All you need is love

My name is Evans Critchlow and I am the most helpful person in the best gas station in the world. You sure right ‘bout that!

My first name is Evans and everybody does call me by that. Either that or “Critch.”.

I’s a Critchlow and they say Critchlows is a big family. I have plenty relatives in Tobago. My father was a Tobagonian.

I live all my life at Picton Road, Laventille. Plenty good people come from there and we had nice times in there, come through the 70s and the 80s.
Sometimes, when we go in the bush, we eat all kind of mangoes, we don’t bound to eat food when we come out.

I went to Laventille RC. My mother and father died when I was a young fella and I didn’t get to finish my education, but I think I learned plenty, still, outside.
I don’t really have any regrets about not finishing school because I never live any other kind of way.

I lost both my parents when I was about 15 years. Old enough to know what I was losing.

I have a son of my own, a very loving son, Kevon Critchlow, 32 years of age now. People say the bond between father and son could be very good but, watch me, he come like my brother! Loving child! Even at age 32!
And I would still treat him as a baby. Hug him up, pat his head, do him all kind of thing. And he love to lift me up in the air. And he like to mamaguy me: “Daddy, boy!” Especially if he want something.
He is a real nice fella and he don’t jumbie me.

Before they passed, my parents give me plenty love. My father was real good to me and my mother was the most beautiful woman in the world!
Whatever problem she had with my father, that was between two of them, had nothing to do with me.

I used to play plenty football. A whole bunch of we come up from Laventy and go and play football. I didn’t have no time to gossip and thing.
Now, everybody have a potow-pow.

All these youths dying before their time – how we go put back the love in them? How? But we still have to try.
I love my place and I love the children. If I see schoolchildren in town, if they doing bad, I’s try to run them home.

Parents have to pay more attention to their children. Show them love, give them time. You don’t have to cuff them up and beat them. As you start to beat them, they will rebel. “You beating me? You ent see how big and strong I get?” Father!

Long time, I used to push pan with Desperadoes. Even the incident with Rudolph Charles, when he die, I was in police custody. Because I was the last man to see him and they question me.
But when reporters come, I run, because I done say what I had to say.
When I went back to help him, I call ambulance and thing, but he died. They called me home and tell me Rudolph Charles dead. Because Rudolph Charles walk out the road.

I know David Rudder song, The Man with the Hammer. They talk 'bout Sister Sheila and thing but nobody never come to me. But I never hear David Rudder say, “Evans, where the Man with the Hammer gone?” And I was the last man to see him!

I like to walk the world in peace and help people. Everybody in the world need help. So everybody have to help everybody.
If I see people hungry on the street, I buy food and give them.
Is love only we have to live with – and this place need plenty love!

Now and then I will eat a piece of meat. But is really fish I like.

Love is the best thing on the face of this earth. Without a doubt!

My son, Kevon, live Laventille Road. He mother die in a accident in 2/17. Say what. I went through that and, look, he father still around. And he have a loving father. Loving father, loving son.
I have some loving sisters, too and a loving niece: Elena, Glenda and Floritta Critchlow. I don’t think we have a problem with family issues.
They quarrel with me if I do something and want to beat me but that ent nothing.

When you come to my gas station, you come to the best gas station in the world. Everybody inside here is nice and they treat everybody nice.
I don’t know if the gas station is owned by the taxi drivers’ association but I know that we have a love here.

This gas station well organised and is the best one. We open 24 hours, seven days.
Sometime people complain they can’t get CNG here, CNG there, they could get it right here, straight through. We here to give you.
And if nobody ent here, you could go inside and ask, any hour, 24-oh, and somebody must come out and give you.

The best part of working in the best gas station in the world is we have a love for everybody.

It have some customers go and complain and say all kind of lie. But, then, we accustomed to that: is human beings. That’s how they moves.
Sometime they want to spite you and they go in and say something different from what happen outside, but we have to suffer the consequence. But they supposed to investigate more. But is a nice place, a very nice place.

Nothing does bother me, nothing! Bet it!
You know why? I grow up without mother and father from a certain age.

We need some honest politicians in Trinidad. We need them to stop lying! And insulting people intelligence!

A Trini have a Carnival mentality and we like to jump up. I don’t know for what reason. A broken Trini will enjoy he life on a holiday!

To me, TT is a cosmopolitan country. We have a million and a half and I think we are one of the most God-blessed country in the world.
I wouldn’t say “luck,” I would say “blessed.” But don’t ever say, “God is a Trini,” because that is a blaspheme.

Read the full version of this feature on Wednesday at www.BCPires.com