Joseph Edner Cantave

I remember after our father's death, whenever a celebrity or famous people's death was announced in the news,  Michael Jackson, Richard Nixon etc.. my sister would roll her eyes and exclaims who cares? she would ask. I always looked at her, shaking my head in amazement.  Now that she passed away I now find myself exclaiming the exact same words whenever I hear a famous person's death. 

              Edner Cantave was a legend in his time and his environment. Were ever he spent enough time in or wherever he lives mothers would name their sons after him. Near the upscale suburbs of Canape Vert there was a chanty town name "J Croix". Where many children was named Edner or Ti Edner meaning little Edner. In La Plaine du Cul de Sac, many children were named after him as well. I myself was giving that name in both in J Croix and La Plaine for I looked a lot like him just a little darker. To be continued.......................

        To be honest, we were born at the beginning of my father's second life. Do you ever notice the ending of long, frightful, adventurous dramatic movie where a famous actor survives death, walking away into the sunset? Well, our history begins on the other side of the movie, the other side of the end...

      He never talked about his previous life but from time to time as he jokes around how happy he was for not joining the military academy in his youth, And from time to time the high honor and respect he would receive by well honored and respected people including preists, journalists, bankers, lawyers, doctors etc... One have to wonder who is thin man? Well he was as they say the last of the Mohicans......... 

             That branch of the Cantave Family was well inbedded into the Haitoan Armed Forces for decades,  during the 1950's his uncle Leon was at the very head of government, political side and the military side, so becoming a commissioned officer was natural or a shoe in for them, the cantaves. They just had to make the choice of joining. My father never joined but he was for better or worse a political figure and that is how he became political advisor and a campaign manager the then unknown presidential candidate Dr Francois Duvalier.  Our uncle Luc Baron on our mother's side (not a Theodat but a Jordani), he was chauffeur for them in those days. He would later told us of their exploits. He often would told us in an affectionate way that our father was naturally a little king and king maker.......... Thus the picture on Valerie's book cover  the "BULL KING" in his memory. For he was born  on May 5th under the Bull sign....... To be continued