Sweet country life An outsider's view of Essequibo by Sharon Lall Guyana Chronicle January 9, 2000 IT CAN be called the `sleeping giant'. It's a place where everybody knows everybody and the air is clean and rice and children plentiful. No, this is not the famous `Land of Milk and Honey' referred to in Bible stories but part of our own, dear land. This is Essequibo! It is not uncommon to find that a resident there has an acre or more of rice land, a few cows, chickens, lots of ducks, a little kitchen garden and a `big' heart. To an average Essequibian, this is all that is needed to live a happy, rounded life. Supenaam, at the start of the Essequibo Coast, is the centre of attraction from that stretch along Good Hope to Hibernia. On a Saturday afternoon, people gather in the streets in groups to `gaff'. There is only one problem, as one young man puts it: "People are starved for entertainment"; the kind of entertainment that does not involve drinking alcohol. Rum shops and `bottom house' shops are common sights on the Essequibo Coast. With not much recreational activities in the offing, apart from those in Anna Regina, many youths fall helplessly into the habit. One is not surprised at the overwhelming response had from these very youngsters whenever there are small functions like a barbecue, school concert or even `Bingo'. However, family togetherness and community spirit are values that still exist here. This is one of the few places where you can swap boulangers (egg plant) with pumpkins at little or no charge. When hard times hit home, one is assured of a helping hand. Food is offered, no matter how little, to help the less fortunate. There is warm hospitality - unlike any I've ever come across. The ambience is different. Different in its own, unique way. Essequibo is `sweet country life'. Expect to rise from bed no later than 06:00 hrs, or much earlier if you're a rice farmer. And, retire at around 22:00 hrs or thereabouts. Eat hot `parata' roti with duck curry, `bigan' choka or go on the `wild' side with alligator stew, which is quite good. And if you observe the trend over time, it becomes clear that very few people roam the streets at night! Even that boy-sees-girl-and-proposes marriage method of courtship has remained intact despite the rigours of time. "(Children) are more exposed there (in the city) and (influenced by) peer pressure," a young Essequibian woman remarked, explaining that parents on the Essequibo Coast "have `rules' and you have to be home before it gets dark. (We) stick to the rules." "(Parents) always try to have that family union and anywhere they go, the children would go with them," she added. Old-fashioned mentality appears not to have lost its influence over youngsters in this part of the country. People like `Nanny', a sweet 73-year-old from Wakenaam, believes a woman should not remarry. "Me no want no man ... in me old age," she says clutching at her `Millennium Y2K' hat she puts on whenever she is in a room with an overhead fan. Over the years, `Nanny', a widow for the last 10 years, has become meticulous and takes great time and effort to remain agile and healthy. She cleans, washes and maintains a strict diet minus most meat kind. But, any prompting from relatives for her to find a companion is met with humorous denial. It's almost 18:00 hrs, in another part of Essequibo, night slowly creeps in. The riverside, where I sit chatting with Mariam - another resident - is calm and quiet, coffee in colour. Those speedboats that traverse here most of the day have been moored; hustlers left for home after shoving and arguing and doing all manner of `rigmarole' to solicit passengers. Down by the riverside, all appears motionless. The sky is brimming with pale blues and clumps of fluffy clouds. Darker isolated ones stretch across the heavens, creating an awesome sunset. Night settles in on the riverside. There is no other activity but lively conversation. A few more days of `country life' on the Essequibo Coast and I prepare for home - Georgetown. It is cold but I'm not cold. The breeze, in its usual fashion, stings my skin but my thoughts are elsewhere. Somewhere. In that `sleeping giant' called Essequibo. I feel homesick but not for my own home. It was the magic of that `Cinderella County'. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples