Some villages just can be missed for their demure simplicity and leaves a lasting impression on our memories with the refreshing and soothing tranquillity they have to offer.
Just recently we found a quaint little village on the outskirts of Mahaicony which marvelled us with its comfy ambience and tranquil simplicity, fused with a striking camaraderie amongst residents that seemed to soften up your very being with its presence.
At first glance I was about to decide that this village was a bit too forlorn for comfort, but after explorations and investigations, I soon realised that there was lots of activity behind closed doors and shutters. Actually the village was just basking it its midday siesta as residents avoided the scorching rays of the tropical sun.
During this time the village appears almost lifeless, but the minute the sun cools residents seem to surge out from streets and alleyways with a distinct bustle about them that is customarily associated with residents in the countryside.
But the ‘midday siesta’ would remain in my memories for a long time to come, since in all my treks around Guyana, I have never really witnessed a village sleep in broad daylight as the sun seem to scorch its environs with merciless intensity.
In the afternoons the village is abuzz with activity as housewives and young girls rush to get groceries from the many roadside stalls and outlets available. But villagers in Catherineville most times have to journey to the neighbouring village of Calcutta to get such supplies since there are hardly such opportunities in the village safe for the Blue Dolphin Bar and Variety Shop which allows for kitchen and household supplies.
What impressed me as being quite strange was that this village appeared almost dead and void of activity, which was not a customary thing for East Coast Demerara villages. There was not even an animal in the sprawling pasture behind the relatively sparse houses; and as the broiling sun beat down on just a few sheep grazing here and there, I was beginning to think that the silence of the village just a bit too eerie for comfort.
Investigations revealed that my companion and I had just landed in the village of Catherineville, located some 39 miles east of Georgetown, and nestled between the seemingly more active villages of Calcutta and Little Abary.
Sadly I found out that popular village elder referred to as ‘Aunty Pearl’ had passed away and as such I was left with no choice to seek out the assistance of 89 year-old Mrs. Euginea Williams (Aunty Jean) who was ready to shed light on the appearance of Catherineville before it saw the reasonable development that has taken place in this location.
Catherineville of Olden Times
Today Catherineville is certainly getting there bit by bit in terms of social, economic and infrastructural development. But many years ago the village was just a sprinkling of houses nestled nicely in wide green pastures that afforded a wide variety of plant food for animals.
Today also the Catherineville roadside residents are now linked to those residing in the Waterside area, which is much closer to the Atlantic Ocean. Through self-help efforts villagers have built a sturdy dam that now joins the two sections of the village. This dam cuts directly across the great expanse of pastures, allowing better access to remote sections of the village. Today through Government efforts, villagers are also enjoying the benefits of of a bridge that was recently built across the Calcutta/Catherineville Canal to better link the two villages.
According to Euginea Williams Catherine Village way back in the 1930s was mainly a bushy location, with fruit trees, coconut palms and dense foliage. With the passage of time, outsiders began to pay interest in the very underdeveloped area, which was said to be rich in ‘farming soil’ and many other natural resources.
Soon there was much activity on the land, and a few houses began to spring up as Catherine began to come into its own. As more outsiders came and purchased plots of land, the village began to take on some degree of modernisation; and over time, was brought to reasonably acceptable standards.
Not highly populated like its neighbouring villages (Calcutta and Little Abary), there are hardly any children running around in the streets, or youths traversing the roadways.
In years gone by, villagers helped to remove dense foliage, overgrown bushes and even mangroves in a few areas. One section of the village now referred to as the ‘Waterside’ was a swamp, being close to the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily, drainage was introduced, and this area became substantially improved. There are many houses in this area, and residents say they are still affected by flooding during the intense rainy season.
The access dams that lead into the backdam are bordered by thick bush, and villagers blame this on the irregular cleaning schedule of the authorities responsible for village maintenance.
Located on the outskirts of the Mahaicony District, Catherineville sports at least one modern feature: The well-maintained main road that passes through it.
Entertainment has Gone Downhill
In times gone by this village was quite popular as a hub for rollicking entertainment and opportunities for great relaxation. Mrs. Williams reflected on the good old days when she was a young girl with fire in her eyes.
“Many, many years ago Catherineville was a hotspot where entertainment and recreational activities was at its best. We were not lucky to have the large boom boxes like today, but the African drums, the flute, saxophones, trombones our old classic music records worked just fine.
