The family that celebrate together

The Ramjohn-Walkers were the kind of family you heard before you saw. Laughter, steelpan beats, soca, chutney, and the smell of curry goat or pelau usually gave them away. With nine siblings, sixteen cousins, and a rotating crew of friends, neighbors, and even exes who never really left the fold, their house in San Fernando was never quiet for long.


Patricia Walker, the matriarch with her booming laugh and penchant for bright lipsticks, always said, “In this house, we celebrate everything—even if it’s just Tuesday.” Her husband, Ravi Ramjohn, a retired school principal with a weakness for pepper roti and a habit of quoting Tagore, fully agreed. He used to say the mix of their roots, her Afro-Trinidadian fire and his Indo-Trinidadian calm, wasn’t just a love story, it was a reason to celebrate life.


And so they did. When young Anjali passed her SEA exams, the entire neighborhood was invited over. There was dhal, pelau, sorrel, and coconut bake. Uncle Shaun brought out his old DJ set, and Grandma Meera danced with Grandpa Lennox under the fairy lights. When cousin Mikey finally fixed his car’s AC after six months? BBQ in the backyard. When Aunty Camille got her blood pressure under control? Doubles by the dozen and mango chow for dessert. Everything was a worthy celebration.


Even quiet mornings had their rituals, sharing tea under the mango tree, the smell of jasmine and bay leaf drifting through open windows. There was never a celebration too small for the Ramjohn-Walkers. Someone always found a reason to be grateful. Someone always found music.

Their blend of cultures didn’t need to be “balanced.” It just flowed. On Divali, they lit deyas and sang old calypso. On Emancipation Day, Ravi wore a dashiki and Patricia cooked up saheena. They didn't just coexist, they co-celebrated, always.


One Christmas, when there was no big news to toast, Ravi stood up, tapped his glass with a spoon, and said:

"We’ve made it through another year. That’s plenty reason to celebrate. And look—everybody still love each other. Imagine that."

Everyone clapped, because everyone agreed.


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