For years, double world-record holder, Brian Lara, reigned supreme, not only as Prince of Port-of-Spain, but also as king of Cantaro, Santa Cruz, his childhood home. Now, two young princes are emerging in the village, brothers, Dwayne and Darren Bravo, not to take Lara's place, residents say, but to shine in their own light.
The Bravo brothers' entry into the international cricket arena (both are now member of the West Indies team) is a mighty testimony to the power of inspiration. Both young men unhesitatingly said Lara was a source of inspiration to them. Darren's mother and Dwayne's stepfather–who are siblings–are cousins of Lara. The Bravo brothers are of same father, John Bravo, but have different mothers and live in separate homes.
Cricket genes
The Sunday Guardian visited the Cantaro homes of the two families last Wednesday and checked out the kind of environment from which the stars come.
Love and laughter filled the home of Darren Bravo on Sam Boucaud Road in Cantaro last Wednesday afternoon.
John Bravo, father of Darren and Dwayne, chief instigator of the jokes and love, is the kind of person who makes you feel immediately comfortable with his warmth and cheerful spirit. His love and closeness to his children was obvious. He fondly called one of his three pretty daughters, "Ugly girl" and, for some reason, "Boy," which she good-naturedly ignored.
Bravo was married to Joycelyn Bravo, mother of Dwayne and two other children, but the marriage ended, the Sunday Guardian was told. Bravo's present wife is Earline, mother of Darren and three girls. Earline, who seems to share her husband's light-hearted spirit, said he wanted to become a cricketer but things didn't work out. The couple, sitting side by side on a couch filled with teddy bears, argued over whose genes made Darren a cricket star.
"I used to play windball cricket with Darren in my belly," Earline said, indicating that she had some part to play in his stardom. "Is one father the two boys have," Bravo interjected, ending all argument. Earline recalled that when Darren was younger he used to pay other boys $5 and $1 to bowl him. Bravo said when the brothers were small "and up to now," they constantly played imaginary cricket. "They would be bowling and batting going up the road, in the house, everywhere.
"It's only a matter of time before Darren gets a permanent place in cricket like Dwayne," he prophesied. Telling how he encouraged his sons in cricket, Bravo said he used to take Lyndon, Dwayne's bigger brother, and 14 other young men from Cantaro to train every Sunday morning. "When Dwayne came along, he just joined the group. When I went to register Dwayne, the person over the counter said he was too young, come back when he was six. "I went and joined another line and told the person in charge that he was six."
Bravo said Darren started playing cricket at age four. He said Charles Guillen, uncle of Trinidad and Tobago batsman, Justin Guillen, who supported them at the Queen's Park Cricket Club, also was instrumental in his sons' success. Dwayne's mother, Joycelyn, 51, lives in a seven-bedroom mansion on Pipiol Road, Cantaro, with her husband, Dexter Sween, a proprietor, and their two children. Gracious and welcoming, she sat by the poolside at the back of the house, while Sween and Darren played a game of table tennis, and spoke to the Sunday Guardian about Dwayne.
Piece of stick
"I never knew Dwayne would reach so far. "Two things he liked to do when he was small–play cricket and drive. We used to call him Mahal (a madman who used to pretend he was driving.) "He used to be batting by himself in the corridor, running up and down. "I used to see this piece of stick and throw it outside because I really didn't know. He would come after and tell me that was his bat. "He broke plenty louvres playing cricket, too."
Joycelyn said she used to play windball cricket with a team in Cantaro called Critics and Dwayne, when he was a child, would be running after the ball."I was in Miami when I heard he made the West Indies team. I was so proud." Indicating where Dwayne got his spiritual side from, Joycelyn, a humble churchgoer, said she and her mother, also a devout Christian, always pray for Dwayne.
"I always pray for my children and cover them in the blood of Jesus.
"Sometimes if they win and didn't thank God, my mother would get upset."
She recalled proudly how, when she turned 50 last year, Dwayne gave her a special birthday party.
"He was out of the country but he hired decorators and caterers through telephone. If you see how here was, like Hollywood," she said.
Joycelyn said her 11-year-old son, Dexter Sween Jr, who admires Dwayne, is also an aspiring cricketer. "He's a member of the QPCC and has already won trophies," she said.
