AFTER just recently visiting this very quaint, colourful and festive village, I was left wondering if there is ever a village in Guyana that is inhabited by such sweet and pleasant people, who all just seem to be ultimately contented with their humble way of life.

Yes, indeed there seems to be many wealthy households there, judging from the posh appearance of many homes, but even the occupants of those structures bore a stirringly humble demeanour that was devoid of the

customary snobbishness and hauteur associated with many people of wealth. And I just marvelled at the exquisite manner in which tropical flowers adorned the many yards, lending a certain impacting Caribbean hue to the already impressive location.

This was definitely a humble wonderland, and I was more than pleased to be offered the privilege of visiting.

Folks, here I was chatting away merrily with the jovial residents of La Grange, located on the West Bank of Demerara just over eight miles from the city of Georgetown, and fitting snugly between the almost equally appealing villages of Bagotville and Schoonord.

This village was among the many vibrant locations that existed during the era of slavery, and is still occupied by descendants of African slaves and East Indians who came here during the era of indentureship.

The village is largely populated by East Indians, but there is also a considerable percentage of Africans who still occupy the land because of the fertile soil and rich scope for agricultural development.

La Grange is divided into several small sections in the likes of Samaroo Scheme, Independence and Palmer Streets, Middle Dam, Race Dam, Doctor Dam and a few other areas.

Westside Wonderland

I arrived in La Grange just after 08:00 hours, and was forced to seek shelter in the Jiwang Chinese Restaurant for fear that the pouring rain would damage my camera.

Some very curious but smiling women enquired of my presence, and just blossomed into conversation when I told them of the reason for my visit. The feisty and buxom Samantha Small plunged into a very colourful tale of the village, and I just smiled at such luck.

She explained that residents there were just simple and outgoing, and the village was indeed popular for the affection its residents showered on each other and for their kindness to visitors.

“In this village we are very simple and contented people who do everything in our power to ensure we live in peace and harmony with each other. When you visit La Grange for the first time, you are bound to feel the warmth and love shared by the people.

“When I came to live here five years ago, I was very surprised by the welcome I received. In no time I made very special friends; and I have neighbours who love me, and we often share our meals and visit each other as if we are biological relatives.”

“We would visit each other and just have a good time as the days go by. It’s the best we can do to make each other happy,” she declared.

The somewhat reticent Phulmattie Singh eventually ventured into conversation after much admonition of: “Gyal don’t play shame!” from another woman. She timidly related, blushing all the while,that since she took up residence in the village, it was the best place anyone could ever hope for as a permanent abode.

The appealingly picturesque ambience of this village, accentuated with the boisterous laughter and guffaws of drivers at the very popular Westside Taxi Service, was quite a refresher.

Women were just strolling about leisurely with kitchen supplies bought from the roadside shops and the Annabel Bistro Snackette, chatting amicably about what special menus they intended to prepare for their hard working spouses.

This village was alive with activity. There was the constant chatter of young men operating taxis by the roadside, while the shrill laughter of young girls pierced the air constantly as they strolled around with flashing smiles, loudly voicing their disapproval of very untidy males by the roadside.

Groups of young men perched on the rails of bridges had their raucous guffaws rent the afternoon air as they argued about politics or boasted of their latest conquest of the female species.

Older men played dominoes under mango trees, while little girls dashed about here and in open yards.

With the passage of time, residents of the village learnt to survive through the means of peasant farming among other means, especially those around Samaroo Scheme.

This village has evolved greatly with time, and has moved away from its strong ties to the slavery days. After slavery, farming reached its peak through the determined efforts of these industrious residents, and some of the produce from the village was actually exported to countries around the Caribbean, like had been done in the neighbouring Bagotville.

Today the village is somewhat more developed, and has taken on a modern outlook that is accentuated with the arrival of Deodat Deokanandan’s Lumber Yard; the Coconut Grove Sports Bar; Magic Café; Amanda’s Home Depot; Smart Health Medical Clinic and Drug Store, and many other businesses.

Entertainment
Entertainment in the village is most times on the down low, and this allows the Coconut Grove Bar to be flocked by large crowds seeking to enjoy their leisure time by consuming alcohol, playing dominoes or pools, and revelling in their own fashion.

This village is popular for its many talented cricket teams; and as such, villagers would often gather at the playground on weekends for clashes among village teams and against groups from outside locations.

That aside, villagers are quite okay with sitting down at the many small rum shops to enjoy whisky or other ‘drinks’ of their choice.

Olden Times

In times gone by, La Grange bore stark resemblance to the colonial days. Today there are still some signs of the colonial reign, as in the few buildings sporting Dutch architecture that still remain.

According to elderly shop keeper Joseph Tem-Pow, La Grange in the early 1950s was just a cluster of houses, many of them being ‘logies’ that were later altered to showcase modern fixtures.

He noted that development in the village then cannot compare to what obtains now, and that drainage was bad in that era.

“In my time as a young boy, La Grange was an appealing village, but most of its beauty could have been observed during the dry season. There were lots of bushes and fruit trees all around, and in the dry season the flowers would come out in bloom; and with butterflies and pond flies sucking the nectar, the sky was always ablaze with activity.”

