I Remember That: A Collection of Cherished, Unforgettable, and Lasting Memories

By M. A. Enniss-Trotman

Charting her life from her humble beginnings in the early sixties, author M. A. Enniss-Trotman narrates her story of a little girland a young womangrowing up in a large nuclear family in post-colonial Guyana. She journeys through the rough-and-tumble world of a rural bauxite-mining town as she opens up about the rough-hewn experiences, significant milestones, roadblocks, and turning points that shaped her sometimes bittersweet but always purpose-driven life.

I Remember That explores family connections, childhood memories, and spiritual experiences and offers details about another side of the world through light-hearted portrayals of small-town life against a backdrop of tumultuous political and racial conflict. Through a collection of stories, Enniss-Trotman shares the traditions and social and cultural musings from a half century ago.

Rich in period details, I Remember That becomes a vehicle for something greater than the history of the people and events it describesa valuable keepsake that delivers priceless and precious reminiscences and preserves them for posterity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532028847

M. A. Enniss-Trotman

M. A. Enniss-Trotman, born and raised in Guyana, South America, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Guyana and a master’s degree from Dalhousie University. She is a former university lecturer and sessional instructor with more than a decade of teaching experience in Guyana and Canada. Enniss-Trotman works as a strategic planner for a large quasi-government organization. She lives in eastern Canada with her husband, Roderick, and her daughter.

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Copyright © 2017 M. A. Enniss-Trotman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982. Used by permission.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-2885-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2884-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017911819

iUniverse rev. date: 10/11/2017

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

1 My Heritage

2 My Dad and Mom

3 My Childhood Hometown

4 195

5 And Then There Were Nine

6 My Parents’ Parents

7 My First Day at School

8 Four-Eyes

9 I’m Not Bugs Bunny

10 A Childhood Pastime

11 Handy Polydactyly

12 Wismar Hill Primary

13 The Crimson Tide Flows

14 De Wonderful Brown-Water Crossing

15 Mackenzie High School

16 Monkey Business

17 Kitchen Trials

18 The 195 Animal Farm

19 A Spiritual Inheritance

20 A Personal Surrender

21 Family Rituals and Traditions

22 Soulful Music and Song

23 My Favourite Uncle

24 Woohoo, I Got the Job … Yikes!

25 The Barren Genip Tree

26 Corps Woman Enniss

27 The Blue Mini

28 A Window of Opportunity

29 F-r-i-e-n-d-s-h-i-p

30 Simple Pleasures and Little Luxuries

31 My Other Home

32 A Haunting Memory

Epilogue

Notes

Endnotes

To my dear daughter, Kenisse,

and to my siblings, nieces, and nephews—

especially Taylor, Monét, Jerod, and Kahlea.

Preface

I’m starting this memoir with what could be called a disclaimer. Some of what I am about to tell you may not be a complete picture of all that happened. I am over fifty years old now, and my mind may not be as sharp as it was many decades ago. Plus, some events, by their very nature, lend themselves to embellishment. Over time, other life experiences can taint our recollection of events, or we minimize the negatives and maximize the positives. I guess this is something that happens with many, if not all, of us.

I Remember That: A Collection of Cherished, Unforgettable, and Lasting Memories is not the story of my entire life. It is a whimsical reflection on some of the more memorable experiences from my childhood, youth, and adulthood. While these memories may not be in strict chronological order, I set out to share some of the most poignant and lasting ones with my daughter, nieces, and nephews to give them a glimpse into their Guyanese ancestry. Some of the historical information from my birth and early childhood—when I couldn’t understand or appreciate what was going on around me—was provided by my mom and dad.

Some of the events included in this book are tinged with sadness. Yet it has been gratifying to recall what I was thinking and doing some fifty-plus years ago; how I was inspired to do what I did at various points in my life; and how I overcame many obstacles to create the life I now lead. My heartfelt wish is that as you read the stories, you get not only a good belly full of laughter—as I had while writing some parts of it—but also some insight into my past and the important places, events, and experiences that gave meaning to my life. May it also be a source of inspiration and learning to you!

A word of caution to the non-Guyanese reader: It may appear at times as if I’ve taken a lot of liberty with the English language. I haven’t. I am merely trying to provide a flavour of Guyanese Creole in the narrative.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my parents, Charles and Evelyn Enniss, who nurtured and influenced me throughout my childhood and early adulthood.

Thank you to my husband, Roderick, and daughter, Kenisse, for your support and encouragement to follow my dream of becoming a writer. You are the real catalysts behind this book.

