Folklore
Is `box money’ by dis village
By Hazel Robinson
Guyana Chronicle
May 16, 2004
The community of Beterverwagting/Triumph earlier this month celebrated its 165th anniversary. Several events were held to mark the occasion. Today, we share the contribution of one villager. The piece was written for the community’s `Village Day’.
BV al yu does still throw box? Wha?!! Yu know is box money buy dis village – yes. Ah we fore-parents used to throw box and when deh get de money deh hide it under a tambrin tree till it meet, den deh push it in a wheel barrow fu gu gu buy Baron. We must be thankful to dem ole people fu how deh develop B.V.
Den deh divide up de backdam and plant it up. All kinda ting use fu come outa deh. Yu know de had some people who neva wuk no way else but back dam? Some dat I can rememba off hand are PaPa Charlie, PaPa Harris, Jan Sebun, dem Slow boys – Garim and Paul, PaPa Jimmy, Shakie, John Malullu and Diddie, Mr. Calder, Mr. Ifill, Mr. Allen, PaPa Azore, King-A-De-Road, Henry Fowl and plenty mo. Den deh had some who use fu wuk somewhe else but used fu plant up de beds – Dem Nero, dem Todd, Contro, PaPa Charlie Yaw and dem. Yu know something, dem same beds still deh down deh only a wait fu ahwe gu back to dem and dem land really fertile.
Leh me gi yu a lil joke fu leh yu know how ahwe land good: A man use to plant down in de back dam, su dis day, he seh he guh boil lil cassava and catch two fish and wuk up. He put de cassava in de wata – by de time he turn rung fu gu gu catch de fish something tel eh fu check de pat, he seh de cassava bail su saff dat he couldn’t eat it with fish no mo, so he just add lil milk and suga and turn it to cassava pap. Before a come off dis ah gat fu talk lil bout Shakie – we all know bout he clothes and how white he foot used to be-white, white, but dem man now caan du business like Shakie – deh does hustle anything, but boy Shakie was a coconut man. Ya coulda get a coconut any time from Shakie…
Ah talk bout Paul Slow as a farmer but a guess most ah alyu know that he was a Village Chairman tu. Yes, he, James Ogle, Cyril Duncan, H.B. Persaud, Surat, Jan Ali, Mr. Nestor, Mr. Pompey – dem man da was village fathers, deh de know dis village, de back dam and de rules good, good. Them used to solve any village problem and mek sure that dis village develop. Deh use fu mek sure de trenches dig out and cleaned, de succa drains used to be dug and is shovel man used to dig dem drains. Dem de sanitary use fu come rung and mek sure yu digging yu drain yu yard. Dem ting can start back. B.V. gat a good drainage system, but ahwe gat fu get back to de shovel man dem fu dig out de drains then yu gon see how de drainage gon wuk.
Talking bout sanitary coming rung - rememba how people used to come round and spray de toilet (latrine) and de yard and we neva used to get so much ah mosquito and de wata neva used fuh get mosquito worms. Nothing like dah don happen now, su mosquito tearing we skin, dem man big, big – deh does try fu stand up to yu now!
Dis village had some brite, brite people too yu know. Yes! People like Ceceline Baird, Glaston Wilson (CoCo), C.V. Mingo, Prem Persaud, Teacher Ivy Paul, Teacher Blanche, Joe Henry, Ole man Nestor, Disperser Strawn, Teacher Bertie, Teacher George McDonald, Teacher LuLu, Teacher Louisa, the Ogle sisters – Lucille and Olga, Teacher Jean and Joyce. Ah sure yu know some mo. Some a dem use fu help a lat a people. Yes - Teacher Ivy and Teacher LuLu had lessons dat plenty ahwe pass through and come out good. What about all dis fuss bout Kindergarten School, this village had dat a lang time ago. Bet yu caan tell me who used fu keep de school. Ahh! Alyu rememba? Teacha May, boy. She use to walk rung and collect all dem lil pickney and carry dem and teach dem nuf nuf ting. (Al yu eva gu pun wan good wake or Que Que and hear dem boy sing bout Teacha May – (Teacha May seh clap yu ………. han, well ah de same Teacha May deh does sing ‘bout).