And we were quite popular for our Emancipation and soiree events in the period that they now refer to as summer here. Man look, if you see how dem gals used to come out to play. If you see me wid me nice shape and meh braids all neat and shiny. When yuh see dem drums and other instrument start up and I start fuh jiggle me hips, dem young bais used to get all fired up and excited.”
Today things are not so feisty and reverberating because time has passed and with it came new developments and the dwindling of the ‘old time entertainment activities.’
This village has only one nightclub, named ‘The Blue Dolphin’; but unlike years ago, when it was quite a hotspot on the East Coast Demerara. It still comes alive only when someone decides to host a wedding or birthday there.
The Unicorn Nightclub, which in bygone years offered glitzy entertainment and theatrical recreation, no longer exists, since the owner is now focused on religious issues. Villagers now have to travel to other areas for entertainment, chiefly to the Menace Nightspot in Calcutta which opens only for the Saturday Night Dance Fiesta.
In years gone by, the village was quite famous for producing some of the most riveting concerts and other theatrical presentations. One could recall the times when persons like Donald Downer, Rudolph Williams, Sherlock English and many others brought to the village concerts to remember.
Opportunities Commerce Are No More
Regrettably, there are not much grocery outlets in this village; but there is the small shop owned by Edda Wilson, to which housewives flock to obtain kitchen necessities before nightfall, failing which they have to journey to neighbouring Calcutta to obtain household supplies and other necessities.
In the early 1980s, Aunty Pearl’s Grocery was the main supplier of household goods; but when she died, the once thriving business dwindled and disappeared for lack of proper management by those who took over.
Ann Moore’s, which was a popular variety store and grocery shop, has also disappeared, most likely because of the dwindling sales it garnered from a sprinkling of villagers during its existence. However, teenage entrepreneur ‘Tanny’, who resides in the waterside location of Catherineville, is managing a cozy little shop at the ‘Junction Koker’ and a mini hangout bar where young people congregate for snacks, jolly conversations, friendly games of chess or cards, or for friendly taunting of each other.
Challenges
Drainage still seems to be a major problem in Catherineville. Most trenches are overgrown with weeds, bushes and various plant parasites.
Villagers are vehemently lamenting the state of the Catherineville main dam which runs alongside the main irrigation canal. Residents complained that they are almost unable to tread the area during rainy season because of the intolerable state of the dam.
In some areas the dam is almost cut asunder by agents of soil erosion and cannot be traversed by vehicles. Villagers are requesting that the relevant authorities conduct repair works on the dam and cover same with stones and other materials to keep it from rapidly eroding.
There is still no school in the village, and youngsters residing there attend Calcutta Primary School. Many years ago academic sessions were held in the Catherineville Methodist Church during the week, halting on Sundays so that the building could be used for worship. A historic landmark of the village, this church has been repaired and is now in splendid condition.
Villagers also complained of what appeared to have been recent water woes that struck them. While many noted that they were not given a proper explanation for the constant water shortages, the majority were adamant that they should not have been subjected to such perils. Villagers were forced to travel miles to areas like Dundee, and even Central Mahaicony (five miles away) to obtain the life-saving liquid.
Central Mahaicony was also seriously affected also and at one point the Mahaicony Secondary School was forced to close sessions due to the fact that there was no water for students to wash hands and faces, flush toilets or carry out any function that entailed the use of the precious fluid.
Things seem to be a little bit better now, but folks are lamenting that the water that is coming from their taps is discoloured and laced with sediments in on many occasions.
Conversations with villagers revealed that there are no recreational facilities in the village; and villagers presently utilise the Cath-re-Calab Sports Club located in Calcutta, which, by the way, is in a state of progressive disrepair.
Youths in Catherineville are longing for someone to take up the mantle of spearheading cultural activities in the village.
Moreover, villagers are appealing to outside donors to provide them with sporting gears and other forms of assistance, as they intend to reform their once thriving and popular circle tennis club. Catherineville, in times gone by, had produced one of the most vibrant circle tennis teams on the East Coast of Demerara, and the team was always successful at defending its titles.
Employment prospects
There is just no scope for employment in this village, and the few occupants are not too interested in maintaining kitchen gardens, as is the case in the surrounding villages. Residents are either pork-knockers in the interior, or work with the SAJ Rice Milling Complex at Burma, some five miles away. A mere few have obtained teaching jobs at the Calcutta Primary School, while others travel some ten miles away to Perth Village (Mahaicony) to work as labourers with various entities.
Those who have resorted to fishing are complaining bitterly about the state of the sluice area behind the village, which they use as a port to go to sea, and at which they return to trade their daily catch. Many complained bitterly that the structure is dilapidated and unsafe for the fishermen to attend to their business. Some fear that an eventual extremely high tide could wreak immense havoc on the village in terms of flooding.
