By Khalil Rahman Ali
(Excerpt is from Chapter Two: One more trip)
VISHNU did not waste any time as he set about planning for the Guyana trip. He broached the subject at the family’s dinner table that same evening after allowing his wife Parvati and their son Ramesh and his wife Sati to finish their meal of gilbaaka and mango curry, long grain American brown rice, daal and saada roti. The entire meal was prepared by Parvati who had recently celebrated her eightieth birthday but continued to insist on doing most of the housework and preparing the family’s meals whilst Ramesh and Sati were at work in Manhattan.
Parvati, who enjoyed good health, had always taken great pride in ensuring that her family continued to maintain as many of their Guyanese customs including the meals she prepared, the handwashing of clothes which were hung on a clothesline at the back of the house, and using a well-worn coconut broom to sweep the carpets and another for the concreted drive and pathway from the front to the backyard. Her daily routine was almost the same as she had practised in her home village of Anna Catherina. The only major hindrance to this was during the very cold and harsh winter months which restricted her outdoor activities. She was forced to accept the need to have a washing machine and dryer installed in the basement of the three-bedroomed home.

She saw her role as the main housekeeper looking after the family as Ramesh and Sati were too busy in their high-pressure jobs. The couple normally left for their commute to Manhattan just after a typical Guyanese breakfast of saada roti with baigan choka or with fried eggs and hot green tea brewed in the traditional way using a saucepan. Although Ramesh and Sati had installed many mod cons in the kitchen, Parvati continued to prepare meals using a gas stove as the nearest option to her earthen handmade fireside which was fired by wood chips back in Guyana. She insisted that food cooked in the traditional Guyanese way always tasted better than with the gas stove or any other modern cooking appliance.
She was also delighted that the local Guyanese-owned groceries and the vegetable and fruit vendors in Queens stocked many of the ingredients she preferred to use in her cooking than the frozen goods in the larger supermarkets. She was also very fond of wearing the red, black and yellow Madras roomaal which emphasised her appearance as a traditional Guyanese homemaker.
Parvati would normally wait for Ramesh and Sati to leave before rousing her two grandchildren to help them prepare for school. Now that they reached their late teens, they were away at college. Every time they rang to speak with their parents and grandparents, Parvati would enquire as to how they were preparing their meals. When at least once every two months Vishnu, Parvati, Ramesh and Sati would drive out up State to visit the scholars, Parvati would ensure that they were supplied with enough curry powder, dried salted fish, flour, channa and frozen daalpuri roti as well as cooked daal to supplement their mainly Guyanese diet. Parvati would always warn them against the more popular fast foods.
After the meal, Parvati and Sati brewed some green tea and took it in individual mugs to the dining table. Vishnu stood up and turned off the TV which was prominently placed in a corner near to the large bay window of the ample sized lounge. He returned to his place at the head of the table and said, “Parv, that was a delicious meal which reminded me of our time in Anna Catherina. So many times, especially after such a great meal, I just wished that we were there. Don’t you agree?”
Parvati smiled to reveal a brace of well-kept white teeth and said quietly, “I am very happy to be here and that is why I have tried to make this our home from home. Now I do not wish to go back to Guyana. Besides, apart from only a few of our close relatives and friends, there is hardly anyone still around for us to meet. Most of the people in our age group we knew back in Guyana are either abroad or have passed away.”
Vishnu’s enthusiasm was curbed a bit, but he pressed on, “That is so true. But you know that we must make at least one more trip there as we are all getting on in age now. Besides, I cannot wait until I am too old or too ill to go on a long-haul flight and then cope with the Guyanese heat.”
Parvati smiled as she looked into Vishnu’s large brown eyes which appeared to be filling up with tears, and whispered, “Mosquitoes.”
Ramesh laughed as he agreed with his mother, “Yes Dad, those mosquitoes would love to taste your fresh and healthy Americanised blood.”
Vishnu continued to try to convince his family, “Of course we all know about the curse of the mosquitoes, but there are many ways to deal with them. First of all, many of the homes in Guyana have some air-conditioning and no mosquitoes or other insects survive that. And we can take all the travel vaccines and regularly use creams and ointments to keep them away when we are out and about. We just have to take precautions and all will be well. Besides, just look at how many people we know have been travelling back and forth to Guyana and say that they enjoyed their trips. Of course, there have been some who talk about how bad their experience was in Guyana. They must have been very unlucky or simply did not do the right things. You can’t go to a place like Guyana and show off your wealth or pose like some bigshot American!”
Sati sipped some of her tea and commented, “Dad, it seems that you are very eager to visit Guyana. I do agree that you and Mom should make at least one more trip to see and enjoy our beautiful country. Perhaps Ramesh and I should also join you and to support you as you travel around the country. There is a lot to see and do in Guyana. So many beautiful houses, hundreds of miles of new and re-surfaced roads, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, hotels and holiday resorts.”
Parvati was still not convinced and asked, “Why must I bother to go there when we can see all those things on the TV? I love watching that fellow who broadcasts so much about the country on his ARD It’s our life shows. I love his down to earth style as he talks like a real Guyanese especially about day-to-day life.”
