Dear Editor,
I just read a beautifully written masterpiece by Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh as a tribute to Denis Rajnarine. Whilst reading Dr. Singh’s tribute to his good friend I felt the connection. It is a tribute from the heart. Denis Rajnarine was my friend. He was very generous to me in my youthful days when times were hard. I have never forgotten, and will never forget him and his kindness towards me. Whenever he reached out to me his face broke into a smile that was always pleasing to see. It was a genuine smile.
I got to know Denis through Eddie Boyer of National Hardware Store, when Eddie returned from the UK to settle in Guyana, and to take over his father’s business, Boyer’s Furniture Store. Eddie and Dennis were married to two sisters, Gail and Donna of the Ishmael family. But much earlier, I met Denis Rajnarine through Denis Stuart, my cousin who resides in Los Angeles, California who, in his youthful days, took part in motor cycle racing competitions on his ITOM motor-cycle at the South Dakota Circuit.
I missed Denis Rajnarine for a long time and never knew where he was. In retrospect, it was my failing not to make enquiries about his whereabouts. I remembered him inviting me on numerous occasions to visit his coconut plantation at Mahaica, on the East Coast. People used to say the Rajnarine’s family house, tucked away amidst the miles and miles of coconut trees and heaps of dry coconuts, had more than a hundred windows.
I was there only once and was treated to a simple but sumptuous snack ‘chased’ with coconut water from a freshly picked coconut…. of course! Denis is one Guyanese who truly, and dedicatedly, helped build his country in his simple but modest way. Publicity of his contributions was never sought after. Surely, Guyanese must know about Denis Rajnarine. He is truly one of Guyana’s unsung heroes.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
