Back in 2006 I got selected to start recruit training in the Trinidad & Tobago Fire Service having successfully applied. I was very excited about it because a few months before my younger cousin had also been selected and recently had his passing out parade. Everyone in my family was happy for him and were now looking forward to me getting in. A whole weight of expectations was now on my puny shoulders. On the morning of May 1st I left home to start the recruit training. I was a bit of a sad occasion for my family, for I had never been away from home for more that two weeks and on that occasion it was by close relatives. This was different. I would be around a bunch of strangers who I don't know anything about but who I will have to accept as "family" for the next thirty days. I would also have to be engaged in tough training and take put up with difficult recruit trainers who wouldn't be afraid to give me the needed cuss word or relative physical punishment in the form of rigorous exercises if they thought I needed it. I was nervous as hell as I pondered what it will be like going through the tough training. I tried my best to remain calm as my driver, Roger tried to talk to me reassuringly and tried to take my mind about what the next four weeks will be like.
I carried two bags with me. One contained personal items like clothes and basic toiletries. The other one contained my books for the theory work which I also had to do. Inside that particular bag also contained a pack of disposable contact lenses and the solution to go with it. I remember arriving a the training camp and a sense of fear came over me. There was a fire officer who greeted us and showed us to our respective dorms. He introduced himself to us as Officer Mc Intosh and he made all of us sign out names on a roll. he showed us how to fold our blankets and make up our beds the "proper way." On the first day of our say there, we didn't do much as regards to the actual training. We were just given our respective recruit trainee numbers and we were assigned to our respective squads. They was the M Squad, N Squad, O Squad and the P Squad. I was in the latter. We had to make friends quickly. As the days past though, we gradually started to get into our groove with regards the actual training. Being short sighted I wore my glasses. I hardly even used my contacts. One day though, an officer scolded my for wearing my glasses. I was in the mess hall having breakfast and he decided that he should give me some push ups to do because of it.
I then decided to use the glasses only when I had theory work. One fateful Friday evening though, an incident happened which would change my life forever. It was only the third week and we hadn't even started doing actual fire drills as yet because it was important that we master how to master the art of marching. I wore the contacts the marching drill. The sun was extremely hot. I was just hoping for the session to end soon so that I can go back inside and have a good shower. Lo and behold I realized that my eyes were feeling irritated but I thought that it was important that I stick it out and finish the exercise. Big mistake. I so developed a severe eye infection. I didn't even know how serious it was at the time. I thought that it was pass soon. Unfortunately it got worse. My comrades in the dormitory alerted the senior officers of my plight and phoned home. A few minutes later my bother came to pick me up accompanied with my mother. My dad was at work at the time. I couldn't see a thing. All I saw was darkness. I was literally blind. I arrived at home and my brother helped me out the car as he guided me inside. He told my mother what was wrong and she was very worried indeed. I have to admit that my brother couldn't seem to care less about my situation. My mother though, was most concerned. Naturally.
Both my mother and brother accompanied me to the hospital after, as I pondered my future. I told myself that I'll only spend a few days in the hospital and that I'll be back in training in no time at all. I couldn't be more wrong. I was taken to the doctor's office for him to examine me as my mom waited anxiously outside. My heart began to beat quickly as he inserted some sort of instrument in my eyes. He then shone a light in them as I struggled to open me eyes. The pain was excruciating. He then called the nurse and told her to bring the forceps. I started to pray in my mind. 'God please just let everything go all right and let me recover from this soon.' I was told to look up as he took the forceps and carefully pulled the contacts out of my eyes. All the time I was hoping for the moment to end soon. To me it felt like eternity. It was getting late so I had to be warded. My mom and brother had to leave. A sense of sadness, hopelessness and despair came over me. I had moved from a potential firefighter with a bright future to a helpless blind man at the mercy of other people. All at the ripe old age of 25. What was worse was that I didn't know how long I would have been in the hospital or if I was ever going to resume my recruit training or even see for that matter.
I lay in my bed in ward 16 that night and cried. Sometime after though, in the middle of the night as I finally faced the reality of my seemingly hopeless situation, a young nurse came to tend to me. I could tell that she was young by her voice. She was very friendly. She told me that her name was Alana and that she was very sorry that such a young guy like me was in such a situation. She tried her best to cheer me up as she administered the drops to my infected eyes. I thanked her care and attention as she moved on to another patient. The days went by slowly. Thankfully though my mom, dad and aunt visited me every day of my stay. By about the third week of my stay I began to see slightly better. My mom had brought a small transistor radio for me so that can listen to some music. The World Cup Finals were coming up and I was very excited because Trinidad & Tobago had qualified and were we scheduled to feature in the fourth match of the tournament. I was allowed to into the nurses' station to watch the game because I was a well-behaved patient.
The younger nurses on the ward had taken a likeness to me because I was the only young male adult on the ward and I was around their age. I was also keen to answer any question on football on which they asked. The second day of the World Cup featured Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden in the second match of the day in a Group B encounter. I was so excited that day. It was the 10th June 2006. It was a very historic day in Trinidad & Tobago sporting history. Trinidad & Tobago was making its World Cup debut as the smallest country to play in the finals. I remember the pride I felt when I heard our National Anthem playing at a World Cup for the first time. I never gave us a ghost of a chance to get any result from that game with the Swedes. I said to myself that if we can keep the Swedes to under four goals it would be a great achievement indeed. Lo and behold Trinidad & Tobago were able to hold the mighty Swedes to a 0-0 draw. It was such a great feeling of excitement and satisfaction when the final whistle was blown and we had secured our first World Cup point in our very first match.
As the World Cup continued I began to feel less and less depressed. No longer was I thinking about how long and awful my stay was. I was gradually beginning to see better. The nurses were doing a fine job. Of course there were the nights that were very annoying. Like when the mosquitoes were feeling hungry and my blood was on their menu. Or when the grumpy doctor who tended to me at the hospital threatened to take me to the operating theatre for not 'opening my eyes' wide enough. The most devastating time of my hospital stay was when Mr. Gopaul, the head of the fire school came and told me that I couldn't resume training because I had missed too much and it would have been impossible to catch up with the rest of the trainees. I was very upset but I took it in stride. 'Maybe its for the best.' I said to myself. After six weeks my ordeal was over. I will never forget that day. June 30th 2006. Although I still needed a few more months before the scarring on my eyes due to the infection fully healed, just hearing the doctor say, 'You are free to go' was one of the best moments of my life. I waited for my mom to pick me up. As we went home that day I couldn't wait to turn on the TV to see the World Cup quarterfinal between Germany & Argentina. After almost two months virtually away from home, I had finally returned. Sure, I wasn't going to be a firefighter again, but at least I was in the best place that I could possibly be - Home sweet home.
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