I died during the
surgical procedure, pyloromyotomy, to correct the stenosis. My heart stopped beating and I turned blue again.
I was urgently and intensely attended to until I turned pink again.
I took receipt of a
puppy which I named "Midge". Because, my parents told me later, evening
midges and
mosquitoes were buzzing about when one landed on my arm and I promptly swatted exclaiming "naughty Midge!"; my puppy came bounding up to me. Midge later proved to be a crucial addition to my life...
I lost the end of one of my fingers when a door slammed shut during a
hurricane.
I fell drunk into our swimming pool during a party after drinking the dregs from peoples glasses/bottles. My constant companion, Midge, alerted some kind people.
I was dragged from the water and found to be blue again.
I was pumped a lot and had air forced into my lungs before I turned pink again.
I was later handled by
Noel Coward...I simply adore his music and lyrics.
I received a donkey to ride upon around the
Ewarton countryside as I tended to wander off alone for hours collecting plants, insects and smelly dead things. I named my donkey "Pedro".
I became inconsolable when Pedro was killed by a
sugar cane lorry and Midge seriously injured. Thrown clear as Pedro took the impact, I suffered only minor cuts and bruises.
I think
mother came close to a
nervous breakdown soon after this incident when my
sister ate
Belladonna flowers and almost died. Though my poisoned sister allegedly tried running across the ceiling, she was kept in a bath of ice for a day to reduce her temperature and
hallucinations. The whole neighbourhood ferried ice from their fridges to keep her from dying.
I and my sister were hurriedly brought to
England by my
parents.
I immediately detested the
British weather which, in return, displayed its detestation of me and promptly gave me
Pneumonia.
I was given the
King JamesBible to read and encouraged to think about it.
I determined myself an
atheist by the time I had reached the end of the Old Testament.
I loved
natural history. A passion which had developed whilst immersing myself in the
flora and
fauna of Jamaica.
I knew I was
Homosexual by the age of 8 (well,
bi-sexual really but some within what's called the
gay community think that's a cop-out)
I finally reached the age of ten!
I had also concluded I would be a firm believer in
Free Speech.
I was opposed to any form of Censorship.
I had read all the English, French, American and Russian literary classics and more besides.
I was by now proficient at seducing men...to talk and debate with...to hike and camp with...to listen and discuss music with...to explore my sexuality with.
I was an avid lover of music and hitch-hiked to the
Isle of Wight Festival to see
Jimi Hendrix perform - I was thoroughly disappointed with him and highly impressed by the lyrical genius of
Joni Mitchell.
I travelled to Trinidad with father as he had work to complete at the Texaco Oil Refinery near
San Fernando. We sat sweltering in the plane on the airport runway as I watched the Trinidadian police accompany
Abdul Malik (
Michael X) from somewhere at the airport to a waiting vehicle. This was to be the closest I ever got to seeing a bit of
Islamic radicalism.
I rejected any and all fundamentalist ideologies. They disturb strong antipathies in an atheist.
I suffered alcohol poisoning during the Trinidadian
carnival and lost two days of
consciousness. As if my first encounter with alcohol hadn't been bad enough! I have not touched alcohol since.
I returned to England sobbing on the plane as the captain announced the
temperatures in
Port of Spain: 80ºF and
London: below 32ºF.