`Nancy story’ and `bush cook’
When I look at TV and compare it wid lang time when dah din deh bout, I does smile. Dem ting wah ah show caan mo bad dan dem nancy story ahwe used to hear, dem joke ahwe use fu get wid people like Shakie, Salt Pipe, Jahn Malullu, Yangoor (Govna), Rachell, Cadurie, Mens (Wood Pecker or Running dalla), King-A-De-Road, Bowan, Scarlet, Gallon, Jan Sibun, Linvern and dem. Look how history does repeat itself. Tell me wha different Quamina ah du from wha Cent Suga used to du – none. Quamina does walk to town every day – Cent Suga used to du dat, she does buse when yu trouble he. Oh! Oh! Ah now find something different – Quamina does walk wid couple bottle and a lil bag, but Cent Suga used to walk wid a hole set ah ting, must be everything she had. Talk bout walk wid everything yu gat – who can beat Gart? But dat is another story all together.
Ah know nuff ah alyu caan rememba or don’t know bout moonlight baby. Well leh me tell yu wha that was – A man used to lie down pan de ground and he fren dem used fu put broken bottles (de white or shining ones) rung he so when he get up de image of a man lying on de ground lef deh. Dis used to be made on moonlight nights especially when de yard had fruit trees dat dem boy wanted to raid, or if de wanted to frighten somebody who had to pass that way. People does hardly enjoy moonlight now, sometimes deh don’t even know is moonlight, if they do they would take a walk or so, but we used to get fun.
What about bush cook? That used to be real fun. Along with de cooking, we used to get some real jokes. Jokes like de man who always wan bring salt, de one who ask back fu he meat before de pat don, so de pick out all de meat and tek off all de rice and give he back he meat. Yu tink he bad – yu neva hear bout de man who de want back he same coconut after de done cook cook-up. I know su much bush cook jokes if I continue we gon deh hey till tomorrow night time like dis.
Any body can tell me what games dem lil pickeny does play now? Oh! Deh gat TV su deh don play outside but dah caan sweet like `war break’, `cow boy’, `bun-house’, `saul’, `catcha’, hide-and-seek, `jumble-leff-he-pipe-ya’, `dog and de bone’, `delo’, hop-scotch, skipping, `littee’ and so. Even when yu finish playing and yu going away, yu used to give `lass lick’ or `baba lass lick’. Rememba how dah lass lick used to cause plenty fight.
What about sports and team games. Ah know de does play cricket, but BV had good teams like Dauntless, Invincible and Surrey. We used to get fun when front-side and backdam side used to play. They used to be big matches. We had some good cricketers – Teacher Chaddy, de Benjamin brothers – Compton, Cyril and Clement, the Grant brothers – Errol, Naubert, Denis and Hurley, de Robinsons – Jimmy (Limpy) and George (Juice) (represented Guyana overseas), dem Duncan – Winston and Siddo, Mr. Hamer (Bins), P.T. Mapow (Rodney) Bobby (Paps), Cullu, Mutt and nuff young ones like Kesty the best opening batsman on de East Coast), some a dem Rodney from Triumph – Angus and dem, Donald (Douglas), Osafo and dem.
We had a nice game `Rounders’ nah with racket and wicket and stumps and dem ting dah. I talking bout cuffing or batting de ball with yu bear hand then run. De ball used fu sting good when yu get plug though, but that was nice.
When it come to football, at lease ahwe gat fu teck ahwe hat off to Coach Man `Bill’ fu keeping that game going. B.V. always had a good team. East Coast Champions for sometime. Soma ah dem man who used to play lang time were – Andy Capp, Beef, Pablo, Dudley, Bollers, Cheese Mouth, Zito, Straika, Gwargo, Abernatie, and plenty mo young ones from Goal Seekers and Transball. We used to get good Sunday afternoon fun when they had matches.
What about athletics, we had some good athletes – Crenston, Kenrick, Yankee, Hallo, Pink-A-Lu, Brenda Campbell, Claude, Cicley and Gen-Gen Todd, Janet (J), Jane Herbert and many more. School sports used to be really nice. Rememba how Claude Cummings used to run de mile then faint at de finish line (that used to happen every year) Ha! Ha! That used to be the only race that LBI used to win at sports. Long time de whole village used to gu to school sports. De does still get dah?