“In those days, the drainage in the village was not so good, and heavy rainfall brought flooding to many areas. Many used water from streams or from the few stand pipes around.”

“There were many farmers, and rice and cash crops were items that caused many to become wealthy and build the large houses that you see here today,” he confided.

Mr. Tem-Pow said the fertile lands of La Grange soon lured many more settlers, and by the early 1970s, the village was already transforming as shops and other businesses sprang up.

Today, farming is still high on the residents’ agenda, but the amount of rice farmers in the area has dwindled for several reasons.

Society seems to have disintegrated somewhat today, and according to Mr. Ten-Pow, the villagers are rapidly losing their tradition of being respectful to others and retaining a high level of discipline, which had been made high points by their elders.

Challenges
Despite the few challenges La Grange residents face, they still find time to smile, indulge in light-hearted chatter, frolic in the sun, and make that extra effort to accord visitors their inimitable welcome.

Some La Grange folks are peeved at the drainage system in the village, which they claim is not up to expected standards and often causes excessive flooding in certain areas during heavy rainfall.

However, some residents blame themselves for the flawed drainage system, which has become so entirely through their mindless and inconsiderate disposal of garbage. And this could have been easily confirmed with the large amount of plastic bottles, Styrofoam boxes, tins, plastic bags, and other refuse that were seen floating in drains and in the main drainage canal.

Most residents dispose of their garbage by burning, but some admitted that there are some in their midst who are in the habit of just dumping trash wherever they take a fancy.

That aside, villagers are pleading to have a modern playfield for their many sports-oriented youths, and for the community centre to have a much needed facelift.

Some villagers are in high spirits as they await installation of the multi-million-dollar pump that is to be placed in nearby Bagotville to drain several locations during heavy rainfall, thereby avoiding flooding.

Interacting with villagers
Smiling women reclining in their hammocks enjoyed hot, spicy lunches which they fed themselves with their bare fingers. One very peppy grandmother, Seeta Samaroo, explained that she certainly enjoyed mashing her food around her plate and putting into her mouth with her fingers. She claimed it to be a traditional practice enjoyed by persons in every home in the village.

“Bai, me does really enjoy me food with me fingas! Is suh we does eat since we ah lil gals; and trust me, you does really enjoy de food more! De food does taste moh sweet; and when yuh down, yuh can lie down and relax bettah!” she confided.

We were certainly impressed with the paved access streets, but the fresh, pure countryside breeze which refreshed our lungs and rejuvenated our bodies really added ‘travelling spice’ to our visit.

We were blown away with all the ‘hustle and bustle’ going on at the Westside Taxi Service, and workers in many businesses along the roadside were likewise very busy.

Persons were rushing in and out of the variety shops, filling their bags with household supplies. A few were busying themselves at the residence of a man who pawned items, stuffing money obtained from pawning their jewellery into their side bags with wide grins.

And judging from the amount of women rushing in and out of their environs, the locations offering fresh meats were certainly doing good business.

Many were flocking the roadside food stall of Miss Phulmattie who reside alongside Independence Road, and it was pleasing to see both Indo and Afro individuals, savouring the apparently delectable creole dishes she vended.

Employment
This village is seemingly not affected by unemployment, since its inhabitants were either working in other areas or were gainfully employed as shop owners, farmers or minibus and hire car drivers.

As a matter of fact, a group of grown women related that those who are unemployed in the village are just plain lazy.

It was a pleasurable sight to watch mothers watering young vegetable plants as their kids trailed after them, trying to be of assistance in some way or the other. In some homes, mothers were busy cooking up a spree, and the succulent aroma of polouri, egg ball, dhal puri, and fried chicken impregnated the air. Those items will be displayed in neat little glass cases later in the afternoon for sale to villagers and school children trekking home.

And some seemed to be making quite a fortune on the sale of custard blocks, icicles, cubed ice, and cool down (local fruit juice in plastic bags).

My smile almost turned into laughter at the amusing sight of little boys attempting to lick the apparently delicious trails that ran down their wrists and even elbows as the custard block melted in the sun.

This village is simply adorable, and the way in which residents attempt to meet their needs through orchestrated self-help efforts is truly amazing. If one does not possess a curious or investigative mind, one might be inclined to dismiss La Grange as just another village.

Self Help Indulgence
What struck me and was very pleasing to the eye was the manner in which villagers exuded a ‘ready to go’ attitude and seemed ready to ‘fix things’ in the village, and not wait upon the relative authorities, who sometimes seem to drag their feet on issues.

As we walked about the village, young men could be seen weeding drains and yards overgrown with bushes, whilst others were observed mixing cement by the roadside to repair and effect alterations to their homes.

We were very surprised when told that some of the more magnificent buildings in the housing scheme were actually built through collaborative family efforts.
It sure seemed as though villagers are actually gifted tradesmen.

