Blind couple still going strong

THEIR STORY possesses all the ingredients for a romance novel. He met her at school and after overcoming numerous obstacles and a physical disability, tied the knot after a two-year courtship. Now 57 years later, Arthur, 81, and Earthice Richards (who laughingly declined to give her age), are the proud parents of nine children, 29 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Quite an achievement for a couple, especially since they are both blind. Speaking to Newsday from their Purcell Street, San Fernando home, the couple, whose hearing is also not quite the best, reminisced on their life, love and the secret of marriage. Earthice, who lost her sight at age 22, said their marriage was just like any other. “We have our disagreements as any other normal couple,” she said, adding, “we fall out and fall in, but we have learned to understand each other.” With Arthur adding, that in good times and bad, co-operation, compromise and understanding were the best healers for any disagreements. “Try to co-operate, never get vex and always be happy with whatever you have,” he said.

Arthur, who lost his sight at age five, is a former handicraft instructor at Swanson home for Blind Lads and first met Earthice at the St Mary’s home for Blind Young Ladies, Port-of-Spain, while conducting classes in basket and cane-chair weaving. After receiving their parents’ approval, they got married in a simple ceremony in Port-of-Spain and later relocated to San Fernando. But, as the young couple soon realised, living together brought its own particular brand of problems and Earthice’s mom soon moved in, to help with the couple’s first child. “Since then we have always had someone living with us to help around the place,” Arthur said. After Earthice’s mother passed away, the couple’s elder children were drafted in to help raise their younger siblings. It is a task that does not seem to bother the children, all of whom were born without any physical disabilities. “Our children were always helping us and never showed us that they did not love us,” said Arthur, who also reads Braille and plays the guitar. Asked whether another 57 years was in the making for the inseparable love-birds,  Richards answered in the affirmative with Arthur concluding that: “All is in the Creator’s hands.”