The events related here took place in a relatively quiet East Coast Demerara village and were told to me by a sister. Even though this column is about sharing the experiences of women regardless of what they are, I thought long and hard about whether to write this as I was saddened when it was related to me; it is a reflection of the society in which we live.
“I sitting on my back step the other afternoon good, good,” the sister began, “then I just see a police van pull up and stop by the house opposite me and I wondering what really happening.
“Before a tell you what the police do, leh me say who living in the house. Well this young boy, he get put out by he father and he went and build up a lil house on the land opposite me and he start living deh.
“Now about three weeks ago, I see some people move into a house not far from deh. You know the house I did tell you how the man and he wife does drink up and one time they get wrong and the woman start crying and went upstairs and the next thing you see is fire?” she asked.
I did remember that incident. The reportedly intoxicated woman had attempted to burn down the family’s house, but residents of the area along with the husband of the sister who spoke to me, managed to contain the fire and save the building.
“Well is that same house the girls them move in,” the sister continued.
“One a them she look like a little girl because she fine, fine but she is a big girl. I notice after a few days she and this boy opposite me start talking a lot, you know. And then about five days ago, the girl move in with the boy.
“Well one day she left and went back to the yard and he went and fetch she over back. You know, she small piece and he just lift she up and bring she back and the two of them start living. I would see she washing he clothes, and so I say to myself the two a them now is husband and wife.
“Now today I sit down on the steps and I see the police come; it was two man and a woman and they went up in the house. They had with them one a de girl who move in next door and a man.
“I watching to see what going on and dey bring down the girl. I couldn’t hear everything but I hear the one girl explaining to the police how the man with them is the girl married husband and now she move in with this other man. The policewoman then start talking to she and telling she how them things could cause murder and how she have to choose who she want be with.
“The girl stand up long, long and she was shaking like and then she start crying. The boy from the house, he looking through the window and calling out to she, but she not answering, and she husband deh pon the one side. She taking so long to say something that one a dem policeman turn and say, ‘Girl talk quick nah we gat other things to go and do’.
“Then like she say she husband and they start to leave the yard. The boy de calling out she name but she hold she husband hand and they went back to the house next door. The other woman come back with the police and collect she clothes. Me ain’t even know when all dem clothes move in fuh she, but they come out with a big basket a clothes.
“Today a sitting here and if you see she and she husband in the yard sitting on a bike talking and laughing and the other boy deh by he brother not far away looking like he lost, lonely and helpless. He walking around the place looking sad, sad.
“And then I get to understand that the two a dem did know one another from before and she was living in de area and since she used to go to school dem used to talk. But the family send she away to another village after dey see them talking and like she get married. So the two people did like one another long it sound like,” she added.
As I listened to the sister I could not believe what I was hearing. The first thing that came to mind is how and why the police got involved. There are so many complaints from victims of crimes about police not responding. There are many reports also of police not acting on complaints of domestic abuse and in some cases, sadly, the woman ends up being killed.
Yet here it was: police officers marched up the stairs of a private home, removed an adult woman to ask her to choose between two men in her life. I am scratching my head wondering how?
The second thing is that it’s obvious the young woman is in need of some serious help. The fact that she returned to her husband could result in more emotional turmoil as well as lead to violence if her husband has not fully forgiven her for moving in with another man.
The third, is what was she running from when she took that drastic step? Obviously, those around her are of little or no help to her and I can only pray that all ends well for her and also for the two men in question.