Speaking to grocery store proprietrix Sattie Singh, we received information that, on weekends, mothers and housewives and a few males join forces to clean and upgrade the playground they are attempting to create for the youths of La Grange. They seemed to be making headway with their positive exploits, but she noted that they face a major problem which, over time, has grown into a very serious issue for residents to deal with.

“La Grange is made of many families and households, and we need a proper playfield for the children. A special group here came together, and we are working very hard to build a recreation area for the children. I am very angry that a special group of villagers here is dumping garbage on the ball field as we attempt to clean and develop the place,” she said.

Villagers are appealing to possible donors to help provide recreational equipment for the young children.

Ethnic Harmony
Any rumour of ethnic differences existing in La Grange should be treated as nonsense and be crushed underfoot. If there is any truth to such tales, that maybe was the situation many years ago; but with time, those differences have evaporated and have been replaced by a ‘racial harmony’ that is so rich in its intensity that it awakened my very being and sent joyful tremors up my spine.

Because we had not properly braced ourselves for the impact of such ‘indulgences of the races,’ it just left us with drooping jaws, and reaffirmed the fact that one should not listen to ‘hearsay and fabrications’ about the Guyanese people.

The La Grange Primary and Nursery schools were closed for the August holidays, but students were still frolicking around, taking vacation lessons as mandated by their teachers.

The noisy chatter of students could be heard from a distance, as they conversed on the ‘happenings of the day’ or on possible methods of effectively completing assignments.

Of course the bigger girls were giving and getting ‘goo goo eyes’ from some hot males timidly pursuing them, or were chomping noisily on chewing gum, or were blowing in the air bubbles of alarming proportions before popping them with that ‘placking sounds’ that seemed to irritate their male counterparts.

It was the same pleasant picture, with men liming in the streets and with housewives catching up on the latest news before jumping into buses and heading to different villages. Ever so often peals of laughter would ring out as they slapped each other on the backs, mouthing: “Gal, you know yuh able, yeah?” or murmuring between gleeful giggles: “Gal you full ah stupidness…” or “Me nah able lie.”

It was very gratifying to see young Trishon Smith in deep and pleasant conversation with his elderly friend, Mr. Tularam whom he said would journey from Samaroo Scheme to Independence Road sometimes three times per week to chat and have a good laugh with each other.
“He is such a sweet old man! About two years ago, I was purchasing a snow cone on the public road, and it totally amazed me how this merry man greeted me and struck up a pleasant conversation.
“Since then we meet up from time to time to ‘gaff’; and trust me, I have learnt a lot from him. He has never disrespected me, and always has good advice to offer.”

Trishon said that Mr. Tularam had helped him greatly when he was having difficulties with agriculture projects while he was in school, and now that he is an adult, he still visits him for the comfort of his friendship and for positive conversation.

Culture of the Village
The culture in La Grange slightly resembles that of the Indian immigrants who crossed the Atlantic Ocean over 150 years ago. Even though well over 60% of the population remains Indo-Guyanese and over 30% are of African extraction, there is also a small group of Chinese and Amerindian families.

The culture is very similar to that of the rest of the British Caribbean, according to the locals, but it has an East Indian flair.

According to 81-year-old Rajcumarie Doodnauth, who has lived there almost all her life, in the beginning the culture of La Grange very much resembled that of the mother country, India, fused with a rich frosting of the African tradition. But as African and Chinese came to the village, a slight variation was added. The residents of the village (the Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese and Chinese) brought their foods, traditions, religions and customs with them, and their customs have left lasting impressions in the village. This is very prevalent today in the food and language of the people.

Over the years, Indian descendants have lost their mother tongue completely, and although Indian music remains very popular, the English Language with a slight Creole touch has taken complete control. Hardly anyone there speaks Hindi anymore, and in La Grange it is considered a dead language.

Being a colonised location for many years, Guyana is touched with a flair of the British in almost everything, and La Grange is no exception.

Many of the original religious customs and traditions that have not been lost were modified though the ages and vestiges of an East Indian heritage, and appear in a number of the festivities. For example, few weddings are ever complete without the ceremonial rubbing of the dye, an old Indian wedding custom that is accepted among every religion.

Holidays like Christmas and Diwali are examples of occasions where the entire community celebrates together in a congenial integration of faith.

The religious beliefs of the people have gone through a major transformation as well. Even though the composition of the population has remained the same for over 45 years, the religious beliefs have changed dramatically.
Regardless of religious conviction every holiday social or religious is celebrated and respected. Many of the customs that foster public life are commonly organised by community leaders at home and even abroad.

Conclusion
Come take a stroll in the dusty streets of La Grange and indulge in the festive demeanour of its happy people. Stroll around and breathe in the fresh, crisp country breeze, or strut around and feast your eyes on the beautiful array of tropical flowers that add colour to every clean swept yard.

Or stop at a food stall and tease your taste buds with delicious snack items. Then, if you have the time, make a quick stop at the Coconut Grove Hangout Bar and enjoy delicious drinks and cutters.

When you decide to visit La Grange, be sure to invite me to come along; I can never resist a little fun or adventure, so I will join you without hesitation.