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Who said posting about what you had for breakfast is so banal? I did. In my last column.
I am not retracting it as a general observation, but there was an anomaly. An exceptional exception.
(Post from Razif Khan on 13 March 2024)
His name? Razif Khan, a man who shared photos on Facebook of his meals—breakfast, lunch and dinner—on a daily basis for years.
I never met Mr Khan, and yet I was saddened by his death on Friday 15 March. He had been fatally struck on his head by a log.
His posts had been coming up in my Facebook feed (where I am virtually inactive), and I was mesmerised. His words were few, accompanied by striking images of his simple fare that were eloquent and powerful.
(Post from Razif Khan on 9 February 2024)
Those posts masterfully conveyed vivid images of a lifestyle, a time, a place; his philosophy. They were perfectly rendered depictions of his life in Cushe Village in Rio Claro, which, I imagine, is a replica of many rural communities.
His use of language was so quirky, I couldn’t tell if it was deliberate, and he had his signature phrases—but he captured essence and ambience so succinctly, it was irresistible.
Recently, he shared a photo of two large basins full of shelled pigeon peas, and a heap of unshelled ones in the background. I immediately yearned to have a heap of pigeon peas to shell.
He made me think of afternoons spent around our table, stories being told while young hands struggled to split the pods, and the flashes of chaos as a worm emerged.
(Post from Razif Khan on 4 March 2024)
On the Friday of his death, I bought yam and dasheen. I wanted to try some of the combinations he used regularly. Dasheen, cassava, yam (boiled and fried with onions and peppers) plated with dhal, saltfish, or smoke herring, or fried fish, and callaloo.
He often started his day with sada and vegetables, accompanied by fruit: oranges, pawpaw, bananas, and every dish seemed to have a macco piece of hot pepper as a garnish.
I had decided to try some of his permutations, and was boiling the yam and dasheen that night when I heard the news. The next day, the day of his funeral, I decided to have a meal in tribute to him.
From my freezer, I took down some dhal, curried chicken and chataigne, and I had it with the provisions.
Since then, my meals have carried Mr Khan’s influence. To me, he was not simply cooking and sharing meals like countless others. There was gentility in his spirit and a harmonious relationship with his family and our planet.
All of his posts began with an indicator of his state of mind: feeling energised, feeling motivated, feeling joyful, feeling thankful, feeling festive (on his wife’s birthday), feeling tired (on March 9, a day when he was helping with logging). Two words tell us.
Look at the posts for his final days.
(Post from Razif Khan on 13 March 2024)
March 9: Yes guys it is are beautiful day haveing corn dumplin, saltfish with tomato an cold glass of beet root punch an going an wash out my working uniforms without those uniform I can’t work an you need clean uniform everyday an wifey say make sure an don’t show those boxers wifey ent know that for breeze to pass through ha ha love meh belly.
March 10: Good morning guy’s I telling wifey I feeling to eat calalloo so she say go an get the dasheen bush baggie I also got are few peppers, pimento an shadow benny it all about planting little things for you kitchen love meh belly.
Good afternoon guys, having my lunch rice, calalloo an stew chicken with a cold glass of coconut water love meh belly an guy’s do have are blessed evening.
(Post from Razif Khan on 11 March 2024)
Good afternoon guy’s haveing my snack until the last train it is halwa an Kurma an cold glass of coconut water love meh belly…
Good evening guy’s it’s the last train on this beautiful evening having rice, dhall an spinach baggie love meh belly an guy’s do have are blessed an restful night.
March 12: Good morning guy’s it’s wifey birthday today wishing her a blessed an wonderful day today an always do enjoy your day wifey I going cook boil an fry Chiquito fig for your breakfast right.
(Post from Razif Khan on 12 March)
Good evening guy’s, just made are pot of chicken Palau an my daughter taking wifey for dinner so I on that trip because I love meh belly.
March 13: Good morning guy’s it’s Wednesday having pumpkin and sada roti, coconut water an some paw paw love meh belly an getting the job done once meh belly full…
Good evening guy’s it’s the last train on this beautiful Wednesday evening having rice, coconut chutney, lentil an fry fish…
(Post by Razif Khan on 14 March)
And:
Jan 1: Good morning guy’s it’s my 62nd birthday on this beautiful New Year’s day wishing all my fb friend’s an followers good health, strength an happiness you guy’s are truly amazing an I do appreciate everyone, you all be safe an let 2024 be are bright an prosperous year for everyone love you guy’s.
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Vaneisa Baksh is a columnist with the Trinidad Express, an editor and a cricket historian. She is the author of a biography of Sir Frank Worrell.
