Diplomat publishes book and seeks to raise funds for her former primary school in St.Vincent
Doris began her adult working life as a teacher at the Buccament Government School and the St.Vincent Girls High School. She is a graduate of the St.Vincent Teachers College and later served as a public servant. Over the years, she has been trained in various disciplines such as law, diplomacy, public administration, education, youth work and evangelism.
Doris shares parenthood with Mr. Maxwell Charles of their two adult sons – Mikhail and Chevanev. She is also lovingly referred to as Aunty Doris as she engages in storytelling to the children ministries of her church.
Doris currently serves as a diplomat within the Saint Vincent and the Grenedines High Commission in London, United Kingdom. In her spare time she continues to engage in her creative writing and now publishes her classic book entitled – The Day I Found Him.
This first book launch is scheduled for Saturday February 6, 2016 commencing @ 6:00 pm at the High Commission for St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
Pre-order copies:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1008284475895227/
A percentage of funds raised will be donated to Doris’s former primary school – the Buccament Government School in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In St.Vincent, Doris attended the Hope Methodist School as well as the Buccament Government School (Dubois) and the St.Vincent Girls High School. At the age of 11 years she began her creative writing and was featured as one of the ‘Visionaries’ in the genre – fiction at the GHS under the tutorship of Mr. Michael Dennie.
Author Doris Charles
Regularly, she published some of her poems in the local newspapers. Doris continued to produce a number of articles for both fiction and non-fiction audiences. One of her plays was ‘Hiding Behind the Masks’ which was beautifully portrayed in her local church in the UK. Even as she dedicated more than three decades to the care of her family members, she occasionally engaged in storytelling and more creative writing.
If you are looking for a great ‘read’ of Caribbean rural life, then this is it!
In her first novel The Day I Found Him, set in the 1900s, she brings to her readership a genre-busting interpretation of rural Caribbean life through the eyes of the main character Ms. Dannii Matthews. Dannii is a young and naive girl who dreamt of a life away from the confines of Mongoose Hill. Life was quite simple but with a rich culture of its own. She grew up in the care of her grandfather Mr. Elias Matthews. His words of caution were, “Danni me girl, (tek) take time.”
The dashing Reuben Grimes ‘came home’ for Dannii but unbeknown to her, he was the ‘Village Ram’. Her grandfather met an untimely death and Reuben would later confess that he ‘bounced’ Pa. It looked as if it was intentional as the neighbour’s children gave an early indication. What? Remember Manito was riding his scooter on that fateful late evening! He must know. He had seen how Mr. Reuben’s van was climbing the hill.
Dannii craved for Reuben’s love and when they got married it looked as if the mission of their marriage was the same but it was not! She chose to be confused about her man. After some time, Reuben displayed his old self and verbalized that ‘lack of mission in their marriage’ to one of his former partners who was Dannii’s relative – Gertie. She bore eight children for him and he did not ‘mind’ them. Danni tried very hard to maintain a place of honour in her life for this man Reuben. Before long Reuben’s physical and verbal abuse to Dannii was horrific and she retaliated by taking every precaution not to have any children for him. Dannii continued to invest in an emotional bank by complimenting him, trying to assist with his social gatherings but these actions were not appreciated by her sweet heart Reuben.
Dannii’s hands became scarred as a result of physical abuse yet, she cultivated a business relationship ‘of sorts’ with Reuben. He would ‘steal’ her craft items and sell them as his own. She recognized this but allowed it and in so doing , she proved that an investment in the marriage was still ongoing and possible. Both Dannii and Reuben had different values which were contradictory. Dannii’s sanity was consolidated and preserved in her search for a consciousness of a higher being – God; but this was not the same for Reuben. That man Reuben did not know the colour of the steps of the church! Dannii knew that she had made a terrible mistake but it was too late.
Anyway, was not Mr. Elias Matthews still alive in Dannii’s head? The man Dannii sought had to be a replica of her grandfather with some special qualities such as love for family; care of children; selflessness, warmth, love, the ability to be comforting and so on. Reuben could never give her those things – he never loved her, at least at first. Gertie knew that because she was Dannii’s cousin – the same woman who had eight children for that Village Ram. It was that man Reuben! Then he died. Maybe it was retribution or maybe it was Pa himself that did something from the grave. Who knows?
The conflicts found in Gertie’s house among his children was probably evident in that little girl Malia! Some said that she was sickly but she had a mouth like razor and she could swear! That child!
One day, there – right there, Dannii found herself in Gertie’s house. Can you believe that she was family, real family. Anyway, you have to read the rest of the story….
Oh yes, this could not be missed. The customs of the society demonstrated on the day of funeral. Meet up with Alvira – that woman’s voice was like a bell! She was the real village crier if ever there was one. “Wise and prudent members… Mr. Elias Matthews is dead.
Love, what love? Dannii could not see it coming as he came through the doors – this other man called Mr. Chi Lanoline. Reuben was dead of course so what was her problem? Buddy had to put her right! He was another one – sometimes he drunk and then again, those days he was sober you have to think twice about what he was saying. Pa loved him though. Now Dannii had to face her new normal – Chi would not leave her alone. He was a man in love. This is a love story, a classic story with its Caribbean lifestyles and those funny jokes. For real, it could happen anywhere in those rural villages like Mongoose Hill, yes, right under Bonhomie.
“It was not really, fully the English language – it couldn’t be. It wasn’t meant to be; because it was written from a rural Caribbean perspective! After all that drama; cursing; fights on the van; death and more…Love is in the air…find all of this in …
– The Day I Found Him
Author: Doris Debra Williams Charles
@dorrischarl
