The Sailing Club pig roast fund-raiser at Isle a Quatre had been such a big success that we decided to have another. One Bequia dinghy was already in the process of being built for the Junior Sailing Club but I needed to raise money for two more. Word had spread about how much fun the pig roast had been, selling tickets for the event was not going to be a problem!
My three pig-roasting experts, Mac, Mackie and Hodge, were all set to repeat their performance over the spit. I had been dubious about these spliff-smoking, rum-drinking volunteers before the previous pig roast but they had come through with flying colors, the pig had been delicious and perfectly cooked. I asked them to organize two pigs this time around so that I could sell more tickets, figuring the more people we fed the more money we would raise for the club.
The men decided they would do the entire operation over on Isle a Quatre, meaning the seasoning, trussing and cooking, and that fell on grateful ears. Previously they had taken over the entire work counter at the Pizzeria to season the large pig and had created havoc during the busy lunch hour. They had also partially cooked the pig on the beach at Lower Bay before loading it on board Kiruna, building another fire on Isle a Quatre to complete the roasting. Doing everything at the party site made a lot more sense, no more loading a smoking pig onto a boat in the middle of the night! I blended ticky thyme, onions and garlic for them, and along with a bag of salt they were ready. Warning them not to get TOO wasted I sent them on their way, happy that I wouldn’t have to worry about the pigs.
The preparations for the second pig roast went pretty much the same way as the first; once the Pizzeria had closed for the night I started to make a gigantic pot of curried goat, the meat would take several hours to cook and it needed to be ready by dawn. I made the ubiquitous rice and peas, potato salad, coleslaw and coconut bakes while the curry simmered, and by 6:00 A.M. the food to go along with the pork was done. Sleep wasn’t an option, I had to get Vanessa and Rachel ready in time to board Wave Dancer.
I can’t recall how many people attended the pig roast that day, at least 100, perhaps more. Once again Wave Dancer’s deck was piled high with pots of food and the huge ice chest, and by 10:00 we were rounding Western Cay towards Isle a Quatre. Lyston and Cecil were already doing business, selling beer and rum punch to a happy bunch of passengers as we crossed the channel. It was a glorious day, for which I was thankful, a pig roast in the pouring rain would be “dread”!
As we drew near the sheltered bay at Isle de Quatre I realized something was wrong. I could see Mac, Mackie and Hodge standing over a fire but where were the pigs? The closer we got to shore the more my heart sank, the pigs were hard to see because they were so freaking small! I had not seen the pigs before the three men had left and perhaps that was just as well; they had already been bought and paid for, getting replacement pigs at short notice would have been impossible.
The pigs were the joke of the day. “When dey born? Last week?” There was no way those tiny creatures were going to feed the crowd, plus they were a long way from being cooked. Drawing Mac to one side, I asked him why the pigs were only half-cooked and how much longer it was going to take for them to be done. I never did get a clear explanation from Mac, and Mackie and Hodge’s lips were sealed. What those three men had been up to since the previous afternoon remains a mystery to this day. Turning from the little pigs in exasperation I sent club members out to spear fish, the reefs would have to supply extra food for this particular pig roast!
Everyone had a wonderful time that day and no-one went hungry. First they ate roasted reef fish, after which they demolished the curried goat and salads. And yes, although club members had to go without, each ticket holder was given a sliver of pork for dessert!