Deo came out a little flustered. Over the deafening noise of about a half dozen dogs, rice-eaters, he said, “Mawnin...”. Visitors don’t’ usually comes this early his eyes said. He looked me over carefully as he motioned for me to come around and through what looked like fishnet. No one enters the yard given the number of dogs. But I was from the 'Scheme', dogs need not apply. There had been some viol
ence in the area; hence the dogs. He pulled a hidden string and the net dropped to the ground. If you came at night, and didn’t know, you would be all tangled-up in net and captured. “Come. Come,,, could I help you”.
ence in the area; hence the dogs. He pulled a hidden string and the net dropped to the ground. If you came at night, and didn’t know, you would be all tangled-up in net and captured. “Come. Come,,, could I help you”.
The Courantyne is a place full of history and mystery. It’s a place where governors and generals became famous, where captured Africans rebelled and won: some 40 years before St. Domingue. Its mystical an mythical. It’s that area, the eastern extremity of Guyana, which follows the Courantyne River: The river that separates Guyana from Suriname.
Deo had lived in Canada working in a Canadian factory for 30 years. He reminisced that one day he decided to return to the land of his birth. He had grown up the child and grandchild of rice millers and longed, like many, to return home. “This is my granddad the man who inspired me and owned all this land”, he said pointing to a black and
white picture on the wall of a well suited, handsome man. Deo shared that when he looked at the years of service and the prospect of living out the rest of his life in the cold, home was an easy choice. He had learned to ‘save’ a few years earlier when he accidentally got a peak at his good friend’s bank book. He was shocked to see that the friend he spent so many weekends hanging-out with, drinking, in bars and chasing girls had $7000.00 in his Canadian bank account. He decided then to get serious and started saving. He didn’t stop going to bars because he loved music, especially Marley, and socializing. Listening to Bob had helped solidify his decision to return home. He wouldn’t, no couldn’t, live in the rat race. He told me the whole story over some bush tea and alloo curry left over from breakfast.
Instead he returned to his Courantyne and built Sunsplash Beach Resort just off No: 63 Beach. He had all of Marley’s records. Some even Marley did not know he made. The bar to the resort was a monument to our music. He collected music of the periods 50’s, 60’s, 70’ and 80’s. Hell, he collected all music, everything and was eager to share. MJ had died a week earlier and he had built a monument to ‘the King’. Even a picture of Pressley was on the wall. Deo knew that whatever he did on his return, it would be about music. He was not going to be a rice
miller. He hit upon the dream of a beach resort located where the Courantyne River meets the Atlantic Ocean. With Surinam in the background he built his resort. It is still a work in progress. He sees a water park with jet skis as the future, but needs some investors to realize the dream. Perhaps there are other dreams, other than the American one. I left with the sounds of Taurus Riley blasting. Deo was going to turn the Courantyne into a place fit for royalty. After all, she is.
Deo had lived in Canada working in a Canadian factory for 30 years. He reminisced that one day he decided to return to the land of his birth. He had grown up the child and grandchild of rice millers and longed, like many, to return home. “This is my granddad the man who inspired me and owned all this land”, he said pointing to a black and
white picture on the wall of a well suited, handsome man. Deo shared that when he looked at the years of service and the prospect of living out the rest of his life in the cold, home was an easy choice. He had learned to ‘save’ a few years earlier when he accidentally got a peak at his good friend’s bank book. He was shocked to see that the friend he spent so many weekends hanging-out with, drinking, in bars and chasing girls had $7000.00 in his Canadian bank account. He decided then to get serious and started saving. He didn’t stop going to bars because he loved music, especially Marley, and socializing. Listening to Bob had helped solidify his decision to return home. He wouldn’t, no couldn’t, live in the rat race. He told me the whole story over some bush tea and alloo curry left over from breakfast.Instead he returned to his Courantyne and built Sunsplash Beach Resort just off No: 63 Beach. He had all of Marley’s records. Some even Marley did not know he made. The bar to the resort was a monument to our music. He collected music of the periods 50’s, 60’s, 70’ and 80’s. Hell, he collected all music, everything and was eager to share. MJ had died a week earlier and he had built a monument to ‘the King’. Even a picture of Pressley was on the wall. Deo knew that whatever he did on his return, it would be about music. He was not going to be a rice
miller. He hit upon the dream of a beach resort located where the Courantyne River meets the Atlantic Ocean. With Surinam in the background he built his resort. It is still a work in progress. He sees a water park with jet skis as the future, but needs some investors to realize the dream. Perhaps there are other dreams, other than the American one. I left with the sounds of Taurus Riley blasting. Deo was going to turn the Courantyne into a place fit for royalty. After all, she is.
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