Rememba how we used to swim in de trench. If was time like now we woulda get some swimmers fu send to de Olympics. Although Jessie used to walk rung and pick up yu clothes when yu tek it off to swim, da neva used to stop them. If yu couldn’t swim yu used to hold on pun de bucket and kick up in de trench – yu know how much people nearly drown suh. De laff is when yu thief a lil swim yu parents coulda always know – yu eyes used to be red, red and don mine how yu bathe de crappo bate still used to hold on. (To be continued)
Tell me wha de does get fu wake now a days nuh. Bay look when yu hear bout wake lang time yu coulda look forward to fun – deh used to get nancy story, bird flying from one tree to the next and de lusty singing – that used to be something else – dem people used to sing all night till morning (day clean). People like Sagga Gee, Daddy Rex, Daa Dooh, Stir About, Alga Seke, Meni Sandy, Stella Bumba, Rachell and dem. Once a wake keeping yu know yu had to get coffee, ginger tea, biscuit and butter, cook-up-rice and meta-gee, but now it different bay. Yu does get a set a thing like if is wedding – cake, sandwich, roti and curry, chowmein, channa, fried rice and nuff mo ting. Don’t talk bout de drinks – long time was just high-wine and white rum, but now every drink yu think bout gat to deh – rum, wine, beer, shandy, malta, vodka, brandy, (aerated) soft drink, orange juice, home made drink, etc, etc. But hear de laff nuh- people does ask fu dem thing when they ent see dem. When yu get all dem thing fu eat and drink plenty people does gu su de does seh de wake “sold out”, but when you gu de old time weh de done gu rund su de wake “buss”. What a thing. Yu know ah can’t talk bout wake and don’t talk about Que Que. Deh does still sing Guh night hay, Guh night hay, Nation ah whe dem nation and hide de gal fu de bay find she then put she pun a chair and dance wid she. That used to be nice.
Yu see all dis stupidness bout racism dah din deh. Dis village had all de races mix up, mix up. Hear who had shaps in here, Dem Gull, Ramsawh, Pandit, Malia, A.B., Ramat, Joseph, Hendricks, Donald Slow, Baby-Bay, Eva, Chan and Sue with Benjie Salt Beef, Sattie, Rick Gouveia, Murrey, Butta Man, Miss Rose Shop (Little Door), Mr Singh (pound store and 3yrd fu dalla – cloth), Isha and Buddy. We used to get good fun with Malia. We used to go in de shop with de mosquito coil papa and ask he to change it or buy something to get back change. Wicket eh! Whe we used to get beef from - Lull, Asrat and Sattar, What about dem cart man – Ice Baba, Macchu, Scurch, Barnwell.
Dem used to fetch all yu materials, yu pig and fowl feed and anything yu want fetch - even when yu moving out. Buck and Perry still trying with that. Ah gat fu gu back to Ice Baba. He used to sell break ice. When he collect de ice he used to go round to all dem shop with he cart fu sell. People used to buy tu, when you buy penny break ice yu used to get a good piece fu lass yu all day, but you had to wash off de saw duss and rice duss good from it though. Dem shop man used to buy de ice to sell Mauby and Pinedrink or mixture. Talking bout mauby; ah bet yu caan tell me who used to sell de bess mauby – Turkey Money (Alive Nures) – (Walk around and sell), Joekin, Harry, Cardwell, Rick, Flassy (murrey shop) or Uncle Willey (Springy). Talking bout Uncle Willey – nuff ahwe must be drink he dribble in de mauby. Nah! I ent tink su, dah man was de baddest mad pulling up de dribble, de ting used to look like if it reach way down fu gu in de glass den he would pull it up. Dat was class. He coulda sleep too.
We de juss guessing who used to sell de bess mauby, but no guessing but de best black pudding. All ah we know that Miss Dursilla gone clear, she was de bess. Look eh sometings does really stay in families, Yvonne, Faye and Maurette still doing de same ting. Miss Schill used to do she thing by Hendricks Street and Miss Deeka by Market Street. Deh use to try but Miss Drusilla was de big ting. When yu gu fu buy eight cents black pudding it used to full up a good size bowl. Wha ah use to like mo is when yu gu fu buy and Miss Drusilla know yu mudda or fadda yu used to get a lil extra but wha used to get me vex is dat yu neva coulda eat de extra pun de road. Dem old people neva used to want yu to eat pun de road, if yu du dah and get catch yu know wha. As a deh pun food – rememba when Cousin Meni used to gu rund de village with Hot Cross Buns. She used to seh “Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns, one a penny two a penny Hot Cross Buns”. When people hear dat, man if yu see how they used to hustle to buy. Cross Buns and Mauby was de only thing we used to eat on Good Friday – sometimes yu used to get lil cheese if tings de lil bright.
Ah know plenty ah we gon rememba when we used to mine fowls. When de small chickens get sick how we used to put it unda a callabach or tin and beat on it till de chicken catch itself, poo ting de noise must be used to friken he su he jump up. What about when yu used to deh checking fu see if is cock or hen deh plenty when de chickens growing. If is plenty cock yu done know yu getting chicken to eat. De din want plenty cocks in de yard. As soon as yu mudda seh catch 1 or 2 ah dem young cock and lack dem up – yu done know wha gon happen. De poor fowl used to get vinegar fu drink fu bout 3 days – de seh dah was fu clean dem out before yu cook dem. Clean out – ah wanda who had time fu clean out fowl when yu catch dem fu mek bush cook. Dem boy used to throw rice or paddy and lead de fowl away den catch he and cook right away. Yu know wha a does wanda – how de bone used to be suh hard boy yu couldn’t chew dah up at all.
Ah wanda if a seh fu fu dem young people gon know wah ah talking bout, boy look every Sunday yu had fu pung dah fu fu, fu put in de soup – dah was real punishment boy. Like de plantain used to be extra hard, sometimes when yu pung de ting used to jump out ah de mata, but yu had to mek sure dat it pung till it fine and smooth and look-when it done you getting jus a lill piece in de soup. Ow!
Yu rememba all dem ting we used to buy fu eat – Donkey Calla, Salara, Coconut roll, buns, some big, big tennis rolls (atichoke), chip Suga Cake, Crow Crow, Bara Bara, Jellabee, Tennis Roll and Cheese with cream soda and a small tin milk, potato ball and so on. Miss Gertrude and Sala used to sell plenty ah dem ting da. How PaPa Aaron crow crow used to choke yu.
We had a lot ah organisations in B.V. for both adults and young people – eg. The Women’s Institute. A lot a women used to gu and learn plenty plenty ting deh. Teacher Ivy was president for a long time, Mrs Jason too.
Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts was a big thing. We learnt a lot there most of all discipline and preparedness.
B.V. full, full a talent. Nah tink dem din get thief man tu yu know, yes de had couple well but every body used to look out fu dem. De spend some good time in jail tu.
We used to get some real nice concerts – Sunday afternoon and suh. Yu know most times almost all de artists used to come from right hay and dem used to get singing, recitations, drama, dancing, playing de piano and mouth organ and su. Teacher Ivy was one ah de people who used to recite – she was good. Two recitations that come readily to mind are “If I appreciate you and you appreciate me” and “Give us Men”. Ah gat fu mention Callo Duke, Arther Cush, Franklin Rodney, Neville Miller, Errol London, Joseph Marchus, Henry Mentore (Jefrey), Wilfred Aaron and Polledore – dem was sing man boy.
We had a good steel band tu, with people like Durga, Vava, Washington (Washie), Hector Thomas, William Bowen, Fuggee, Joseph Marchus, dem Rato brothers, Ossey, Bevney and of course Jalim. He used to play all dem pan, but de man bad pun de Bungo. Yu know Jalim still de bout a still playing. De man is a bad drum man.
Talk bout talent, what about George McDonald (Pipee Lorie). He was a bad man bay- dah man used to help out people wid anything – fu baptise yu baby, bury yu dead, preach at any lil service yu gat and most at all marry yu – even if yu din gat a ring he used to lend yu one – Noel “God rest his soul” used to help out, but Pipee was a bad man.
Ah just rememba something – de bell cryer. SaggaGee and Johnny Pinkey used to do da ting good. As soon as yu hear de bell yu know something happening su yu used to listen. It used to tell yu bout meetings, remind yu to pay up yu rates and taxes, when some one who dead was going to be buried and so on. Ah wanda weh da bell deh?
Me hart does de in me hand when a gat fu travel in some ah dem mini bus su a always gat fu rememba dem hire-car driva dat we had, like Basil, Nalie, Ole Boy, Winfield, Mr Bacchus, Satacoo, Budso, Man Singh, Badru, Roop brothers, Accur, Mike, Barnwell; Smallie, James, Shaw and others. Dem man dah used to carry yu anywhere yu wan gu safe safe.
Apart from being so talented we are also rich culturally. Rememba how we used to celebrate Ghana Day – de big fair and suh with Miss Sines, Pipee and dem, all dressed in rich African outfits. Den de 1st of August with mudda Bramma – da was another big affair in de village. Little Jones used to wake yu up early morning.
B.V. had everything, we market de big, big – all dem stalls that deh deh used to full up. De fish side hardly coulda hold dem people who used to sell fish. Look yu coulda stay in B.V. and buy greens, groceries, clothes, jewelry, raw cloth, yu zip, buttons, everything, every ting. We had good tailors – Bash, Nine, Claud, Low. Seamtresses – Earna Mingo, Miss DeLima, Miss Drean, Miss Lewis, and plenty mo. People used to stay home fu get de baby because nurse Change de good. She deliver baby in almost all dem house in B.V. plus plenty home at she, and when she finish de delivery deh had de old ladies who used to give yu de afta care – one that a can rememba was Miss Suzan (Tuntan). De used to put yu in hot wata, wash de bedding and su. Yu know wha is bedding. Long time people neva used to throw way de old clothes den use fu keep dem and spread dem unda de bed or pun de floor fu sleep. Bedding is dem ole clothes dah. We had we own drug stores with dispensers like Mr Strawn, Mr Persaud, Mr Ogle and dem.
Hi, long time when yu get a bicycle was a big ting. Dem man used fu dress up deh bike – put all kinda light and of course de cheese cloth (New one(s) yu know) had to deh tie on pon de bike. Wha! Pun Sunday afternoon dem boy used fu dress up and ride out with de canstance or ticka bike, if yu see how deh used fu catch swank pun dem girls man. Now bicycle is nothing, down to de smallest pickney get bike and don talk how de while.
Baronians we should be a proud people. Al yu know that de B.V. Community High School was the first of its kind in this country. Yes! That school was called de guinea pig. De used to teach a lat ah ting deh, carpentry, masonry, joinery, wood work, welding, technical drawing, cake decoration, crochet, agriculture, home economic, pig rearing and academics tu – English, Maths, Social Studies and su. Why ah we can get back dem tinh da eh.
Ah know nuff man nah gu wan fu hear dis, but is whey drugs come from. Dis ting does really badda me. Dem ole man used to drink de rum and even sagewang (spirits) and stagga and go home, dat used to be fun fu we. Yes, de used to smoke de pipe and cigarettes, but the effect was not de same. When we did small we used to fold coconut fiba in brown papa fu smoke, but when yu tek de fuss pull/draw yu used fu caff su much dat yu eye used to get red, red and run wata, when deh don with yu, yu ain’t want anadda pull. Le we all wuk together and show one annada dat drugs is not de way to go.
A nadda ting that ah puzzle me is dis HIV & AIDS ting, whe in de name ah Gad da come from. Da ting bad, bad, as soon as yu hear de word “positive” start fu mek yu funeral arrangements. Nah fu she dem old and middle age people nah bina have unprotected sex, de bin just as sexually active as even mo bad dan de people today. Unfortunately, God talking to ahwe today in dat way – with de HIV & AIDS so ahwe can change. Hear he-me a beg alyu be careful because me na want fu be sorry fu nobody – protect alyu self.
Is wha it gon tek fu bring back some a dem ting wha we talk bout – leh we tink, what about forming groups to plant up de land either in we backyard or in de back dam, forming a steel band, youth group(s), drama group(s), and so on.
My people yu interested? Alright, afta dis village day leh we organse ahwe self and show dem big people dat ahwe can du ting like dem and even betta – Right!
Leh we try.