Clifford ‘First Cock’ Browne Celebrates His Eight Life

Brick Kiln-Nevis- He can be described as having as many lives as a cat, but he is fully aware of and appreciates the fact, that only the mercies of God still have him on the land of the living.
In an exclusive interview conducted on Monday 24th September at his home in Brick Kiln, with Curtis Morton of the Ministry of Social Development’s Communication Unit, he first of all described how he came by the nickname ‘FIRST COCK.’
He said that in his early years, he had a bicycle and the bike had no bell and so in order to alert people when he was coming, he made a sound similar to a cock and naturally got the name which has stuck with him ever since.
Asked if fellow deceased villager, ‘TWO COCK’ was related to him, he explained that that was not the case but they became very close friends, as they fished together and did a lot of other activities together. The villagers then called the now deceased friend ‘TWO COCK.’
How about his eight lives? Mr. Browne is adamant that God has been especially close to him, as he has survived quite a number of near fatal incidences in his life.
1. He survived the Christena disaster. He describes himself as a virtual SHARK in the water and managed to swim free of the ill-fated boat on 1st August 1970
2. Exactly one year later-1st August 1971, he was on the AMPHI-Car that travelled from St. Kitts to Nevis, which had a torrid time crossing the channel, to the point that they almost turned back to St.Kitts. The same channel that he swam in exactly one year earlier. He survived
3. He fell from a donkey some years ago and suffered two broken legs, but survived
4. He was involved in a car accident and suffered two broken legs again and a broken arm from a head-on collision, but he survived
5. He was cutting a tree one day and decided to take a rest and suddenly the tree came down on him. He managed to escape death but lost the small toe on his left foot and had to take quite a number of stitches
6. He was at one of the usual cook outs with ‘the boys’ one day and 13 of them got poisoned by a BARRACUDA. They all ended in the hospital and he spent nine critical days there, but he survived
7. One day a meat bone from some mutton he was eating, got stuck in his digestive system and he had to be operated on by Dr. Dias and Dr. Louisy
At this stage in his life, he is somewhat disabled, as he is forced to move around in a wheel chair and can only see out of his left eye, but is still an active community worker.
He still cuts trees for people. He stills burns coals. He still cultivates his home garden.
‘Even if I have to drag on my bottom, I will get the work done,’ he said with emphasis.
‘Anyone needs a tree cut or requires a bag of coals, FIRST COCK is the man. My number if 469-9171,’ he said.
Today Tuesday 25th September, FIRST COCK celebrates his 68th birthday. Asked what he was going to do, he said: “I am going to cook myself a half ah hog head; a breadfruit and some dumplings and make some Golden apple drink.’
He also had some words for his fellow community members:
‘Even if you have a disability, don’t let that keep you down. You can still be active.’
And to the younger ones in the community: ‘Stay away from drugs and guns and such like. They won’t do you any good.’
Nevis Pages salutes FIRST COCK on his 68th birthday.