The Editor, Sir:

I am moved to make this contribution in respect to your editorial "The passing of two great figures" which appeared in The Gleaner on Thursday, August 7, in reference to the demise of Jamaican sculptor Christopher Gonzalez and Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, albeit, before death, I was only aware of the former.

I spoke to Mr Gonzalez, face to face, only two days before he left us, in my capacity of a therapeutic caregiver, having met him for the first time about three weeks before. When I first saw him, I thought his face was familiar, but I could not tell who he was. I said to him, "anyone ever told you that you look like the sculpture of Socrates."

He let out a gentle laugh before saying in a distinctive Kingston/St Andew accent, "nobody ever told me I looked like an ancient duppy, before." We both laughed, and while we were both still seated, joined hands in greetings when he said: "Christopher Gonzales, are you going to give me the treatment?" Avoiding the question, I jumped up and in elevated tone, pronounced "the sculptor".

"You seem to appreciate me, I have more work to do, so make me better if you can." Without knowing what else to say, I offered "we always do our best", somewhat suspecting I did not sound adequately believable. "Ah, Mr Baxter, you need to do better than that to save this old fart." It was here that I suspected that he was aware that he knew more than I about his situation.

pep talks

For the next two weeks, we would have our pep talks; and your statement that he " ... never appeared bitter about the public's response to his Marley ... " can be supported by the fact that when I told him that I was not familiar with much of his work, probably due to apathetic negligence on my part and having been abroad for too long, he reminded me that he had done the first Bob Marley and that the people did not like it. I vaguely recalled the controversy, so I clumsily asked, "why." In a manner which was aptly reminiscent of the way you described him, he laughed uncontrollably, while managing to make the word, "dem seh dem nuh want no Bob without foot."

It was at this time that I remember seeing a picture of Bob with dreadlocks and tree roots. We both laughed.

I hardly knew the man, but from our brief interaction, I found him to be a gentle soul. He was never demanding nor did he proffer his status to attain attention. Mr Editor, you allude to the scant and "perfunctory" regards of his life and work by the Jamaican public. I say to his family, if it be any consolation to you, many artistes, including Bob Marley, have suffered similar fate, until either soon or long after death.

It is said that Michaelangelo once rebuked a client whose portrait he was commissioned to do, who complained of its unimpressive resemblance of him, that: "In a hundred years from today, nobody will care if it resembles you, only that it was done by me." (Of course, in Italian) That is remarkably true, today. Isn't it? My regrets include not taking up his offer to "come and see something that I am doing right, now. I may even give to you if you like it." I took a day off from work, and on my return it to the hospital, I heard the sad news. Rest in peace, artist par excellence.

I am, etc.,

AUDLEY BAXTER

audleybaxter@yahoo.com