remove leftover outdoor debris from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

For seven days they worked alongside each other. They shared stories, learned from and taught one another. They built a bridge, and most importantly, helped each other.

Charlie was born in Trinidad and moved to St. John in 1968. Back then he wore colorful pants and traveled with seeds in his pocket. Now, his property is covered with teak trees, royal palms, starfruit, pineapple, mango, papaya, avocado, coffee, tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, soursop, sugar apple, bananas, and peppers for his hot sauce.

He started making hot sauce because of his passion and love for it. He likes to keep the business “small and simple. I can whip out a batch, which is six cases of twelve, in about two hours.”

For Charlie, the devastating disaster brought new light. “In the little house in the back there was nothing here but a platform and all the sticks and wood…I saw the light because I was basically suffocating here…so this was like a rebirth and right after the hurricanes I knew I had a start in life again because I was in a dire situation before.”

It was an honor for All Hands and Hearts volunteers to be in Charlie’s company. Each day they delved deeper into each other’s stories and deeper into recovering his farm. From sharing meals to loading dumpsters, together they helped one another build a brighter tomorrow.

Today, his new place is as colorful as him. Blue Aztec, Yellow Nectar of the Goddess, and Green Curry cover the walls that house a man that is a “real hippie.” A man that often replies – “I wish I knew” when you ask how he is doing, and notes “visions of Johanna” as his favourite Bob Dylan song. If you ask, he will say “I went through a lot, but I learned from everything.”

Leaving Charlie, I knew a few more things: plant seeds, live simply. In his words – “Walk like tortoise, sleep like a dog, and have a calm heart. That’s the main thing. Having a calm heart.”

FOOTNOTES
Story and photography by Alexandra Tamburro for All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response



St. John, USVI