Monica Skeete

Monica Skeete

Monica Agnes Skeete (née Martineau) (1923–1997) was born in Grenville, Grenada, and moved to Barbados in 1937. There she was educated at Queen’s College and subsequently went on to read History at Kings College, University of London, in the 1950s before becoming a teacher. She had a keen interest in drama, and wrote plays for her school and for the annual Bimshire productions as well as short stories that were published in Bim. She also read her work on radio in Barbados as part of Frank Collymore’s literary programmes broadcast for fifteen minutes on Wednesdays and Sundays. “The Scholarship”, possibly her best known short story, was broadcast on the BBC’s Caribbean Voices in March 1958. Thomas Nelson and Sons published her book Time Out in 1978.

THE SCHOLARSHIP

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Sonny Boy lifted the lid of his desk cautiously and peered at the big ripe mango which was resting on his reading book. There was a great gnawing in his stomach as he had not eaten since lunch time and it had been only split peas soup with two dumplings in it. That was since 12.30 pm. He wondered if he dared take two quick bites before Mr. Callender returned from the toilet. He put out his hand to take it, then drew it away again. It was too big a risk, he decided. The juice would be all over his fingers and, besides, Mr. Callender would smell it.

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