.jpg)
FEW people are blessed with special gifts and talents of any sort; Mahase Maraj is undoubtedly one of them.
Looking rather spry for 75, his face a study in equanimity, he indicated with a mere nod of the head that I could join him on the ground of the veranda of his youngest child’s newly acquired house where he was putting in some rather intricate furniture work on a kitchen cabinet he is single-handedly building.
And as he worked, I couldn’t help but marvel at his dexterity and extraordinary stamina for a man his age.
For even before we began to talk, I’d noticed not only the ease with which he moved what were, without question, very heavy pieces of building materials, but also the uniqueness of his work.
But, to get back to the subject at hand, we started off chatting about our celebrating another milestone in the annals of our beloved country, and its significance to us as Guyanese, which brought back for him memories of some very disturbing experiences he’d endured just before Guyana gained independence 47 years ago today, on May 26, 1966.
HIS STORY
One such incident was the notorious 1964 Riots, which left an indelible mark and a bitter taste in the mouth of all those whose lives it happened to touch. At the time, Mahase recalled, he was still a relatively young man, and making a living doing logging at Rose Dale on the lower Demerara River.
“Those were terrible days,” he said, “and I can remember the incident when those people came to attack and kill the East Indians in Rose Dale. Thank goodness there was perfect ethnic harmony in this area, and the [Black] people living there came out in defence of the East Indians, thus foiling the intended gruesome operation.”
Though their attackers were repelled, Mahase, who had just gotten married and fathered his first child, like many others living in the small riverine community, fled their homes and sought refuge in the surrounding bushes where they hid for fear of their lives. And to make matters worse, he said, they couldn’t even light a fire for fear of being detected; and so they were left at the mercy of not only the mosquitoes and other insects, but the dangerous reptiles (especially snakes) that infested those bushes at the time.
“During the riot, everyone feared for their lives; and after the many attacks on our person, I had to run and make a tent for me, my wife and my eldest son, Anand, who was then a very little baby. It was terrible! And almost an impossible task to survive in this way.
“We could not light a fire to get hot meals, or for warmth; and the mosquitoes and other bush insects tormented us mercilessly. It was my poor baby that I feared for the most, since he did not deserve to be shacked up in the bushes, facing the elements of weather or annoying insects.”
Eventually, the British soldiers, in an effort to restore law and order in the land, taught them what Mahase referred to as “defence home-guard techniques” to better equip them to defend and protect themselves.
DISTURBING CHILDHOOD
Many of us are not lucky to have been born, as the saying goes, ‘with a gold-spoon in our mouths’, and to have naturally inherited the finer things of life from rich forebears or other relatives. Not so Mahase, but, as he would hasten to tell you, he’s a better man today for having endured the things he did, many of them not pleasant.
This talented son-of-the-soil was born into what you may call a family of loggers, and had been at it from a very early age, working alongside his father, Tulsie Maraj.
And, even though he might not say so, he was quite a marvel to watch at the tender age of 13, as his yet young muscles bulged and strained under the pressure of such a tedious job.
At the time, one might recall, there were no power tools, and loggers had to rely on an antiquated instrument called the ‘felling axe’ to fell trees. He recalled that ‘felling’ those huge trees at the time was usually a very dangerous task, and lives were put at risk every day. Sometimes it took them over two hours to cut down a single tree. At others, the very heavy logs would go overboard, and one can only imagine the discomfiture of having to plunge into the ice-cold water and retrieve them, not to mention having to brave the dangers of snakes and other creatures of the deep.
Having lost his mother at the tender age of two, Mahase never knew what it was to experience a mother’s love, and at times longed for the warmth of a loving and caring mother-figure.
Many a day, he recalled, he and his younger brother could be seen in Clemwood, where they were born and raised, sitting alongside the river bank, a forlorn look on their little faces.
Not even the pleasant cheers and bellowing of neighbours and friends could penetrate their dark little world, as they sat brooding by the riverside, feet idly playing in the water.
In due course, their father took a woman into the home, and as such, the boys were forced to come to terms with having a sometimes domineering stepmother. With time, they also came to realise that in spite of her harshness, she only wanted what was best for them.
MORA TIGER
Mahase’s father was so good at Mora logging that the Amerindians and others in the area used to call him the ‘Mora Tiger’. But watching his father struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table also had a very sobering effect on Mahase, as it made him even more determined to work harder to make life easy for the ‘old man’.
Meals many a days comprised of just boiled breadnut seeds, washed down with the treacle-coloured water dipped from the Demerara River.
For transportation, they’d had to rely on a small canoe that had seen better days, and many times the large bauxite vessels plying the river would leave in their wake waves so big they often caused theirs to capsize, tipping them into the water and soaking them through and through, books, pencils and all.
Trudging to the Clemwood Canadian Mission School barefooted was a norm, as were the taunts and insults they’d had to endure from other kids that were a far sight better off than they.
JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES
As I’ve said earlier, there are many people blessed with rare and special talents, but Mahase tops them all with his strange and almost alarming ability to literally fix anything. And he will knock you over with the information that he has never trained officially to do any of what he does.
Mahase worked as a mechanic in 1976 with Toolsie Persaud Limited and the Seetahall’s entity for an extended seven-year period, building and repairing trucks and other vehicles. But do you think he had prior training? No way! And to think he was working on trucks bought for the Army, converting them from gasolene-fitted vehicles to diesel. It was a crazy job! But somehow, Mahase just knew how to do these things!
He’d initially learnt a little about mechanics from a friend named Francis Silas. Then later, he bought a copy of the book, ‘Audels Automobile Guide’, and taught himself the tricks of the trade.
