Playing Hero

Frank Worrell was Eidderf’s hero in cricket. After a day’s play, school boys would run on the field to see the players at close range. Worrell would often put out his hand and tap the boys on the shoulders as he made his way to the pavilion. Eidderf was touched by the master’s hand and he felt inspired to take his cricket seriously.

After that anointing, Eidderf joined a team called Regular Fellars which was named after a popular comic strip at the time. At first, he was the scorer and 12th man and eventually got a chance against a team from the YODI (Young Offenders Detention Institute) now called Youth Training Centre. At last, he made his debut in the ‘big league’.

The YODI hammered the ball all over the field. Eidderf, fielding long off boundary, had a hard time. He dropped about three catches from ‘sky balls’. His hands were swollen and he almost broke a finger in trying to execute dramatic catches.

A big score was amassed by the YODI team. They declared, sending in the Regular Fellars to bat in the one-innings match. All the top batsmen were out and Eidderf was sent in last. The captain said to him, "Eidderf, just block the ball and try to play for a draw." As Eidderf walked fearlessly on the field to save the side, he said to himself "What would Worrell do in similar circumstances?" He felt his hero would try to hit a four or a six — fast bowler or no fast bowler. That was exactly what Eidderf tried and his stumps were scattered into space.

Joey Gonzales was Eidderf’s football hero. He was also the goalkeeper for the Trinidad team and naturally Eidderf wanted to keep goal. At the Tapia Savannah in Boissiere Village in Maraval, there was a scrimmage in the goal mouth. He knew his hero would dive into the melee to hold the ball and he did just that.

When the dust cleared, Eidderf was flat on the ground with what looked like a broken left leg. It turned out to be a shifted knee cap. He was carried off the field. After a long rest, he hopped away on one leg to his home in Camille Road.

Joe Louis, the World’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion, was Eidderf’s hero in the boxing ring. He used to listen to his fights on radio and went to see the bouts on the newsreels in the cinema which were shown before the feature film. When the Brown Bomber visited Trinidad and appeared on the balcony of the Queen’s Park Hotel to wave to his fans, Eidderf was there among the cheering crowds.

One day, his big brother, Chrissie — the strongman in the family, brought boxing gloves to the yard and all the boys were matched according to their size. A rectangle was drawn on the ground and that was the ring. He was matched with Isaac Harry — a boy about his size. Eidderf remembered that in the first round, his hero from Alabama, USA knocked out the German challenger Max Schmeling who had defeated him previously. Eidderf decided that he would do the same.

A tin pan with a small stone inside was shaken to start the fight. Eidderf attacked with full force. His aggression surprised Isaac who unleashed a brutal blow to Eidderf’s head which catapulted him straight through a hibiscus hedge into the neighbouring yard. Still seeing stars, he was dragged out for the count of ten. Hung up his gloves and never fought again. Overheard at a football match — "What kind of weak defence that team playing? The right back is more a drawback!"