The scattering of the mustard seeds of Guyanese and their descendants across the diaspora as a result of migration – both legal and illegal – has had many spin-off effects on our society. A reminder of the most obvious consequences, capital flight and the loss of our best and brightest minds is not required. The gutting of the middle class, the fabric which held our society together, and contributed the majority of membership to service organisations such as the Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary, sporting bodies and cultural entities, is sadly reflected in the dwindling numbers and declining standards of such institutions.
On the other hand, the ripple repercussions of this migratory trend have had some positive outcomes. These include the massive input of foreign currency via remittances that have served to significantly sustain the country’s cash flow in tough times, and the development and subsequent expansion of the ‘barrel industry’, which not only provided the necessities and some luxuries of life, but also created jobs. Alumni of several secondary schools ranging from Essequibo to the Corentyne have not forgotten their roots and have formed overseas branches of associations that host reunions and fund-raising activities, the proceeds of which – either in cash or kind (equipment, supplies) are forwarded to their respective alma maters. Others have founded charitable organisations to assist ‘back home’ in various ways, including medical outreaches and donations.
Other reverberations have taken longer to appear on the canvas of life. Thumbing through the pages of a copy of the British Guiana Telephone Directory from the 1950s or 1960s, or even a copy of a Guyana Telecommunications Corporation Directory from the 1970s will reveal an oft overlooked eventuality. A similar observation can be drawn from a visit to the older sections of Le Repentir Cemetery – if one is prepared or equipped to engage with that heavily overgrown landmark – or, conduct an inspection of the head stones in the small burial grounds beside some of the older religious institutions scattered across the country. Sadly, it is the disappearance of some family names from the local social landscape. When one peruses the printed records or prowls among the tombs of our forebears, this revelation leads to the conclusion that this trend is actually still an ongoing phenomenon.
As this trickle-down ramification spreads it is accompanied by another subset. Not everyone makes it out of the starting gates of the ‘promised land’. Yes, it is a race the moment one touches down in the northern climes of regions 11 and 12, it’s just not loudly announced on arrival. The stragglers, oblivious to the silent starter’s flag, are soon sputtering, going in circles, or stuck in a holding pattern struggling to join the progressive peloton. Those left holding the fort have various reasons for their action: too old to be sponsored, not interested at the time, can’t handle the cold climate, or prefer to just visit annually. In many cases, the family patriarch and matriarch are content in their own home and do not wish to impose on their children’s lives. Also, quite out of the norm, someone might opt to stay back and look after their parent(s).
Often, the skirmish begins at the passing of the last parent, with the inevitable squabbling among the siblings, and in some rare cases, their offspring. Those who remained at home suddenly find themselves at loggerheads with the overseas-based, particularly the stragglers. The tug-o-war over the validity of the will and the eventual distribution of the estate scales new heights. If the person dies intestate and it’s a sizable or valuable estate with several beneficiaries anxious to stake a claim, it can become a field day for the legal fraternity as everyone scrambles to secure the best counsel. The conflict can quickly escalate from a war of words – who has done what and who has and hasn’t contributed to the parents’ upkeep in their westering years – to physical threats, to restraining orders. The credibility of the final caregiver comes under the microscope, as the spouses of the legatees join the fray. In extreme cases, violence becomes the order of the day. The larger the estate, the longer the battle rages. Sound reasoning and basic logic are tossed out of the window, while the mounting (most of which can be avoided) legal costs chip away at the value of the legacy.
Some might suggest that the aforementioned is par for the course whether overseas siblings are involved or not. However, the elements of migration, the acquisition of new (not necessarily better) values, time and distance away from home, add new variables to an already loaded powder keg of an equation. The obvious, simple solution is to make a will with the guidance of a trusted lawyer, appoint an executor and send copies via registered mail to all the heirs. Here is where it can get complicated. Most of the older generation are loath to make wills, associating the exercise with adages such as, “they planning to get rid of me” or the superstitious belief that it hastens their passing. Further, a disappointed legatee will wait until death to challenge the validity of the will, questioning the state of mind of the testator at the time of its signing. It’s a legal maze, with the heirs often conceding no ground as the passage of time either erodes the value of the estate, or, ironically, in the instance of prime land, escalates it, thus adding fuel to the intensity of the fight. In the meantime, the family is being ripped asunder.
There are other instances where the legatees couldn’t be bothered in the least, and whatever efforts and sacrifices were made by the previous generation (or two) is left to the vagaries of the weather, as is the case of prolonged disputes. Evidence of this phenomenon is readily on display when one drives around the streets of Georgetown and its environs and observes abandoned and decaying properties shrouded in overgrowth of creepers or other parasitic plants.
The migration wave has erased the names of several families from our history, and continues to contribute to the dissolution of families whether through distance, time or legal wrangling. Whether we like it or not, it has evolved into a slice of our culture. As one person shrewdly mooted to a recent enquiry regarding the status of the nonagenarian matriarch of a potentially complex intra-generational inheritance, “the war ain’t break yet”.