Said he: “There were times when no one seemed to be able to fix anything or put things together, and they would give up in frustration. But I would try to calm down everyone, and took some time to focus. Most times, I just closed my eyes and seemed to wander off into oblivion, and… Blam!!! It would hit me with startling force, flashing in my head, and I somehow knew just what to do.”
Mahase swears he receives these revelations from Divine sources, and is very popular for fixing practically anything. Be it a vehicle, a refrigerator, a water pump, an electrical motor, a chainsaw… you name it and Mahase Maraj knows just how to fix it! This man is truly blessed it seems.
But even before that, Mahase recalls that as a youngster in his native Clemwood, he’d become quite popular for his ability to fix the boats of fellow villagers, who often took pleasure in gathering to watch him work, stripped down to his ‘shorts’, and waist deep in the murky waters of the Demerara river. And most times, he did such jobs for little or nothing.
During those days living and working along the Demerara River, Mahase was also a very hardworking farmer, and would take whatever risks necessary at the time to sell his precious produce, especially bananas in Linden and other areas.
On July 20, 1958, Mahase wedded the girl of his dreams, Hardai Doobay, while still engaged in the dangerous job of logging; but he still found time for her, and is proud of the fact that he never once raised his hands at her.
“I would never hit my wife! And I cherish her dearly. I came from a woman, so why would I hit or otherwise beat up on her! The entire nation came from women, so it’s our duty to care for them deeply,” he said.
The marriage, which is still going very strong today – almost 55 years later, has produced five lovely children, namely: Anand, Jashree, Capil, Kiran and Moshamie. They have all grown now, and have all married and have children of their own.
His wife, Hardai, who is also a strict vegetarian like Mahase, has stood beside her husband, like a rock, throughout all the sacrifices, hardships, trials and tribulations and they both are living a happy and contented life.
DO IT RIGHT OR NOT AT ALL
For a man who prides himself on doing things to the best of his ability, it would come as no surprise he could build a perfect boat, and is very concerned about perfect finish and detailing. He has built many of the boats that were used in that time by the Guyana Police Force.
“I am very serious about anything I attempt to do in this life,” he said. “And I am particularly concerned about my customers being satisfied. And to keep them satisfied, I must do my best at all times. It’s either you do good work for people, or don’t do it at all.”
He himself is sometimes amazed at his naturally acclaimed skills, and reminisced on a period when an engine was shattered into pieces and was deemed a wreck by the owners. Mahase said he picked up all the pieces, and with the help of a strange Divine guidance, put every piece back together again by welding them and soon had the engine in working order.
His father being one of the more popular Pandits in Guyana, Mahase has a religious side to him but is not at all keen on going to mandirs or places of worship. He prays daily, and would meditate at times, but that is as far as it goes for him.
And he is also an avid vegetarian, and pays strict attention to proper and balanced diet. At seventy-five, Mahase is so very active and energetic that one would believe he is far younger than his age.
SEASONED TO DANGER
Mahase fears nothing at all and vows that his experiences have made him fearless. While operating as a logger in the Demerara River he had left home and chided the warnings of his ‘dada’ (father) to walk with a shot gun. His father had claimed to have gotten a gruesome dream the night before and was therefore fearful for his son’s life.
As Mahase waded through the swampy region he came face to face with a coiled ‘Camacushie’ snake which was said to be the most dangerous in the region. Yes he panicked in fear but recovered and called out to his father and brother who were lagging some distance behind. They arrived to find the enraged snake coiled and hissing. Whipping its tail savagely the snake dealt Mahase a staggering blow, luckily hitting him on the rubber long boots he was wearing. Nonetheless he was stunned and came to see the snaked spitting venom like crazy. The snake used this venom to blind its victim.
When his father and brother rushed to his side to find out what was wrong, Mahase said he just grabbed the shotgun and, aiming for the mid-section of the snake, pulled the trigger. The snake was divided into two parts and Mahase saved the day.
SURVIVING THE ODDS
There was also this time when he was diagnosed with blood poisoning and the doctors gave up on him. He was bitten by another snake and was suffering from several nail bores because of the nature of his job. But again Mahase survived the odds
“The doctors gave up on me, but I had a lot to live for; my wife and kids and so much more. I just found the strength inside to fight for my life, and defied the claims of modern medical lamentations.”
Mahase does not consume alcohol, or smoke cigarettes as most men do since he is very concerned about his health. In 2005, he and his wife migrated to the United States to live with their two sons – Capil in Florida and Kiran in Minnesota. The weather in Florida was similar to Guyana but they soon got tired of the extremely cold climate in Minnesota and of being forced to stay indoors most of the time due to the snow. Mahase is a man of many moving wonders and he wanted his freedom. So in 2011, he and his wife returned to Guyana and he has not rested from his many wonders since.
“I like to be active and move around. Being locked in is really not my style and I truly adore Guyana and the feel of the tropics. I want to live in Guyana…and although I am still an American citizen, this is my home”.
Mahase will amuse you with his habit of not passing screws, nails, bolts or items in the street. He is willed by some unseen force to pick them up and believe me, he finds good uses for them in his line of seemingly never-ending duties, not only around the house, but in assisting family, neighbours and strangers, all on a voluntary basis.
Mahase is a mystery that may never be solved. He is one of the happy souls blessed with a rare and sublime gift of ‘fixing everything’. What I know for sure is that he has blessed the lives of many with his jovial, extremely generous and very humble ways and will always be remembered as ‘Dr. Fixit’, the man for all seasons.
