Firstly, you can weave a story masterfully, Toya. Loved every word, beautiful. Secondly, the men of your grandfather's day were stern but it seems there was a purpose behind the things they did. And sometimes the lessons were "sink or swim." Lastly, there's a family story that my mother's grandfather who was raised by his sister (his mom passed for white), may have also fled Dominica for killing a white man. He and his brother changed their names to Gardner because they help people build homesteads. I don't know their original family name.