Dear Editor,
I was born in Guyana to Carmen Bess and John Emanuel Nestor, and was raised here. In April 1974 I left Guyana to come and work as a stenographer in Zambia on a technical assistance programme which then existed between the Guyanese and Zambian governments. I last met my dad in March/April 1977 which was also the last time that I visited my beloved country, Guyana. He visited me and I was thrilled to see him again.
I had travelled with my first-born son, Chimwengo, who was then a toddler. Chimwengo celebrated his first birthday on March 24, 1977 in Guyana and my dad was very pleased to see him.
He also attended the birthday party that I had organised for my son, and provided some cool drinks for the occasion. My dad also took me out to a special lunch during my visit and it was fun, as always, being in his company – quality time well spent! We had the opportunity to catch up on various happenings in each other’s lives.
I remember my dad as a very handsome man, of good stature in society. He was a respectable person, a gentleman indeed. He was also a very gifted sportsman and had the gift of the gab and a great sense of humour. We related very well to each other. He was proud of me and never hesitated to introduce me to his friends and colleagues. People have always told me that I resemble him a lot, and I know that I inherited many of his personal traits.
If my mind serves me right, I think he used to be a member of the cricket board in Guyana. Because of this I was always able to attend cricket matches, minus any hassle whatsoever, whenever Test cricket was played in Guyana. On every occasion my dad personally made it possible for me to attend with a friend or two.
One of my daughters, Nkole, has followed in his career footsteps. She is a journalist, having completed her diploma in Journalism and Media Studies only last year, and is inclined to sports coverage. She and her siblings have, for over a year now, been discussing their granddad with each other and trying to get information on his whereabouts. They had been longing to meet him some day soon, but fate had its own agenda.
Nkole and her older sister, Chishala, had even been surfing the web in an effort to contact him, using information provided by my Mum, Carmen Bess, but without success, until recently.
When trying to reach him again, she finally found information on her granddad though, belatedly and to her astonishment, it was unexpectedly sad news. She was quite distraught at reading the news of his death on the Stabroek website, but has now resigned herself to finding solace through contacting her grandad’s relatives and friends.
God blessed my dad with 93 long years, something that not many people are able to achieve these days. He had an illustrious life, the honour he received in 1996 is testimony to this. I will always cherish the good memories I have of him.
Yours faithfully,
Audrey Nestor Bess Nkole
