MEET A BAJAN
MARCIA WALKES LOVES EVERYTHING ABOUT HER JOB By Sarah Venable Above: Marci at the entrance to Crystal Springs Photos: Andrew Hulsmeier
FEATURE
t age 67 Marcia Walkes could retire, but she loves her work too much, even when it means making people cry. For the past fourteen years, she has worked as a housekeeper at the fabulous west coast villa, Crystal Springs. She has served many famous people such as Michael Caine, carpet manufacturer Cyril Lord, and former hotelier Leona Helmsley. But it is the new owners, who have visited Barbados for years and just bought the property, who are her favourites. She is also very fond of the past owner, who she says was very good to her. She’s been very good to her employers and guests too, in a most unusual way. Every Christmas she rounds up the staff to put on a variety show for the guests. She sings; the butler, Lemuel, plays accordion; and everyone dresses up in old clothes and hats to perform the skits she writes for the occasion. As if that weren’t enough, they also hire a tuk band, complete with a shaggy bear and Mother Sally. When the spirit moves her, she’ll also write a poem for the guests. The villa has a staff of seven. Ms. Walkes does a bit of everything, butlering, cooking, and cleaning as needed. She loves to cook for guests. Her specialities include ceviche, blackened fish, and breadfruit coucou served with salt fish in gravy. She started down this road by attending the Gordon Rawlins School in Speightstown, which focused on cooking and butlering. As a young woman, she also got a Grade One in home economics at the Housecraft Centre in Mile and a Quarter, St. Peter. Her first job was at the American naval base in St. Lucy, where she worked until it closed in 1979. She worked another set of many years at Half Moon in Sandy Lane. She is the mother of five. Her daughter has followed in her footsteps, providing fine service at the beautiful Fustic House. Of her four sons, one works for Jada Construction and the other at the cement plant. She is connected to the land. Her mother rented a piece of cane ground from Alleynedale Plantation. As children, Marcia and her siblings helped her reap it and clear the cane trash. Today Marcia would like to garden, but the monkeys around her house raid everything she plants. She owns her own home in Six Mens, St. Peter and attends the Pentecostal Church there. As part of her ministry, she visits old people in the community and plaits their hair. Crystal Springs’ security guard, Charles Scantlebury, has known her since their first job together, some 40 years ago. “She’s a fantastic lady,” he says. “And those skits aren’t just for Christmas. When guests leave, she gets the entire staff out to sing Beautiful Barbados to them.” Other sources tell us that it often brings them to tears. And probably back to Barbados as well.
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