My Life as a Banker: A Life worth Living

By Brenda Mohammed

Fascinating, Intriguing, Inspiring, Positive, Heartwarming, and Motivational Memoir.
My Life as a Banker - A Life worth Living" is a banker's memoir, in which the author describes changes in the banking system, and changes in the bank's attitude to its employees throughout her working years, in a Trinidad bank with ties in the United Kingdom.
The book also reveals personal details about the author's life.
It is a Memoir worth reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brenda Mohammed
• Release date: Sep 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370605514

Brenda Mohammed

Brenda Mohammed, a former Bank Manager from Trinidad, is a renowned, multi-award winning, and bestselling author who has published 52 books. Her genres are memoirs, romance, science fiction, mysteries, psychological thriller, children’s books, Christian books, poetry, self-help, magazines, and anthologies. She is Founder of the How to Write for Success Literary Network and is President CIESART INTERCONTINENTAL - TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, a legally registered company in Spain. Her superb writing skills won her several literary awards in the USA, Peru, Kazakhstan, Seychelles, Nigeria, India, Romania, Argentina, Morocco, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, and the UK.

Book preview

MY LIFE AS A BANKER: A LIFE WORTH LIVING

Author: Brenda Mohammed

Copyright © 2016 Brenda Mohammed

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Brenda Mohammed.

FOREWORD

It is true of men and of watches, you may tell them by their works.

To have been asked to write the Foreword for the book, 'My Life as a Banker: A Life worth Living' is indeed an honour that will be forever etched in my memory.

Mrs. Brenda Mohammed, the author, has without a doubt shown through her writings, the exemplary quality of her life. Her Christian upbringing has instilled in her a strong belief in God who has guided her life from infancy. This is the true story of Brenda's life as a child, a teenager, a young adult, a wife, a mother and a professional. Her achievements as both a mother and a professional are remarkable.

This book is an encouragement and example to all women. It shows clearly, what the power of God can do in someone's life. By reading this book, we will learn something to enhance our own lives. The book stimulates us and encourages us to emulate the successes of the author. It touches our emotions and gives us a new appreciation of life. It encourages us to go on, never giving up, even when the road of life curves.

The author who is my younger sister, my friend, and my confidante is a kind, generous, caring and loving person and within the pages of her book, all women can find something with which to identify or emulate.

This most significant autobiographical account of her life is worth reading. It teaches us that with God in our lives, all things are possible, and all things work for good. It stimulates our power of thought and urges us on to greater heights. This journey of her life leads us through prayer, joy, pain and sorrow. She has fulfilled almost all her dreams despite challenges along the way.

Brenda's mark of excellence is stamped on her writings and on her life. I, personally, have witnessed her admirable life- style unfold before my eyes, and I have supported and stood by her all these years.

Florabelle Lutchman – Retired School Principal

CHAPTER ONE

My parents were Dr. and Mrs. A.M. Khan. My father was an Educator. I was born when my father was appointed in Union Village, Claxton Bay as the school’s Head Master. The school and Presbyterian Church were located on the same compound with the headmaster’s house. There was a large almond tree in the middle of the yard and my sisters and I played a lot under that tree. I had six sisters and three brothers. My parents told me that when I was born, two Canadian missionaries who were unable to have children approached my parents to adopt me. I was the eighth child and they probably thought that my parents would have willingly given me away to them. My parents refused and they had two more girls after me. I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if my parents had agreed to give me to those Canadian Missionaries. I do not like to live in cold places and I do not like snow, so I would have been very lonely and unhappy in Canada without my brothers and sisters.

Do you believe that there was no electricity in those days? Every evening at six o' clock, my mother lit the oil lamps so that we could do our school homework. By seven o'clock or seven-thirty, I was usually fast asleep. The house we lived in, though quite comfortable, was dreary looking as I recall. As we had no electricity and therefore no refrigerator, my mother reared chickens at the side of the house for our meat supplies. When it rained, that area was very slimy. I fell down there on several occasions. My mother was a very creative person. She cared for us, sewed all of our clothes, did exquisite embroidery and crochets, cooked delicious meals and baked tasty treats for us. She often baked several loaves of bread and dozens of cakes in a primitive type of oven, which she constructed herself. The aroma of freshly baked bread and cakes always permeated through the entire house and projected a feeling of love and warmth in our home.

There were orchards with citrus and mango trees all around the house and we had the benefit of fresh fruit all year round. Not far away, a river ran by and my brothers took us fishing there, many times. Sometimes they caught several fishes and took them home for my mother to cook.

My father was very engrossed in his teaching career. In those days, education was not a priority for most people and he sought to change that. He was always out visiting parents and encouraging them to send their children to school. He also formed village committees to educate parents. He was a staunch Presbyterian and believed in God and the power of prayer. He took us to church regularly. On evenings, he gathered the family together for family prayers.

Knowing how much we loved animals, my father bought two stark white lambs as pets for my elder sister and me. We named them Larry and Lana. We loved tending and taking them out on mornings to the orchards to feed on grass. They were very playful and loving. One evening when we went to bring them home we found both lambs lying dead on the compost heap. We were heartbroken and ran home crying to tell our parents. They were unable to determine the cause of their sudden death and they comforted us and arranged to bury them in a comer of the orchard. That was my first death experience.

In my father's spare time, he would take the whole family to the beach. At one time, he took us to Manzanilla, which is one of the popular beach resorts in Trinidad. My sisters were sitting on a floating log and I attempted to sit on it next to them. I slipped, fell off, and was swiftly carried away by a huge wave. I felt myself drowning and heard my sisters screaming for my father to help me. My father heard and swam to my assistance. He recognized my long hair and held on to it pulling me up gently. He saved my life. He was always there when I needed him.

My eldest sister was away from home studying at that time. When she was at home, she helped my mother to cook and bake. She was an excellent cook and I enjoyed my meals immensely when she cooked. Once she took one of my sisters and me on the train to Tunapuna to attend a function at her school. From there we went on a trip to Blue Basin. For each of her siblings’ birthdays, she baked lovely cakes and decorated them beautifully. She always loved to celebrate our birthdays with ice cream and cake.

Whenever I needed help, I called on another of my elder sisters. I could not pronounce her name when I was very young and used to call her, 'Billy'. She possessed a rare beauty and a sweet disposition. She always found time to look after me when my eldest sister was not around.

I started attending elementary school at the age of three. My father was the head teacher at the same school. I refused to stay in my own class. I searched every class until I found my elder sister in her class, which was a higher class than mine was, and I sat down next to her. Her teacher said that I could stay in her class provided I could cope with her teaching. Since I wanted to stay with my sister, I listened very attentively and learnt everything that the teacher taught. When the teacher asked questions, my hand was the first to go up. I knew all the answers and the teacher told me that I was a very bright girl. I was therefore automatically promoted to that class. I acted in several school concerts, speaking, reciting poems, singing and dancing. The teachers in the school remarked at my brilliance and learning aptitude.

When I was seven years old, my father was transferred to another district as the Head Master of the school there. It was a big change for me, moving from one village to the next. We lived in the Head Master's quarters and there was electricity in the house. My father bought a large refrigerator and my mother stocked it with all sorts of meats and goodies. She no longer had to rear chickens and I was relieved since the yard was not messy and slimy as in our former residence. The church and school were in the same