By:Curtis Morton
The way I see it, some persons will never receive the accolades they deserve for their service to community but Roy Arthur ‘Brother’ Anslyn, deserve every honour that was ever given to him.
I got personally acquainted with Mr. Anslyn, as a young Public Health inspector, while I worked at the office located at the Charlestown Health Center.
After all, he lived just a stone’s throw away, on the opposite side of the Health Center.
I found him to be a very amiable, ever smiling character and always willing to share an encouraging word and also had a keen sense of humour.
Now in those days, for those of you who can remember, I was in the habit of riding my beloved moped around as I did my work.
One day, as I was about to leave the yard to go on an assignment, I boarded the beloved machine and crank started it. As I listened to the purring sound of the engine, I heard Anslyn’s dogs barking their heads off. He had some big dogs.
I paid them no mind, as I was accustomed to hearing them making that load of ‘Cataflang’ .
However, as I leaned forward to put the machine in drive, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my left leg. I screamed out in anguish and looked back in time to see one of Anslyn’s dogs, leaping over this walled fencing, back into the safety of his yard.
Well I newa!
I realized immediately that I had been bitten and immediately went into the Health Center, to get the required injection and treatment.
A few persons who had witnessed the incident, told me that I should ‘sue Anslyn for all he had.’
However, a day or two later, I saw Mr. Anslyn and told him what had happened. He was obviously shocked and very remorseful. He asked me to tell him what I needed from him and how he could help.
I told him that all I wanted was for him to take care of his dogs and to secure them properly.
After pressing me about how else he could help, he told me that he would take care of the dogs.
I was happy for that. In relating this to a friend of mine, he literally told me that I was ‘full ah joke.’
He was adamant that Anslyn should have been shinning out some serious bucks in my direction.
On the other hand, I was only thinking that I should deal with others, as I would have them deal with me and as God would have me to.
By the way, I was also acutely aware that I had a dog too and we never know when the shoe may be placed on the other foot…
Some weeks later, I again caught up with Brother Anslyn and he in a most pleasant and concerned way, asked about my wellbeing and even had a look at the virtually healed incision.
I in turn, asked: “Have you taken care of the dogs?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Oh so they are all tied up now?” I persisted.
‘Yes, except for that one-I had him shot,’ he said casually.
That encounter with the great man, will always live with me.
I also remember listening in awe as someone related how Brother Anslyn dived off the pier, during an angry storm and swam the perilous waters to save the MV Caribe Queen.
I know that he also led out in diving expeditions pertaining to the wreckage of the MV Christena.
The man was a local hero without a doubt.
My only hope is that, while he was hospitalized at the Alexandra hospital for those many weeks, that he used his time to make things right with God and make his ‘calling and election sure.’
The sobering fact is that some of us, will not have time like that to reflect, before our eventual demise.
Some of us will go ‘suddenly’ and so it is so important that our preparations to meet our Lord and Saviour, are I order—TODAY.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?