HJAJIJAN Khan is 79 years old and she is looking forward to celebrating her 80th birth anniversary, which will be in June next year.

She has been residing at Coghlan Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, for the past 36 years, a place she calls home, although her hometown is Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

This pensioner told the Pepperpot Magazine that even though she is stricken with severe arthritis in both legs life has been fair and recalled she worked alongside her husband for many years before retiring to a quiet life.

The mother of six spends her days doing household chores such as cooking and cleaning and resides on the lower flat of her two-storey house, a son and his family occupy the top flat.

She is the grandmother of 16 and great grandmother of 17.

Khan added that her father-in-law was a rice farmer and had several acres of prime rice lands opposite their house on the other side of the village, but he sold it, so now it is privately owned.

She related that in her younger days she used to work in the rice fields with other farmers, throwing paddy and assisting in the harvesting of rice for many years; and it is believed that it is that type of work that has her suffering with arthritis.

“Living with arthritis is serious, the pain is overwhelming and you are in constant pain and can barely help yourself, but I does try to cook and clean up after me and my husband; we do not want to burden our children to take care of us,” she said.

Khan stated that to stretch her legs, she would walk about a few houses every morning just to get some form of exercise to keep fit, but it is very painful.

She is an early riser and had already made lunch of calaloo with chicken and rice.

Khan reported that she likes the quietness of the village and the peace and they both go hand in hand and it is a simple life they lead in Coghlan Dam.

After cooking and cleaning, she would take a bath and sit in the verandah to relax and chat with her husband.

“Old age is nice but it comes with a lot of pains and sickness, so we are making the most of it,” she said.

She is, however, thankful she can walk and do things for herself.

Khan used to plant fruits and greens and walk and sell before she retired and worked hard to assist her husband in the home.

Her husband, Haniff Mohamed Khan, will be celebrating his 80th birth anniversary on Monday and he is expected to do so quietly by giving thanks and prayers.

He is retired and spent most of his life working in the rice fields with his father, but 10 years ago he suffered a stroke on the left side and has never been the same.

The gentleman is a diabetic, and he once ploughed the rice lands for his father and also worked with other rice farmers.

Pensioner
Farther down the road is the home of 70-year-old Gangadai Gaijandai, a local who spent all her life in Coghlan Dam.

The mother of four told the Pepperpot Magazine that these days she is taking things easy because of her health.

She fell and broke her hip and was bed-ridden for three months and during that time, her neighbours assisted her greatly, and she is very thankful for that.

“I slipped and fell in the yard and got injured and was laid up for some time before I was able to walk again and it has been a painful experience, but here I am trying to be normal and do things,” she said.

She is better known as ‘Aunty Golin’ at Coghlan Dam and has a son who resides with her to ensure that she is doing well, since she has difficulties climbing the stairs and walking.

Aunty Golin stated that she sued to work at Beesons Garment Factory for many years and she retired and used to plant greens and walk and sell.

She too, has chronic arthritis and is always in constant pains, so she had to quit working.

“Life is how you make it and it is either hard or easy and you cannot have $20 and want to live a $100 life; it will not work and living within your means is the best solution,” she said.

Her son is planting some crops of ochro, bora, calaloo and peppers and they would set the seine in the canal to catch fish to make a meal and use the greens also.

“If you have yard space, plant, because you can use the greens in the kitchen and that will save you from having to buy since everything, including groceries, is on the rise,” she said.

Aunty Golin told the Pepperpot Magazine that country life is simple, but[it] entails hard work and requires doing many things to earn and put food on the table.