–to beat Christmas blues in Linden

By Naomi Marshall

WHILE most people will be at home with their loved ones on Christmas Day, some will be out in the streets of Linden hustling to get a dollar.

Apparently, business was not as good this year as other Christmas seasons for the vendors of Linden. So, instead of being at home on December 25, some have decided that they will be opening their businesses in order to gain a little extra cash.

The Guyana Chronicle took to the streets a week ago to speak with some of these vendors, and what they had to say sure proved that things were indeed bleak this Christmas.

“Well for this month, business is not so much like the other Christmases,” began one clothes vendor who has been in the business for well over ten years.

“The other Christmases, you have more sales; but for this Christmas, things haven’t picked up as yet so much; it wasn’t so exciting.

“But maybe it might improve, because what I notice in Linden, is that people like a lot of late shopping.”

Another vendor said: “Things slow right now, but it should pick up later down; coming on like next week time, hopefully. We ain’t too sure how things running right now…”

Asked what he will be doing on Christmas Day, he replied, “Selling; mekking money. Yuh gaffuh mek de money; de money ain’t circulating right now, suh at least we gon do it the honest way.”

But while some feel that the money isn’t circulating in the town, others like Mrs. Campbell, have a different take on things. “Business was indeed very slow for the few months gone by, and I don’t know if it gon pick up, ‘cause people keep saying them ain’t got money,” Mrs Campbell said, adding somewhat optimistically: “Mussy de bonus wah dem waiting pon.”

Asked, however, if she thinks business will pick up by Christmas Eve at least, she replied:
“I don’t think suh, you know, ‘cause fuh de last few days, yuh barely catching some sales; and you gaffuh sell yuh t’ings dem cheap, cheap, cheap fuh reach de people dem pocket.”

She, too, will be out on the streets selling for the entire holiday “cause things might leave back, and people might get dem money then. Then they might do de li’l fine shopping.”

Just like Mrs Campbell, Tameka Thomas, another vendor, will be selling for the entire holiday, including on Christmas Day, to catch those late shoppers.

“Business slow,” she said. “It ain’t really going as a normal. Every year things getting slow.”

Asked if she thinks business would improve closer to Christmas Eve, Thomas said from the look of things, it was hard to tell.

“I gaffuh sell Christmas Day,” she said, “because if things ain’t do nice Christmas Eve, I gaffuh see how I could push off some of meh things them Christmas Day, because people does come and shop Christmas Day.”

However, the Guyana Chronicle did meet up with one vendor, Sherwin Johashen, who said he couldn’t complain.

Johanshen is from Berbice, but has been selling in Linden for the past eight months, and hopes that the Christmas season will be even better.
When asked why he chose Linden to establish his business, the young Berbician said:
“I see the exploitation the people gaffuh go through in Linden, so I does come with a reasonable price one day, and go back.”