Regular employment is possible only during the rice harvesting seasons, when rice farmers in Calcutta and outside villages require plenty of manual labour for harvesting, paddy drying and of course milling.
Taking a stroll through Catherineville would give one the impression that the relevant authorities have neglected a village with substantial potential to be transformed into a location of interest with some modification.
There are still several side streets which have not been paved, especially in the waterside area and villagers are dismayed at this, raving that construction and paving of almost all the streets in other nearby villages have been completed.
Village Icon
Catherineville is indeed the home to Guyanese international boxing icon, Terrence Ali (Halley) whom villagers feel has never been deservedly acknowledged or celebrated by his own Guyanese.
When he retired from the profession not so long ago he was just left to welter on the sideline, without anyone in authority even making an effort to show their appreciation for the great contributions he made in the sport for Guyana since he always fought under the emblem of the Golden Arrowhead.
We were lucky to bump into this long lost celebratory soul and we had quite an interesting conversation.
In years gone by the name Terrence Ali was synonymous with ‘boxing stardom’ and repeated victories on the international front, putting Guyana on the map amongst the elites in the sport of boxing.
His name was almost on the tongues of every Guyanese and he was indeed the icon that Guyanese depended on to signal to the world that Guyana has talent and gifted personalities. His fame spiralled to great heights for many years as he performed miracles in the international Lightweight Boxing Division.
His still impressive record reads 52 winnings, (21 knockouts), 15 defeats and 2 draws, while he has boxed some 550 rounds in his career.
Then in 1998 the boxer came back to hi home Catherineville but not to receive the warm and refreshing tropical welcome he expected.
On arrival in the village Ali quickly became the focus of many idle youths and adults alike from Calcutta who began calling him names sending him into fits of rage when they did. The once celebrated king had now become the scorn and amusement of the village and none seemed to remember his past accomplishments.
Ali was very elated that someone was actually paying interest in him, and related that since his fall from stardom, everyone seemed to have found him to be a ‘village amusement personality.’ He even mentioned that as he travelled around Guyana, citizens just refused to believe that he was the once celebrated king of boxing.
“Everywhere I go people just seem to make fun of me. Nobody even seems to remember that I was once the boxing champion that was doing wonders for Guyana. In some cases persons would laugh me to scorn when I tell them I am the legendary Terrence Ali”.
My finding during our interview was that the boxer now resides by himself in Catherineville and is now a farmer by profession. His days are now spent hanging out with youths in the village, playing cards, or reminiscing on the good times he enjoyed when he was a star.
Alli left Guyana in 1982 to follow his intended career and went first to Trinidad where he invaded the boxing arena and soon made a name for himself. On arriving in Trinidad he worked as a construction worker before going into the trade of boxing full time.
Soon after he travelled to Canada and later the USA and it was in these two states that he soared up the ladder of success and became one of the most celebrated boxers from the Caribbean.
The once talented boxer stopped boxing in 1997 and returned to Guyana in 1998.
Well he is back in Guyana and is finished with boxing altogether, regardless of what circumstances have caused this to happen. On arrival here in Guyana it was Ali’s intention to pass on his skills to the many youths in the Mahaicony district and even Berbice, but he is of the opinion that the youngsters are just not interested nor are ready to handle the dedication and discipline that comes with the profession.
However, Ali will indeed take up the mantle of the youths who shows genuine interest and teach them all he knows since ‘a fire burns within him to impart his skills and knowledge’. He will reopen his gym and offered extensive training for youths providing they pay a small entrance fee and monthly donations to keep the gym functional.
Alli is the father of five children all of whom reside in the Unite States of America (USA)
Garbage Woes
Like other villages on the East Coast of Demerara, Catherineville suffers garbage woes of its own, but burning and burying of garbage are the most popular methods of disposal.
However, villagers are crying shame at outsiders who creep into their village in the still of night to dump large heaps of garbage along the Catherine Dam and other areas. Young men in the streets related that, on many nights, they would have to physically dissuade truck drivers and other individuals to abandon their unsavoury attempts to dump garbage at just about anywhere they take a liking to.
Conclusion
Every village has its own set of problems and challenges, and although the concerns of residents of Catherineville maybe more urgent than some other areas, one cannot certainly by pass its simple beauty, well accentuated by its tranquillity, peace and rich camaraderie amongst the jovial residents.
(By Alex Wayne)
