A day without Ma

WHILE millions of people will be celebrating Mother’s Day today, I will be among the many millions who have lost their mothers. Today will mark my second Mother’s Day without my mother, Vanny, and I will be the first to admit that it will be a sad day for me. Fortunately, I will be at work, probably pursuing a crime story. I will not be alone at home, thinking about my mother and the wonderful person she was. If she was alive, then I would have switched my working weekend to spend today with her. I would awake early and present her with gifts. It would also be a day of cooking her favourite meals and playing her favourite music.

By mid afternoon, my brothers and their wives would arrive with their gifts and my mother would be surrounded by the people who loved her. She loved her grandchildren and she loved to sit in the hammock and play with Shenelle, Rachael, Brian and Brigette. Shenelle always ensured that she received the most hugs from my mother. Ma, as we called her, was a very good cook and insisted on making dhalpuri roti every Mother’s Day. Her roti was the best and I am not ashamed to say that no one makes roti like her. She also loved to dress and travelled a lot. She was a very good mother. Every Saturday, my mother travelled to Chaguanas with her basket and purchased fresh vegetables, fruits, jelabi, and all the other goodies. When she returned, it was always curried fish with peas and rice. Ma always prepared a salad with every lunch.

On Saturday afternoons, she baked sweetbread and sponge cakes, made sugar cake and paime, so we would have some snack to take to school. She also provided us with three meals a day. She believed in education and ensured that all her children were provided with the support needed for success at school. I remember seeing my mother leaving home with her jewelry which she had pawned to purchase school books for her six children. She was always around to take care of us whenever we were ill or needed her support. When my mother was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago, it was a shock to all of us. The trauma of seeing her transformed from a beautiful woman to someone virtually handicapped affected me greatly. She had no choice but to undergo dialysis and I remember crying myself to sleep after seeing tubes being inserted in her chest and arms to facilitate dialysis. After treatment, she would be almost lifeless and the cost of the treatment was very high. When her condition worsened, I was forced to secure blood for her. Thanks to my colleagues Seeta Persad, Sheldon Brathwaite and others who went out of their way to assist my mother, I am very grateful.

Newsday’s CEO Therese Mills was also very supportive when Ma’s condition worsened, along with Dr Dennis Warner, who provided all the medical support to my mother. When Ma died, the support continued from friends and relatives. To those who are still blessed to have their mother, my advice is to cherish her, spend time with her and ensure that she is happy. To those persons whose mothers are ill, ensure that you fulfil your duty to the very end. To be blessed by your mother is one of the greatest gifts one can receive. It is better than any material possession. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers. If I had one wish now, it would be to have my beautiful mother by my side.