A FAMILY feud between Yvonne Munswami and her husband Arjunen, a couple of 35+ years of togetherness, escalated to uncontrollable levels at their Lot 51 Mibicuri North, Black Bush Polder home on Thursday, and ended in a double-tragedy that has plunged that Corentyne farming community into shock and grief.

In a fit of rage and desperation, Mrs Munswami ingested the deadly weedicide, Gramoxone, and despite medical intervention at the nearby hospital, the mother of three succumbed a day later.

Her husband subsequently complained of a tightening in his chest, and was rushed to the Mibicuri Hospital before being transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital, from whence he took his own discharge, only to be readmitted into the Mibicuri Hospital shortly afterwards, and succumb to his ailment on Saturday morning.

Shocked villagers are expressing displeasure at the easy access to poisonous substances in that agricultural community. Although suicide is not uncommon in Black Bush Polder, residents were stunned that this time it involved a family that always seemed happy.
EVERY HOME HAS ITS PROBLEMS

“Every home has its problems, but some people don’t talk. We had we little problem, but we did not expect this,” Amanda Munswami, the couple’s daughter-in-law, recounted.

She has, for three years, been married to the Munswamis’ son, Govin, also known as ‘Tony’ or ‘Sir Govin,’ a teacher at the Lesbeholden Primary School and student at the University of Guyana Tain Campus. The couple, however, have no children. They lived with the now senior Munswamis in a house that was bought just over three years ago.

Residents told this newspaper that the family was plagued with sexual preference and suspected unfaithfulness issues which became unbearable. As a result, the matriarch gave the patriarch an option which was not adhered to, resulting in her drinking the deadly liquid.

Amanda Munswami said she and her husband were about to enter the yard while returning home from an errand, when she overheard her father-in-law on the phone telling his other son, Sunil, “Yuh mother drink poison.”

“We hurriedly got into the house and gave her two eggs to swallow,” Amanda said. “She started to vomit. Govin left to go for a car to take her to the doctor. At that time, my mother-in-law said she wanted to go to the toilet. My father-in-law gave her milk. The car came, and she vomited again. She was admitted at the Mibicuri Hospital.

“The entire Thursday night, I remained with her. She said her skin was blazing and that she was hot. She asked Jesus to forgive her. However after much tossing, she died.”
PANTING FOR BREATH
Meanwhile, as Amanda was attending to her mother-in-law, the Bounty towel became exhausted and Govin left to obtain more at home. But when he called for his father, there initially was no response. Moments later, his father apparently dragged himself from the upper flat to open the door below. Govin noticed he was panting for breath and complaining of pains in the chest.

He was taken to the Mibicuri Hospital, where he was admitted at about 02:00hrs on Friday. He was transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital, but took his own discharge. During Friday night, he became very restless, and at about 03:00hrs on Saturday morning, he again complained of experiencing difficulty breathing and asked to be taken to the hospital. On his way there, he vomited some blood; shortly afterwards, he died.
A CLOSE BOND
On hearing of her brother’s death, Arjunen’s sister, Nalini, travelled from Suriname. They had shared a close bond, and a tearful Nalini recounted the relationship she had shared with her brother.

She had received the news of her sibling’s death while she was in her bathroom, and immediately thereafter she ran out of the house naked.

“My brother’s death has left me shaken. What am I living for?” she questioned, whilst recalling how her daughter had met a tragic death in Suriname a few months ago.
“She was murdered!” Nalini lamented.

The bodies of Arjunen and Yvonne Munswami are currently at the Ramoo Funeral Home on the Corentyne. They are expected to be buried at Babu John Cemetery on Tuesday, August 25.

By Jeune Vankeric