A Conversation with the Dame

Q. Yes the even that tossed Dominica into the world spotlight was the 1983 Grenada, uhh event, which other, many people consider it an intervention. Some consider it an invasion. Interesting that the American's call it an invasion themselves. But tell us about that and tell us what you knew about Maurice Bishop before that event.

A. Well I had met Maurice Bishop when he came to Dominica and was called to the Bar; but i didn't know him very well. We had a meeting in August of the year. He had his soldiers guarding his room for three days. But he onlu arrived the morning of the last day, and her left that sae afternoon. But i remember that....

Q. So you're saying that he was very concerned about security?

A. Yes.

Q. Maybe too much so.

A. That's right. But during the time, that meeting went-a four day meeting-Ihad small luncheons at my home so that people could talk. When you have a big dinner, you have a speech made; you dont really talk. So I would invite perhaps, two heads, myself, and perhaps their advisor, so that we could talk intimately on a subject that concerned them. And Maurice Bishop should have been at one of those luncheons but he hasnt come. But for the last day he was there, I invited him to lunch anyway and I was having people like the President and Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the head of OECS.

Q. CARICOM?

A. No, the head of OECS, and uhm...I was having like the head o the Central Bank and so on, and all the heads of our strong units. So I invited him to that; but, I didn't know at that time he had to have so many guards, so I didn't think of preparing lunch for guards. i had to send for lunch for guards. [Laughter]. But when he arrived...

Q. So you...

A. No, I...they had prepared lunch for the six people that we coming.

Q. You had your own cooks?

A. Yes, yes but i hadn't told them that they must have another table set for lunch for these guards. I didnt remember that, yow know. Anyway, he came...

Q. Did you ever travel with guards?

A. No, so when he came with the guards, the people of the village knew something was happening; so they were all gathered outside the gate, right on the main road. And when they saw all those guards, they told them, "What y'all coming here for?" An they were guarding from there, you know-the gate on the road. "What are y'all guarding here for? It's not here the man going to die, in his own country her going to die. So i don't know what you're doing there," and so on. They teased the fellows so.

Q. That was very ominous a comment very...that was very...

A. Yes! So he came and he told me, " You know Eugenia, you must talk to the Americans for me." I said " Why can't you talk yourself? You were up there." But when he came up here, he didn't see anybody of note. The person he saw was a Clarke, I think, Mr. Clarke. Anyway, so I said, "Why?" He said, "Well, they don't understand me. They don't talk to me." I said, " How could anybody understand you? You don't even understand yourself. Nobody knows which way you're going, you know-whethervit's forward or backward. So make up wour mind where you're going and let people know, so that you can talk." Anyway, that was all we spoke about.

A Conversation with the Dame