Thanks to my siblings. I offer my heartfelt gratitude for your solid trust and confidence.

Thank you to Tajeane Roseway for the author photographs.

Finally, thanks to God, my Lord and Saviour—the one who is altogether lovely—who gives me hope every day.

1

My Heritage

As far as I know, I’m a fourth-generation Guyanese born in the early 1960s, and the fifth of eight children born to both of my parents. According to my mom, I was born on a Saturday—a planned home birth, which was a common occurrence at that time. Mom’s doula, Mama Dunn, was a neighbour who lived a few doors away from our home. She gave me two of my names: Margarett and Ann. The third, Elenora, was given to me by my parents.

The name Margaret (with two ts in my case) dates back to the eleventh century. It is an English name originally derived from the Persian Morvared meaning pearl.¹ I disliked having such an old name for a very long time; finally, though, I chose to embrace the uniqueness of the extra t. My middle name, Ann, is another English name; it means merciful.² My mother’s translation is graceful. Elenora, another middle name, is Italian and means light.³ Using the various translations, I think of myself as a pearl, merciful, graceful, and full of light. What a beautiful thought!

There were many notable events in the early sixties: the Beatles’ television debut, JFK’s assassination, Nelson Mandela’s arrest for agitating against apartheid laws, and Guyana’s bid for independence from Britain. What’s also notable and unfortunate is that I don’t have any photos from my small days to show you what I looked like. Somewhere, there’s a picture of me with my four older siblings. I wish I could find it to show it to you.

My birthplace, Wismar, is in Linden, one of two towns situated in the Upper Demerara region in the hilly sand and clay belt of Guyana. Demerara is one of three counties in Guyana named for the river that meanders through the region. Between the early seventeenth century and the mid-eighteenth century, the Dutch founded the colonies of Essequibo, Berbice, and Demerara, but the three were officially ceded to the United Kingdom in 1814 and consolidated into a single colony in 1831. Their administration was conducted from the capital, Georgetown, named in honour of King George III and nicknamed Garden City of the Caribbean.⁴

Officially, the name Guyana or the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is derived from an Amerindian word, Guiana, which means land of many waters. Guyana, with an area of eighty-three thousand square miles and a population lower than one million, is located on the north-eastern shoulder of South America. It’s the only English-speaking country and one of only four non-Spanish-speaking countries on the continent. The Atlantic Ocean washes the northern shores of Guyana, and its neighbouring countries are Venezuela and Brazil, fragments of the former European colonial empires of Spain and Portugal; and Suriname and Cayenne, one-time possessions of Holland and France. Because of a similar history and culture, Guyana is often considered part of the Caribbean.

Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer, was the first European to discover the land that would become Guyana. According to an age-old European legend, Guyana was home to the mythical El Dorado, a city made completely of gold. I think there may be some truth to this: besides sugar, rice, bauxite, and diamonds, one of the major products of the country is gold.

Guyana has a distinct ethnic make-up that’s been shaped by the colonial policies and territorial battles of the Dutch (the first European settlers), Spanish, French, and British. The earliest settlers were the Amerindian tribes (Warraus, Arawaks, Wapishanas, and Caribs) and subtribes (Akawaios, Arekunas, Makushis, Patamonas, and Wai-Wais) that lived in the interior region.⁵ They were followed by the enslaved Africans (blacks) who supplied the labour required by European and British plantation owners for sugar cultivation.⁶ Following the abolition of slavery, East Indians and Chinese came as indentured labourers to work on the sugar plantations.

Intermarriage among the various ethnicities produced a large mixed-race grouping that included various hybrids: chinee-dugla (Chinese and black), mulatto (white and black), and dugla (black and East Indian). The different racial groupings have provided Guyana with a beautiful ethnic and cultural tapestry and the name Land of Six Peoples, which is captured in the national anthem and reflected in the country’s motto: One People, One Nation, One Destiny.

While Guyana’s ethnic diversity has contributed to the richness of its culture and institutions, it has also inspired our politics. For several decades, the country’s voting pattern was characterized by apan jhaat, Hindi for (vote for your) own race. In twenty-first century Guyana, the connection between ethnicity and politics appears to be much less rigid than it was in the past. The narrow victory by APNU—A Partnership for National Unity, a coalition of ten racially diverse political parties, interest groups, and civic organizations—in the 2015 elections suggests that Guyanese may have finally said no to divisiveness and yes to inclusiveness.

Home of the world’s most famous, rare stamp: the octagon-shaped 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta, some may also remember Guyana for the bloody Jonestown massacre that occurred in November 1978. A total of 918 people died from apparent cyanide poisoning in a remote agricultural commune called Jonestown in the north-western part of the country. Jonestown was the informal name of the Peoples’ Temple Agricultural Project, an American religious organization led by Jim Jones.⁷

Guyana is much more than this. With its biological diversity, unrivalled natural beauty, and some of the rarest, most spectacular, and largest creatures you’ll find anywhere, Guyana can be called a paradise for nature lovers, ecotourists, and adventure-seekers alike. The country has an irresistible combination of breathtaking and fascinating natural features like Mount Roraima, a tabletop mountain and the country’s highest landform; Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s most stunning and mind-blowing natural wonders, tumbling more than 741 feet; and the Iwokrama, a lush green rainforest reserve of almost one million acres touted as the Green Heart of Guyana. All this is blended with a rich heritage, vibrant indigenous culture, and the most friendly and hospitable people in the world.⁸

In May 2016, Guyana celebrated its golden jubilee of independence, a time for reflection on how far we Guyanese have come as a melting pot of multiple cultures. I admit there were complexities and, at times, disadvantages to living in such a setting. Often, much too often, racial prejudice, discrimination, and hostility were everyday occurrences that marred life’s experiences. Yet growing up Guyanese has allowed me to experience many ways of life and traditions.

As I look back, my early interactions with many different cultures and ethnicities have helped me to appreciate and embrace the rich diversity of life in various communities. This cultural blending has also enabled different beliefs and value systems to coexist, allowing for the positive aspects of one culture to be adopted by others to create a better society. This is especially evident in our rich Guyanese cuisine. I’m particularly proud of my Guyanese heritage. Onward and upward may we ever go!⁹

2

My Dad and Mom

It’s a well-known saying: You don’t get to pick your parents. You get what you get, and there is no getting around it. I was truly privileged to be part of something grand—a family of some stature, renown, and influence in our own small way. It all started with my parents.

My dad, Charles Edward Augustus Enniss—known fondly as Charlie, Spartacus, and Honey Goobie—was born on May 29, 1924. Dad grew up in Ithaca, a small village located on the west bank of the Berbice River in then British Guiana. Ithaca was bought by freed slaves as a part of the village movement that started after emancipation in Guyana. Dad attended Ithaca Primary School and as a boy spent a lot of time helping his father in the back dam.

My mom, Evelyn Evadne McLeod, was born on July 24, 1927, in Canje, a small village named after the main tributary of the Berbice. Canje is known for the national bird, the hoatzin or Canje pheasant. It was also once the home of Coffy (Cuffy), a house slave at the Dutch Plantation Lilienburg and now a national hero of Guyana, who led the famous 1763 Berbice slave revolt.¹⁰

My mom spent her childhood years in three places. During her formative years, she lived at Number 12 Village with her schoolteacher aunt, Susan Lindo (a.k.a. Aunt Deedee Lindo or Cousin Deedee). While there, she attended Number 8 Congregational School and had a somewhat privileged upbringing. After her aunt’s death, she rejoined her parents in Ithaca and attended Ithaca Primary School. Formal schooling over, Mom took music, sewing, and embroidery classes and studied home economics at the Carnegie School of Home Economics in Hopetown, Berbice.

Both of my parents were from nuclear families where the man was head of the household and the breadwinner. During their formative years, they experienced care and nurture from a mother and authority and discipline from a father. This must have cemented in their minds the importance of family from an early age—and of the man as the provider. While not dirt poor, as country children they didn’t have a lot of the material possessions that children of well-to-do families have today.

Post-emancipation British Guiana in the 1920s and ’30s was a country still under colonial rule, with many families living on or near plantations and working the land for a living. World War I had recently ended, and the Great Depression of the 1930s brought economic hardship to all segments of Guianese society. All the colony’s major exports—sugar, rice, and bauxite—were affected by low prices, and unemployment soared.¹¹

In addition, there was hardly any basic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, potable water, and public transportation. With no cars in the village, everyone walked to go everywhere. Village life was a constant round of activities, including planting fruits and vegetables; chopping wood for cooking; fishing in the ponds, nearby trenches, and sluices; bursting and grating dried coconut to make a meal; gathering the coir to light a bonfire to chase away sand flies and mosquitos; and fetching water hundreds of yards from the village standpipe.

Like many others, my parents’ homes boasted an outhouse in the backyard with an adjoining room for bathing, which was usually done with a bucket and a goobi (calabash). Going to the outhouse at night required a Tilley lamp, or a flambo—a glass rum bottle filled with kerosene oil with a lighted wick that was