Jasmatee Persaud: 92 and going strong
by Wendella Davidson
Guyana Chronicle
May 23, 2004
COME Wednesday, Jasmatee Persaud would have more to celebrate than just this country’s Independence anniversary.
On that day, Ms. Persaud, fondly called `Jas’, would be 92. She is one of the oldest persons alive who hailed from Beterverwagting/Triumph which recently celebrated its 165th anniversary.
`Jas’ is the fifth of six children of Mr. and Mrs. Bissoon Singh. The others are Sham, Patti, Basmat, Phoolo and Rookmin. They lived on the eastern side of Republic Drive in Beterverwagting (BV). Former slaves bought BV in 1839. Another village to the east, Triumph, was joined with Beterverwagting to form one village in 1904.
As a child, Ms. Persaud enjoyed a relatively good life as her parents had owned a grocery and fabric store. As was the customs in those days, `Jas’ did not attend school. But she was tutored at home by her father and Teacher Daisy who would “come home to give me lessons two days every week.”
Her father died when she was 11 years old. As the elder of the two children still at home, `Jas’ was left with the responsibility of managing the family business.
Years later, in 1926, the young woman’s paternal grandmother, arranged a marriage for her with tailor Nannoo Persaud who lived on the neighbouring estate, Mon Repos. Nannoo, along with his mother Kalli and elder brother Buddhanand had come to Guyana from India in October 1911.
For the wedding `Jas’ wore a white silk dress with matching gold jewellery. Nannoo was clad in a kurta. Nannoo’s mother had died by then so the only family present for him was his brother.
While their home was being constructed on the plot behind Nannoo’s mother’s house, the couple lived apart - `Jas’ at her mother, and Nannoo in Mon Repos.
Nannoo, meanwhile, relocated his tailor shop to `Jas’ mother’s house, and also assisted in running the shop there.
Nannoo and Jas had nine children. One died at 11 months. The remaining eight, Pipudaman `Rip’, a barrister-at-law in England; Prem, former Appeal Court Judge and current Chairman of the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC); Prakash, proprietor of Uniplas; Satyanaresh `Sati’ retired Customs Officer; Omanand retired Labour Officer; Vidya, housewife; New York-based Aadesh called `Pope’ and formerly of Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation; and Vidyanand, former Acting High Court Judge.
`Jas’, and Nannoo, who later earned the name `Pandit’, continued to live in BV/Triumph. Nannoo did well with his tailoring and also did some farming on plots of land he had bought in the BV/Triumph backlands.
In 1940, the family bought a plot of land at Lot 130 Market Street. It was here that the tailoring business was phased out and the store - which began selling items including handbags, sewing machines, furniture and over-the-counter-drugs - became the sole source of income.
On March 18, 1980, Nannoo died and `Jas’ was once again left to shoulder the responsibilities of a business enterprise. She did so successfully until March 4, 1981, when she moved out to live in Prashad Nagar where she remains until today.
While `Jas’ considers everyone to be her friend as according to her “people lived as one family then; there was nothing to do with race,” she named Nurse Simpson and Merlene Gonsalves as the ones closest to her.
`Jas’ continues to bask in relatively good health. She lives by herself, still reads the newspaper without the aid of spectacles, is mentally alert and has a strong voice.
She loves eating vegetables and has a penchant for Brazilian toffee with nuts.