Mac had an exceedingly eccentric aunt named Dr. Eulalia Mitchell-Lee. Known as Eulie by some, Dr. Lee by many and “De Devil’s Spawn” by Mac’s mother, she could be counted on to provide free entertainment from her side of the Frangipani’s wall. Brown-skinned in colour, she would hurl insults at the white people clustered around the bar on Monday, and on Tuesday direct similar insults at anyone coloured. Son Mitchell, owner of the Frangipani hotel and also Dr. Lee’s nephew, was often a target as well as his Canadian wife Pat, and his aunt’s abusive language to customers and staff must have been was tedious for them to say the least!
One day I took my geography class for a walk along the Belmont beach to show them signs of erosion caused by the sea, and stopped in front of Dr. Lee’s property to point out a certain palm tree. My class began to giggle; with my back turned to the sea-wall I hadn’t noticed Dr. Lee’s rapid approach, but it didn’t take me long to figure out why my class was amused. The good doctor leaned over the wall and loudly ordered us to get the fuck off her property, my class howling with glee when she busted the “F” word.
Not knowing any better, I pointed out that the beach was public property, and that my class and I had every right to access it. My response drew the Frangi staff to their side of the wall, they KNEW what was coming and didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Dr. Lee proceeded to “cuss me stink” in the foulest language imaginable, the filth she spewed left me speechless as my class screamed with laughter. I had never heard such language in my life, and to hear it coming from an old woman made it worse, much worse. I scurried away with my tail tucked between my legs, feeling badly that I had exposed my class to such terrible cursing. They had (of course) loved every minute of the tirade, and it was obvious that I had lost face by not responding in kind.
Not long after the Dr. Lee incident my parents arrived for a three-week visit. This was before their Bequia Mission Days – they were relatively new to the island at that point in time and had a lot to learn! Mom and dad were staying at the Frangipani Hotel, and had evidently met Mac’s aunt on a day when white people were deemed acceptable. They talked about their interesting new friend in glowing terms, and I warned them to be careful. I told them about my own encounter with Dr. Lee and my parents figured I was probably exaggerating; the charming, cultured woman they had met certainly bore no resemblance to the woman I had tangled with. Hah!
A few days later my dad was walking along Belmont beach and spotted Dr. Lee in her yard. Leaning over the stone wall, he hailed his new friend not realizing she was having a non-white day. I wasn’t there and therefore didn’t hear the names she called my gentle and very naïve father, but Mac’s brother Nolly heard everything from his stool at the Frangi bar and described the event in painful detail. The story about the good Reverend getting sworn at by Dr. Lee made the rounds for several days, the woman had “cussed him stink” indeed!
Perhaps calling her “De Devil’s Spawn” was a bit much, but Mac’s mother’s sister sure was a colourful tantie!
