I SUSPECTED Alzheimer’s was the reason when in 2013 I happily rolled into Berbice a Sunday afternoon to return late into the evening. Then just like that it dawned on me that I did not even compose my Monday column much less to send it in late.

Is it possible that a columnist can forget to do his daily column for a particular day? It happened to me. I believe I was born with Alzheimer’s. I was 30 years old when I felt the pangs of being penniless as a university student with a married wife in Toronto.

Then it dawned on me that for the previous month, I did not uplift my hefty University of Toronto scholarship stipend. I ran out of breath on my way to the financial office and collected my cheque; my penniless status disappeared immediately.
I returned to Guyana in 1984 and the next year borrowed my brother’s bicycle to go to the GPO on Robb Street. I transacted my business at the post office and walked from the GPO way back to D’Urban Street, Wortmanville. My brother asked where his bike was. I did not answer but ran way back to downtown Georgetown to collect the bike. I think I was born with Alzheimer’s.

I began to panic since I knew no one in Berbice and I would have to travel back to Georgetown. The only close friend I had in Berbice was Charrandass Persaud. I called up Charran but he was not at home. He arranged for me to use his facilities at his house, which I did and I dispatched the column to the editor. I have had many, many more fond memories of Charran. He took me and my wife up the Canje creek and showed us the site where the Cuffy revolution began.

One day, Charran knocked at my office at UG and introduced me to the woman he would marry. They were both students at UG and she was the daughter of an Indian diplomat in Guyana. When he came back from law studies in Trinidad, I asked him how many kids he had. He told me he broke up with the young lady and did not take her to Trinidad.

Perhaps the most memorable sentiment I have of Charran, was that he trusted me enough to tell me about the entire story of his involvement that led to his vote against his own party in the November 2018 no-confidence motion. I happen to know everything including the key players. I have always had that kind of relationship with him.

Charran fled to Canada the night of the no-confidence motion out of fear for his life. I would have preferred if he had stayed and served Guyana in the capacity of a Cabinet minister or maybe a judge. My deeply held belief is that he saved democracy and stability through his phenomenal courage in December 2018. We must never dilute our admiration for him.

I went to a private hospital (which I cannot name for reason that will be stated below) on Wednesday morning to say goodbye. Charran was being “medivac” in two hours’ time to Canada because of a serious illness. He said he will stay in Canada. I sense that I may never have Charran again as my guest on the Freddie Kissoon-Gildarie Show. And if he is not coming back then at our age, we may never see each other again.

I hope fate has it otherwise. I hope in a few years’ time he visits the land of his birth. Now here is the reason why I cannot name the hospital, but I will do so privately to my medical friends and the Minister of Health and the owners of the hospital. Charran showed me his swollen left hand. He said they could not find his vein to insert the needle, so the insertion did not go into his vein and that created the huge swelling.

He was informed that he had to undergo surgery to relieve the swelling at a cost of $300,000. I yelled out: “Did you pay them? It was their mistake.” He said he had no other choice. He had to pay for the operation. Looked at from any angle that was not right. I am asking the management of the hospital to locate Charran’s address in Canada (which I can offer) and reimburse this sick man.

If the hospital made a mistake, they should have acknowledged it, apologise and do the operation without a cost. I know the administrator. He is a fine, decent person that I consider a competent administrator. I do not believe for a moment he made that decision. Goodbye Charran. Catch yuh laatah maan!