DEVINDRA DOOKIE
CURTAIN CALL FOR DOOKIE - FRIENDS HIT 'MOST UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL'
Michelle Loubon
Sunday Guardian
December 16, 2001
Page 3
The suicide of actor Devindra Dookie sent shock waves through the artistic community which have spilled over to the home of his friend Winston Hackett.
Dookie's body was found in a car at Salybia, north east Trinidad, on Wednesday. The engine was running and exhaust fumes were being piped into the car. Police reportedly found a suicide note and a list of names and numbers of those the actor wished to be informed of his death. One note addressed to his friend Winston Hackett at his #40 Grant Street, Couva, home was concealed in a bag of clothing and cash.
The two had been friends since the '60s when "he started theatre with Ralph Maraj at his home on Christian Street." However, since mid-August after being discharged from the asylum, he had taken up residence at a yellow house with streaks of red, with buttercups nodding in the cool breeze. His visibly shaken friend said he had not slept comfortably since the terrible news and after reading the suicide note which he left him. He confessed to feeling his presence in the house.
Sitting in his porch, he said he never knew the last time he would see him alive was two days ago when he left for Toco. The former English teacher, said he learned about his death via a phone call from fellow actor Errol "Blood" Roberts.
Refusing to believe it was nothing but a ruse, Hackett said: "I cursed Blood on the phone. But he said it came over the news flash. I became frantic and went looking for something. He had left a bag for me saying it contained clean things. I went in it. Somehow I felt the bad had a clue. The bag contained a jersey and some briefs, $2,800 and the letter. The suicide note was the 'most unkindest cut of all'."
Hackett admitted to being surprised at the tragedy since he thought he had stabilised. As he set about adjusting Hackett said: "He was walking around during the first three weeks when he came here to live. He paced up and down a lot."
However, things started to take a turn for the better, since "the real Devindra began to emerge. He was devouring novels - fat books with thousands of pages. He still kept quiet though."
Recently, he had completed Ernest Librein's Farewell Performance and Stephen King's Bag of Bones. Stars of the New Curfew by Ben Onki lay open on the chapter "The Preparation for Ritual."
Suicide was discussed but jokingly, Hackett added: "He talked about suicide in the early days. We talked about the most painless ways of doing it. The way he did it was one of them. I did not make any fuss because he seemed to be coming out of it."
He said he knew he loved the beach and was aware he had been planning to go visit a friend who had a house up there. The both of them had recently gone to Maracas Beach.
Still struggling to deal with the strange twist, he said: "He was pretty upbeat on election night. We discussed the political situation. We discussed drama. He spoke a lot about his career and his travels ... like Singapore. He said he had lived a full life."
However, I found it strange he did not talk about going back to work since he was due to go back out on the 14. Pointing to the carpet, on which he slept, he said: "I gave him a room but he preferred to sleep on the floor. He wanted to things makeshift and temporary."
While he may have taken his earthly exit, the cozy living room bore telltale signs of his presence. Among them were his pillows, mountains of books, stacks of newspapers, strewn clothing on chair backs, a rocker on which he read voraciously and a few boxes of his personal belongings piled in the bed room.
Later on, Devindra's friend Margaret came by and she clung to hackett in the street. After reading the suicide note, she said: "How could Dave do it. How could he do it when I trying to make sure he would be back with us."
Reminiscing on how he preferred to remember him Hackett said: "A bit abrasive and abusive. He was a single person committed to what he believed in. We were planning a wild meat party for the Christmas. Now it is all over. I will be thinking about him for a long while."