BACK in Guyana for my fourth visit of the year and while completing some project work, I decided to spend more time in Charity, a place I call home away from home. For those who are unaware, Charity is located at the end of the Essequibo Coast road, touching the side of the mighty Pomeroon River. City dwellers would benefit from time spent in this part of our homeland and enjoy the hospitality of wonderful people.
While in Charity, I had the opportunity to attend a couple of weddings. Little did I know that these would result in some interesting experiences. In North America, seating for wedding receptions are based on confirmation of presence. It is highly improbable that non invitees can enjoy the festivities, although there are some noted wedding crashers around. If you are an unfamiliar face, you could get the questionable stares, with the possibility of being escorted out.
Here on the Essequibo Coast, from Supenaam to Charity, wedding season was on in August. My first wedding attendance was for Navin, the son of Deleep and Wavney (nee Alphonso) Singh, two of the kindest people you can meet. To my surprise, I was not prepared for what I experienced. Instead of a typical wedding of influential families, this was more a community event. No need to worry about wedding crashers as the whole of Charity could have walked in. While walk-ins to a wedding reception on the coast are rarely removed, here it was simply ‘you are all invited to enjoy the festivities with us’! Watching Alfo Alphonso and Roopan Ramotar, known as Fowl Cock, dance to chutney music with local residents, was an enlightening sight.
While I could have sat with the official invitees, I chose to eat with the diverse community members and couldn’t have made a better decision. Mingling with Charity residents, during dinner time, was a pleasant experience, as I met some of the friendliest people in the land of many waters. Having enjoyed the seven-curry meal the day before, I thought that I had already eaten for a week but once again the food was too tempting to resist. Food was abundant, much to the enjoyment of the several hundred in attendance.
The next day, invited by some relatives, it was my turn to be a walk-in at another wedding. Again, I had a blast with the people of the Essequibo Coast. Even though this was more family focused and me being a total stranger, I was well received by the parents (Mr. And Mrs. Ramdial of Channie’s Halal Restaurant) of the groom Joe. Here, kids were dancing to the latest music, while parents and friends were trying to imitate the moves. The only drawback during the wedding weekend was the power blackouts with the darkened streets at night. But both sets of wedding planners were prepared with generator backup; nothing could hinder the activities. When Essequibo Coast residents are ready to celebrate, they are prepared for any drawbacks.
Between the two weddings, my relatives took me to a baby ninth-day celebration. Upon looking at the young parents as they mingled amongst their guests, you could see their pride and their hopes for the future. Nothing beats the birth of a new born, especially for new parents. After the social activities and just before my return home, sadness fell upon the Charity/Pomeroon areas. Fazia Alphonso, the wife of Barry Alphonso, passed away after an illness. My being at one of the wake nights gave me the opportunity to meet more residents of these areas. Again the residents of Charity and The Pomeroon came together, but this time to pay their last respects to one of their own. It was quite a sight with boatloads of relatives, friends and neighbours heading to the Charity cemetery. My deepest condolences go out to the Alphonso families. After returning home and reflecting on these weekends the coming together of residents of all races on the Essequibo Coast, for various reasons, stood out for me. My experience of these circles of life activities and seeing how its community members react in various situations do validate my hope for our country as it embarks on its future.
Keith Antonio Hernandez
Toronto
Canada