Shards of light illuminated the swimming pool, where a birthday party was in full swing at The Buoys, Chaguaramas. One floor above the lido, guests had gathered for an intimate celebration with Edna Rojas, who turned 103 on Friday. Among those gathered to pay tribute to the matriarch/super centenarian of the Rojas clan were her offspring, close friends and well-wishers. Her lone daughter Ave Rojas-Hive hosted the milestone. Resplendent in blue and matching shawl, Rojas received lots of hugs, kisses, gifts and best wishes from everyone. She cut the cake with her boys at the Buoys–Peter, Gerard, Don and Bryan. Her husband John Henry Rojas and two of her sons Andre and Bryan are deceased.
Whether guests were lounging along the terrace or admiring artwork, they could not help remarking on matriarch Rojas' beauty, simplicity, good health, impeccable memory and cheerful disposition. Consensus was her life, begun in Sangre Grande, had been a blessing. She took the time to greet and kiss each of her guests, too. As more guests slipped in, they came bearing gifts like an apple-shaped teapot. Silently, it conveyed the message "Edna, you are the apple of my eye." The card which accompanied it was etched with the words "103 kisses for Edna."
Tributes to Edna Rojas
Casting aside his canvas, artist Peter Rojas, who had flown in from Marabella, Spain, lifted a champagne toast. Rojas said, "Mummy's longevity comes from a special place. When mother was three, her father (Charles Cameron Watson) told her a special story. One morning, he was going to work. Along the way, he saw a little school girl who was skipping. "Amused at her antics, her father said, 'My God little girl! Why are you so happy?' The little girl turned around and said, 'Life is what you make of it.'"
Her daddy told that story to Edna, when she was about four. Mummy always says, "Life is what you make of it."
Dancing under the stars
Rojas' wish was her guests' command. She had a simple request. She wanted to dance. So, easing her off her grand chair, they took her in the direction of the music wafting across the patio. Rojas wasted no time. She took to the floor with her son David, who had flown in from Canada. Quizzed on the secret of her longevity, Rojas said, "I feel great. I feel wonderful. I feel the same way like 102. I want to thank God for treating me well." Daily, she enjoys a glass of red wine at at Harbor Front View home, in West Moorings.
Coupled with her daily devotions, Rojas sometimes makes the trek to a place, other than the Vatican at Rome, that is dear to her heart. Steeped in the St Augustine heartland, is the Mt St Benedict Monastery. "I go on and off. I am in communion with God. I feel his presence there. It is a beautiful environment. I am at peace with my Maker," she said. Does she believe she'll equal the Biblical Sarah who lived to be 129 years? Rojas said, " I'll live as long as God permits me to to. But I don't think I could make 129."