Hubern Isaacs fathered 43

By Zena Henry, June 16, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source

It is safe to say that whether ‘ole skool’ or contemporary, every man prides himself on seeing his offspring. It is even more auspicious when the number of children born to a man is great because according to societal behaviours, that gives him his ‘ratings’.  Well if that be the case, rate Mr. Hubern Randolph Isaacs also known to his friends as ‘ the Beast’.

The 79-year-old who was raised at Lot 44 Supply, East Bank Demerara, fathered 43 children. Back in his days, the ladies nicknamed him ‘Nice Boy’; because of his persona. He was charmer, but what drew them close Isaacs said, was his wonderful voice, for he had a knack for singing.

Mr. Isaacs flanked by some of his off spring, the youngest to far left.

 

‘And boy I used to dress. I also did calypso. I was 1977’s CARIFESTA champion so the girls used to run behind the old man.” But while all was well with the ladies, Isaacs noted that the men were annoyed. They hid their women because they feared that whenever the ‘Beast’ was around, it was no time to ‘slumber with your chick.’

Being the fifth of 32 children, Isaacs is no stranger to a large family. The oldest survivor of Mr. Isaacs’s merry lot is Daphne Isaacs, she is 50- years-old, while the youngest is Abena Isaacs, 17. “All my children carry my title,” he said proudly.

The first child was born in the early 60s when Isaacs was about 20 years old. At that time, he said he was married to his first wife and worked as a surveyor with the Lands and Surveys Commission. The first wife bore him five children, and a second wife bore him the same number. The rest of the children were ‘outside.’

“One time I had six kids born one year, and then three in one month, all from different mothers. But honestly speaking,” Isaacs said to Kaieteur News, “I never had the privilege of raising all my kids together because I was here there and everywhere.”

The first set of children, Isaacs said, had to the best of him. “My work was surveying and I did that for 11 years, so I was in the interior, but even there, my girls were with me attending different schools.”

Isaacs continued that despite being unable to raise all 43 of his children he was able to play some part in their lives and leave some impact on them. “Because everybody was able to get a little touch, even though they weren’t living with me, as long I have something it was for them; even if it means leaving myself undone, they had to get what they needed.”

Isaacs continued that taking care of his children was no easy task, and at times it took more than one job to tend to them. After surveying, he joined the army before venturing back into the interior. He was then employed with Demerara Timbers while working at GTSL, driving transport buses.

Despite the hardships and the losses, Isaacs said he is very proud of his children and proud of himself. “I feel proud of my children. As I said I never had the chance to mind them whole heartedly as I would have wanted because back in those days I was a ‘sweet boy’ moving around, singing and dancing, but I am proud of my children who have done very well for themselves.”

‘Life has been good to me,” Isaacs related. “At one time I used to live in a house with three girls. That was around 1973 to 75. They were in order. No one went away and leave anyone. I told them who don’t like it leave, and no one left. They shared the house work, cooked the food and every night belonged to someone. One night I pleased one, then it was another and another, then…. it would start all over again. It was a very good relationship.” Of the three women, Isaacs said two had children for him, while the other lost her baby.

When asked, Isaacs sighed “Oh my Lord” he estimated that were there no miscarriages by any of the women he bred, he might have had over 50 children. “I would have had more than 43; I lost a lot of children. I have children in the interior that have not been counted, it’s because I don’t know them; some by Amerindian girls. I was wild in the North West, Matthew’s Ridge….. where I lived for five years.”

Mr. Isaacs will however face a sad Father’s Day this year. And though it is a regular thing to gather for the annual celebration, this year the family will be celebrating the life of 32-year-old Elon Isaacs who passed away last Monday after the ATV he was riding crashed into a lamp post.

Elon was supposed to celebrate his 33rd birthday next month, but Mr. Isaacs is preparing to bury his son on Monday. Elon spent two weeks in a coma in the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. “I don’t have a Father’s Day and I am not too fussy to celebrate anything,” the father told this newspaper.

“I begged them not to bury him on Father’s Day. Even last night, (Friday) I was trying to come to the wake but I couldn’t, I was down, really down; it’s my fourth son I’m losing now and I can’t take it anymore. I am just asking God to help me bear up.”

Isaacs said his first son who is really the eldest child, died a long time ago. He drowned in the Corentyne River, but his body was never recovered. The next death occurred in front of their Supply home when a senior member of the police force struck dead his son with his vehicle several years ago. Another one committed suicide, he said, while the latest died as a result of the motorbike accident.

Isaacs said he hopes that some time after the funeral, he would be able to get together with his children as planned and head to the creek for a grand time. He said it is one of his favourite times when he is able to see his children together. Despite them living in various locations of Guyana and outside of the country, the family get-togethers are the best. It is even more fulfilling, he said, when the offspring of his children’s generation flock him.