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Sons of the soil also mother, Mrs. Grathel Richards.

I was so shocked, honoured, impressed, and
excited that he would take notice of me and my
brought fame... modest achievement. Such is his humility, his

humaneness, his generousness – all elements of
his greatness.

I have never forgotten that singular kindness, for
- Akil Jabari it was as though he were saying, “I see you and I
expect good things from you.”

or many years I have a housemate from India; and compatriots that he had met He has never lost the “common touch,” although
taken pride in writing and when I told him the name of the brother of the legendary for us he is truly kingly.
Fstating my home address Mervyn’s world-famous older master-blaster, Isaac Vivian
as “Vivian Richards Street.” I brother, he beamed with Alexander Richards. That
grew up and came of age living excitement. meeting of the brother of the
on that busy street named in superstar, and the fact that I was
honour of an Antiguan who has The next day, as I walked his neighbour and acquainted
distinguished himself and the through the halls on campus, with his family, made me a
people of his minor celebrity – a least
nation-state, for that day. Such are
Antigua and the status and influence
Barbuda. of Sir Viv.

I lived literally A touching and satisfying
a stone’s throw encounter that I had
away from the with Vivi was when I had
home of our successfully completed
neighbour s, my undergraduate
the Richards, education and graduated
and recall them university.
being a decent,
kind, and God- I returned home that
fearing family. summer and, one
evening, while standing
While attending university I observed that I was the on the front steps of my home
in New York, I received care recipient of smiles and nods trying to finish a smoke before
packages from home that and acknowledgements that, going in, I saw the silhouette
were brought to me by the until that day, I had never of a barefooted man walking
charismatic Mervyn Richards, received from the South Asian east towards my gate. It was
the younger brother of Sir Viv. community. I was normally just The Great One – Vivi, himself
another face on campus. – and he greeted me. He had
On one of Mervyn’s delightful come to congratulate me on my
visits to the house where I Apparently, my housemate achievement, having heard the
boarded, I introduced him to had mentioned to some of his news from his warm and saintly

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