– retired Orealla teacher turns to his second love for his livelihood

By Fizool Deo

JOHN Claudius King is ready to return to his post-retirement career. “I’m just 67 years old,” he said with a smile, adding: “I need to feel the wind in my face again.” His livelihood is far more rigorous that the decades he spent in the classroom—and it involves hours on the water.

Sir King is preparing for another stint as Captain King. He fell in love with the sea as a child, but it was not until the age of 55 that he began plying the waterways.
Two years ago, after working the Orealla to Skeldon route for a decade, his 24-foot wooden boat broke. John was devastated. He was unsure of returning to the sea, but after a while, there was an emptiness in his life.

Going back to such a career meant building another boat from scratch, so over the last few months, he did just that. He is yet to work out his schedule, but since boats are the only means of transportation for the residents in the indigenous community, they are always welcome.

Orealla is also a potential tourism destination and many of the residents are looking towards marketing their beautiful flora and fauna—especially the exotic birds that sing every morning.

John is confident that he will be able to get passengers; he prides himself on his his work ethics, which he learnt during his first career.

As a young man, John’s passion was teaching — and he was good at it. Several years ago, John moved back to the home in which he was born– the same home in which his mother taught him after school. She was Warrau, but spoke perfect English and ensured that he did also. That drive helped him to become one of the best teachers that the community has ever produced.

After a few years in the Anglican Church Primary School in Orealla, John spent some time in Demerara before returning home. His work ethic was an inspiration to the teachers and they encouraged him to follow the profession.

John started his teaching career in his mid-teens. By the age of 37, he was a qualified teacher with almost two decades of experience under his belt in his home community. The father of six left Orealla in 1988 and taught for 18 years in several Berbice primary schools, including the Moleson Creek Primary School, Corriverton Primary, Kwakwani Primary, No.56 Primary and Crabwood Creek Primary, before retiring.

John is hoping that the discipline and dedication by which he lived as a teacher will lead him when he returns to the sea; and unlike the mandatory age of retirement in the education system, he intends to continue working with his boat until he can no longer stand or see.