Posted by
CaribShout on December 18, 2010 at 11:36pm
Do you know the Ice Cream Man?
The school bell tolling around Castries is a sure indication Mr Gilbert’s cart is near. He has been a fixture on the streets of the city for some fifteen years, but how many people actually stop to chat with the ice cream man? I first heard of Mr Gilbert from my editor Nicole McDonald. She suggested a feature on him for this column. I was beyond lost as to who Mr Gilbert was. She said, “The ice cream man!” Then it clicked.
Whether it was fate or pure clumsiness, I literally ran into Mr Gilbert while crossing Jeremy Street near the Castries Market on a hot Friday morning. He gladly accepted my invitation to chat.
Mr Gilbert and I stood in the shade of the huge Massave Tree on the Derek Walcott Square. He parked his cart and began, “My name is Joseph Gilbert. I am originally from Monchy but right now I live at Ciceron.”
When Mr Gilbert was a young man at the tender age of sixteen, he was employed in the banana industry. He worked for some time in bananas and was able to buy a house at La Clery. Having decided he had worked long enough in bananas, in the early 1990s Mr Gilbert decided to go into the Sno’ Cone business to be more self sufficient. That business was not as prosperous as he had hoped. He then bought a little ice cream cart with two wheels. He progressed from there and eventually he made bigger carts and contracted them out to others. Unfortunately, the persons who ran the carts tried to swindle Mr Gilbert and he took all the carts away. He now only operates one cart.
“I can only say praise to God. The dairy does fix me up straight. Right now I get nice ice-cream. Delicious! We get it mixed too,” said Mr Gilbert. He continued, “I used to buy ice-cream from Eudoxie. After that, I went to the dairy and spoke to Mr Charles. He told me he was making ice-cream and if we were interested, he would open the business larger for us. I gave plenty people good advice to come into the business. Right now there are a portion of them in the business.”
School children comprise the majority of his customers. For him, the best part of his job is meeting all the new and interesting people around the city and seeing familiar faces. At present, Mr Gilbert also moonlights as a landscaper. His notion is, take whatever opportunities presented. After all, you never know where they may lead.
Mr Gilbert appreciates the effort and relationship of Ferrands Dairy. His long-standing relationship with them is one of the achievements he is most proud of.
As we wrapped up the interview, Mr Gilbert left with these words, “I like the business and I cannot leave it yet. When I die, or if I’m sick, I leave. But once I am alive I will always sell ice-cream.”
So when you’re passing through the city, listen for the bell tolling because it’s tolling for you!
