This article was last updated on the 3rd of September 2015 by Patrick Carpen.
From my earliest days as a child, I remember seeing this beautifully framed picture hanging on the wall in the house we lived in. But the picture wasn’t only beautifully framed, it was beautiful too! It was the picture of a man and woman smiling. And I was told that that was a picture of my uncle and aunt in Canada.
But for 11 years of my life, I would see this picture and never have an opportunity to meet the persons it represented. Then finally, word came that my Aunt, Radha, was coming to Guyana. You could imagine my glee and excitement.
So far, I had only heard stories from my grandmother about my Aunt, Radha, her husband, Baja, and her two children Peter and Gordon. And it is easy to imagine what a special place in my grandmother’s heart this woman held that a framed picture of her took a prominent place on the wall.
The day finally came and my aunt arrived. She was about 45 years old at the time, but everyone could have sworn she was 25. Her complexion was extremely fair, her hair black and her body medium built. She was about 5 feet 5 inches tall.
But my aunt had little time to put up appearances. From the time she arrived, she was busy fixing things. She taught me how to cook a number of delicious foods and more importantly, that “your cooking is not done until your wares are all clean”.
My aunt spent a fortune building and constructing conveniences around the house. She was friendly and talkative to everyone she met, and was much admired by everyone she encountered.
Finally, it was time to go. My sister and I accompanied my aunt to the airport. Unfortunately, a bunch of illiterate idiots went with us. They smoked cigarettes all the way and made both me and my sister uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, my first meeting with my aunt was a beautiful one that will have a lasting impression on my mind.
