Emilio later learned net fishing from his
father. He recalled separating the lobsters from the other fish that were
caught in the nets, and throwing them overboard. "Back then, lobster was
not the popular delicacy that it is now. Lobster was more of a nuisance
and fishermen would only earn three cents a pound for them," he
said.
When Emilio turned 12 years old, he asked to begin
working on the plantation where his uncle was employed. Although his
uncle discouraged him because of his age, Emilio persisted and the boy
was finally hired. At the "cocal," Emilio earned $1.25 for chopping a
25-square-foot area known as a "mecate." After clearing this area, Emilio
would pick coconuts from the trees and remove their stringy husk. The
owner of the plantation would then sell the fruit to merchants in the
city, and Emilio would receive another $1.25 for every 1,000 coconuts he
provided.
When Emilio was 14, he offered to fix a canoe for his
uncle’s friend. Equipped with only a machete and a few supplies, he cut
wood from trees and four days later had the canoe up and running again.
His uncle’s friend told him that with this intelligence and skill, he
should not be clearing bush, so Emilio used his weekly wages to buy the
tools he needed to fix canoes.
Emilio soon quit working at the plantation and became
his own boss, working out of his home. For years, fishermen would bring
him their canoes to be repaired. Eventually, Emilio began fixing
furniture and soon, he was working with contractors, building houses
until he learned all he could about carpentry. Emilio then began building
houses for family members and later gained other clients from the
island.
In his free time, Emilio would visit with the older
men in Central Park, who would gather to play musical instruments. After
spending the afternoon with them, he would go home, and practice on his
own guitar. When the first electric guitar was introduced to the island,
no one wanted to "give it a try." Emilio jumped at the chance, and played
the guitar to his heart’s content. Soon, the young musician was playing
for town functions, where he recalled needing to light the dance floor
with oil lamps. "You had to make sure the dance floor was properly lit.
If the lights began to flicker and dim, mothers would take their
daughters home. It was very important to have sufficient oil for the
entire night. These days, if the dance floor is well-lit, no one will go
dance, so it must be darkened a bit," he laughed. It was at one of these
dances that he fell in love with his wife, Norbella Marin
(deceased).
A few years later, Emilio became ill and he began
spending more time at home. Fascinated with electrical appliances, he
tore apart a number of broken items in order to figure out what had gone
wrong with them. Soon enough, he was repairing fans, washing machines,
and other household appliances. "I just like seeing what makes something
work. I will work with it until I figure out what is wrong," he
said.
In his free time, Emilio enjoys reading and spending
time with his nine children: Emilio Jr., Virgilio, Wilber, Armando,
Margarita, Noli, Nidia, Imelda, and Ceni.
Today, at the age of 71, Emilio is still very active
and continues working out of his home, fixing appliances, furniture, and
repairing shoes. A self-taught barber, Emilo is skillful at cutting hair
and is often called out to visit the sick, as well. "When you start
something, you get great satisfaction once you finish it. It is never
good to simply leave things half-way. Everything has a solution; you just
have to look at the problem from different angles until you find it," he
commented.
Emilio’s perseverance has certainly paid off and his
determination is a quality that inspires everyone. "You can accomplish
whatever you set your mind to," he ended. Hardworking and self
sufficient, Emilio Rivero is an example for all to follow, a self-taught
"Jack of all trades" in "Our Community."
