AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

My name is Lisa Allen-Agostini and my novel The Bread the Devil Knead was published last week.

I come from straight outta Morvant, no crossover. I lived in my mother's house overlooking the traffic lights at Morvant Junction from age two until my mid-20s.

I live now in Backayard, a village in the rainforest high up Simeon Road, Petit Valley. We live downstairs my husband Brian McMeo's parents' house.

My mom, Dolsie, was a widow with seven children.

My father had two before he had my brother Dennis and me with Dolsie. It wasn't the Brady Bunch, though.

Dolsie, Allen, Philly, Patty and Tony have passed.

Only Ricky, Denny and I still live in Trinidad permanently.

Brian and I have no children of our own (except the cat, Fennec, and dogs, Sassy and Hagrid) but he's stepdad to my two daughters, Ishara is 28 today – May 24. Happy birthday, Ishara – and Najja, 21. Both live abroad.

My husband's family lives upstairs.

My childhood was a triangle I walked between my father's house and muffler factory in Success Village (every afternoon after school), my home in Morvant and my grandmother's house in Barataria (every Saturday).

I fell so in love with town, I included my poem My City in Something to Say, the book I self-published at 18.

It makes me sad to see town so empty now. The walk from Bishop's to the maxi stand at the bottom of Charlotte Street was full of all the world.

At 19, I married Keifel Agostini, a boy I’d met in confirmation class, who lived with his mom in Diego Martin.

Keifel and I remain close friends, though he lives in the US. I call his wife, Vic, my wife-in-law. Her son stayed with me in Trinidad.

At UWI, as a newly-separated single mom, I lived between the library (studying), the Creative Arts Centre (drawing and learning directing), Small Caf (playing knock romey for dollar). Also the Bench outside Big Caf (liming), JFK Lecture Theatre (praying with the Catholic Students Movement) and Infinity (drinking and making out with boys).

I spent a lot of my wasted youth in Club Coconuts.

(Motherhood) has been a most beautiful, fulfilling experience.

But it was hard. I hadn't wanted children and was surprised I fell in love with Ishara the moment I saw her. She was C-section.

Najja, seven years later, was a natural birth, no meds. Stitches too, but in a different place!

Both my parents were – politely – agnostic at best, but I’m a believer, today more than ever.

I was raised Catholic but converted a few years ago (to) the Spiritual Baptist Temple of Divine Light.

Zoom church is different from IRL but I've seen the Spirit move there.

When I start to feel self-conscious about wearing a lot of white, I think of Earl Lovelace and chill.

I love huddling in my bed with my husband, watching Messianic preaching and listening to Hebrew worsh