Ramesh nodded and looked admiringly at his parents as he said, “Mom, I understand that. But it is far better to be there in person to really experience what they show on that programme. It seems to be a very good idea to make at least one more trip. Although Sati and I have not given this much thought due to the pressures of our jobs, perhaps we could at least go with you both for the first couple of weeks. Dad, when were you planning to go there and for how long?”
Vishnu smiled contentedly, realising that he had almost succeeded with his plan, “That sounds like a very good idea son. I was thinking of around mid-May before the schools and colleges close here and the demand for flights to Guyana go up and up and thus cause the airfares to rise. Of course, your children will still be in college, but I hope that they will also go on such a trip during their holidays or after they graduate. Ramesh, you and Sati could also have a look at what opportunities there are for jobs or investments in Guyana.”
Parvati was still a little unsure about the trip and warned, “Let’s do not get too carried away. Of course, Guyana is improving a lot, but I still hear stories about the crime rate there. People do not feel safe especially when they go to the big towns, and some are even afraid in their own homes. Violent robberies take place even in broad daylight!”
Ramesh reached across the table and placed his right hand onto his mother’s, “Mom, you are right about feeling unsafe. But we also have a lot of crime right here in New York City and all around America. Don’t forget that both you and Dad were once mugged when you came out at our local subway station. Sati and I have to be very careful and watchful when we travel to and from our offices. So, as Dad says, when we visit Guyana, we must act sensibly at all times.”
Vishnu nodded, and with raised eyebrows, added, “That is true son. When we visit Guyana, from the time we land at the airport we will stand out as well-off foreigners. So, we must try to wear ordinary clothing, no jewellery and speak like Guyanese and not half-baked Americans. You know the saying, When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Well, I say when in Guyana, waak an’ taak like a Guyanese!”
Ramesh drank some tea and leaned back on his dining chair as he spoke, “Well, it seems that Dad is very determined for us to make this trip to Guyana. If we are all in agreement, I am willing to pay for our flights and I will go online to check out the best deals on offer. Dad and Mom please check that your passports have at least one year to run otherwise we will have to renew them as quickly as possible. I don’t think that we will need visas to travel to Guyana with our US passports.”
Vishnu was very pleased that the family had agreed to go on the trip together, and gingerly stepped across to one of the drawers of an ornate wall cabinet which displayed a wide collection of ceramic ornaments, finely cut crystal glasses and other items collected over the years. He retrieved his and Parvati’s US passports and quickly checked for their expiry dates. Then he placed them back in the drawer. He turned to Ramesh and happily gave a thumbs up, “Our passports are in order with still at least two years before expiry.”
Ramesh looked at his mother who was still wavering, “Mom, I can see that you do not appear to be happy about this trip. But Sati and I will go with you for at least the first two weeks and your friend will look after us. Isn’t that right Dad?”
Vishnu continued to look and sound positive, “Yes, our dear friend Nazir and his wife Neesha will arrange to pick us up at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and they will accommodate us at their home. I now have to contact some other friends here and in Canada to ask as to how many of them will join us. We should be able to feel safer in a bigger group as we travel around the country together.”
Ramesh appreciated Vishnu’s suggestion and commented, “Mom, that sounds much better and I hope that you now feel more comfortable about the trip. We may not get another opportunity like this in the future. I am sure that Uncle Nazir and his family will look after us very well. Besides, they know Guyana and how to move around there. Dad, who else will you be inviting?”
Vishnu opened a small notepad and mentioned, “I have been making a list of our friends we used to play dominoes with from the three villages of Leonora, Anna Catherina and Cornelia Ida. We had three rival teams called the LIONS of Leonora, the ACES of Anna Catherina and the COBRAS of Cornelia Ida. The first person I plan to call is my buddy, Michael “Histry Maan” Brown and his lovely wife, Doreen. Michael is a couple of years older than me so I do hope that he and Doreen will be up for this. They live in Brooklyn and I have not met up with them for many years now. Michael was our self-appointed coach of the ACES. He will be the ideal person to have on our trips around Guyana. I really do hope that they agree to join us.”
Parvati finally smiled more re-assuredly and said, “I would love for Doreen to be there with us. We will then be able to keep an eye on you old boys. And remember, you will not be playing any dominoes and wasting precious time as you did back in the old days.”
Vishnu grinned and confirmed, “OK. That’s a deal. Welcome aboard!”

About the Author
Khalil Rahman Ali is a successful Guyanese-born author who has travelled extensively around Guyana and many other countries of the world. He has lived, studied and worked in London for several decades, and has retained a very close interest in his homeland. He is keen to see Guyana and his fellow Guyanese achieve their full potential as a leading nation of South and Central America, and the Caribbean.
He believes that Guyana, with most of its rainforest still intact, can show the world how to effectively deal with the challenges of climate change whilst the country is being rapidly developed. Khalil hopes that this book will inform readers more about the country, its history, its people, and he highly recommends visiting this exciting and fascinating nation.
He is also a keen follower of sports including cricket and football. He loves Indian music, and is an accomplished singer and composer.