Dorday, Maa enjoying life in Leguan after enduring a rough life

LIFE for Maniram and his wife Parbattie, on the beautiful island of Leguan in the Essequibo River, is nothing but an enjoyable throwback for each passing day. 

Compared to their years of laborious work, when both of them had to do several jobs to maintain their family of

A section of the flower garden belonging to the couple

seven, life is now full of ease and relaxation for the couple.
Maniram is also known as Sunny and ‘Dorday’ and his wife as Powtie and ‘Maa.’ We will refer to them as ‘Maa and Dorday’ as they are mostly called these names on a daily basis. Dorday has no last name and so when they married, Maa took his name and became Parbattie Maniram.
Dorday, 79, was born and raised in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Maa in Leguan. The couple, now married for 55 years, was living

Admiring the results of her hard work

at Vergenoegen with three children in 1964.
But a riot broke out under the then government and Maa and Dorday’s home was set afire, as were many others, due to political upheaval and racial disturbances that were rampant at the time.
They were constantly in fear for their lives and so they decided to move to Leguan where they could be more at peace. It was here that a rewarding and fulfilling life, though requiring much hard work, awaited them.
Things were rough when they arrived and before they could have been properly settled, they took up lodging with Maa’s mother. Before long, though, they were able to put up a “lil thing” (small house) on a piece of land that her mother gave them which they moved

One of Dorday’s favourite spots: relaxing in his hammock.

into.

All types of work

Life was certainly not a bed of roses for Maa and Dorday when they arrived in Leguan with their children.
“Abi really pass through some things. But meh wuk. When meh tell yo wuk, wuk,” she recalled.
Her husband did all types of jobs to support the family, and at times, even more than one at a time. He worked in a bakery, in the cane fields, rice factory, as a security guard with the Ministry of Public Service, and as a fisherman, just to name a few of the jobs he did.
Maa also worked hard in the rice fields, planting and cutting rice, sometimes more than once in a day. She would go home for lunch with the children and then make her way back to the fields in the afternoon to continue her work.

Maa still works hard to keep the garden blooming.

The couple worked together and saved their money while living at Maa’s mother in the meantime. Eventually, they managed to use their savings and build a small house. Further, Dorday had enough to buy the family a pair of bulls.
Maa said they had to work hard for everything they needed as they didn’t really have anyone to give them anything. At times, she said she had to leave the children with others, including neighbours, just so that she could go and help her husband with the work.
But she explained that the neighbours were very helpful at that time and could be trusted.
She finished her tasks quickly so she could go back home to the children.
“I had to do it like this because you need the money. You want to get up in life. You want to buy rice field or a pair of bulls or something to get up because you have your children. We also gave our children an education. All of them had an opportunity. By the grace of God, all deh good and they still have their education,” Maa related.
Even during their rough times, Dorday and Maa managed to endure their personal problems. He gave her whatever money he earned and she was able to manage it wisely for the benefit of the family.
“It was a little but it bought plenty things. We had to budget ourselves but it used to work. He used to work for $35 and that took us through the entire month. We worked and built everything. I worked morning and afternoon cutting rice with the grass knife,” Maa recalled.
The couple ended up with several acres of rice fields which they eventually decided to hand over to their sons.

Reaping the benefits

“Now we reaping the benefits,” Maa said, referring to all of their hard work and struggles in life. The pensions that both of them enjoy today are enough to carry them throughout the month without them having to work or depend on anyone.
“Life now is too much nice. Too much nice. That we get old, we get sick but that’s the only thing.”
Dorday, despite only seeing in one of his eyes, still rides his bicycle to the post office and around the island. But Maa, doesn’t suffer with any ailments. The couple enjoys each and every day that passes.
Their five children are Robert, Dhansham, Dato, Babo and Shanti. They also have 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

(By Telesha Ramnarine)