Dear Editor,
Really time does fly, I couldn’t believe that it’s almost 20 years since those two sisters were lost in our dense jungle. I’m sure that I speak for many when I say it was completely blotted out from my mind until Stabroek News’ Gaulbert Sutherland took us back in time: “Girl lost in jungle 19 years ago recalls ordeal” S.N. Oct 6th, 2014.
Reading the story about Bertina and Bernadette Domingo was definitely not a “Cinderella” kind fairy-tale stuff, and if there is anyone who reads it and thinks so I beg of you to share your views perhaps it may help me to see it from a different and positive perspective.
I can remember so well their humility and respect which they exhibited upon reaching some miners at a camp-site after such an ordeal even as young as they were then, the first set of words they uttered were “good afternoon”, such impassive response befitting philosophers. Few grown adults under such condition would have been able to maintain their composure.
But after reading what Gaulbert Sutherland reported, the permutations of thoughts that flooded my mind left me in quandary: Just why should I be worried, bemoaning over the affairs of others? This is the way of Society, these things will go on and on forever, just who do you think you are? Who is listening?
Who cares? Why keep writing words that no one hears? Then for a moment a thought – why allow yourself to become like them, what good does it bring?
And by the way I think these kind of stories should be compiled into a book, we have so many poignant, heart-rending human interest stories that would sure make wonderful readings – they need chronicling.
But definitely there are some worrying things that were mentioned: the promise made to the sisters by the then late President, $65,500 they were to uplift upon attaining the age of 18 years; Bertina said she lost all of her documents when she took ill – bank slip, medal awarded, plaque etc.
She had wanted to become a nurse, was she assisted in any way in realising her life’s ambition? She never got a chance to write exams, form two was the highest class then in that community – what now!?
Also mentioned was the difficulty getting items to those remote areas; that her 11-year-old daughter would soon be sent to Secondary school at Annai and would be boarding there, the money promised to her and sister would certainly be welcome. I will play the positive card here and assume that Bernadette the younger sister is doing well in Brazil, so let that be.
Editor, in light of all the above it behoves one to ask; just where was/are the representative of the community? Government officials, Toshaos and other personnel?
For a very long time I was under the impression that special attention was being paid to those two sisters, they were our young heroines. I remember two American pilots who were lost somewhere in the desert for two weeks, their plane was shot down/crashed and they were decorated and honoured as heroes. They made headlines all over magazines, tabloids etc. And they were grown men, soldiers with sturdy constitutions trained in survival skills as compared with our two young women-virtually babies – 9 and 13 years old and had to battle with a formidable and treacherous jungle infested with wild ferocious beasts and dangerous reptiles empty handed – except for a cutlass – starving and being stalked by a jaguar which they endured and survived for about six weeks! You know it’s so disheartening, one hears and reads so much about the big brouhaha being made, the rapid and radical positive changes being made in these remote far-reaching hinterland regions, yet now reading this story after twenty years, it seems such an illusion, sad indeed.
Bertina and Bernadette, though now 32 and 28 years old respectively, together have 11 children six and five; and while that is nothing unusual, upon reflection and examining the present I don’t think we would want to classify the outcome of events, since their ordeal as a form of achievement where we can be proud. With six children to take care of, Bertina does farming and fishing in the jungle surrounding her remote village Apoteri, while her eldest son who is 15 years old works in the gold field.
In the inner recesses of our minds our conscience speaks.
Yet I sensed that she does exhibit heroine qualities, for though she has not been able to become a nurse, she does possess the strength, resilience and determination nursing six children – a nurse in her own right, as mothers are in spite of broken promises, disappointments and lost medals. But she deserves more than a medal at this stage. I wish the sister the grace and fullness of life and I hope that somehow she would be able to see this letter.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
