One mother’s trials to give her children a good life

MOST homes in the village of Fair’s Rust share a similar design, layout, and, in some cases, colour. But there is a home that stands out among the rest, with its unique look, feel and colour, surrounded by various flowering plants. This is the home of Juliet Simon. Juliet, better known as Aunty Jay, has called Fair’s Rust home for more that 55 years. And she has always made an effort to stand out.

Fair’s Rust was founded as a village dedicated to the management staff of the old bauxite company, Guymine. It was developed as a community where workers were given homes close to the mines, and buying a plot of land there was nearly impossible. But Juliet’s husband, who worked at Guymine, built the family a home among all the other houses in Fair’s Rust.

Juliet explained that, unlike the neighbouring homes, hers was built by her husband, not bought from the bauxite company. “I first came to Fair’s Rust because my husband bought this house. We never lived in the company house.” She stated.

Juliet’s home, with its bright, popping colours, stands out among the other homes of Fair’s Rust and she is happy and extremely proud of that. She stated that, “Most of the houses are of the same pattern. Mine is different because we bought this house.”

Juliet has a rather deep love for her home and even the very land it sits on. She vows that she would never get rid of her house because it was built and expanded piece by piece as her family grew. She said, “When my husband bought this house, it was not finished. But he worked and completed it, and when he had the children, we decided to do the downstairs.”

Juliet is 78 years old now and is the mother of five children. Most of her days are spent gardening and living a generally quiet life. However, getting to this point in her life took plenty of years hard work and a lot of sacrifice. “I went away and spent 27 years in America. And I used to come home every Christmas. My husband spent three years, but he did not want to stay, so he came back, and I stayed,” she said.

Juliet worked as a nurse for many years. She spent days and nights in the cold of Brooklyn to provide for her family in Guyana. “The children were here. And I went through the sacrifices just to give my children a change. I went to school so I could get a good job,” Juliet stated.

Juliet’s main goal in life was to provide for her children. She worked for almost three decades to provide for them in Guyana, and, throughout the challenges, the possibility of a better life for her children motivated her. “America is a place of opportunities; if you want.” She stated, “If you want to make the sacrifices, if you want to take the insults, you stay. And I stayed because I wanted to help my children. I had a plan.”

Juliet remembers her struggles as a young nurse working long shifts to provide for her five children and husband back in Guyana. “I had been taking care of them here. I had to send money for food.” She went on further saying, “There were many mornings where it would snow, and I would have to get up at five o clock. I had to travel with buses and trains.”

Sometimes, throughout her trials Juliet would often think about her family back in Guyana as she worked to provide for them, knowing they were safe and unaware of what she was going through. She said that “Sometimes I would be going to work with water in my eyes. I would say all of you are at Fair’s Rust and you do not know what I am going through.”

Today, however, Juliet has no regrets about the sacrifices and trials she faced. She shared that not a single minute was in vain, as she could give her children a better life than she ever had. “But I don’t regret it. Because I don’t have to depend on anybody, not even my children.” And today, neither do her children.

At 78, Juliet spends most of her time in Fair’s Rust Linden. She is still spritely active and loves the time she can spend by herself, planting and being free. “I like being here now because I am free. I have something to occupy my time and I like my plants,” she stated.

The success of her children is her biggest accomplishment. Today, she is happy with her sacrifices and the chances she took. She said, “Now that I am retired, my children are in America. I gave them the foundation; all they have to do now is build.” What she went through was all worth it, she says, “The sacrifice was not bad because I made a way for my children and my grandchildren. ”