Women’s Chronicles

She sits on the pavement in front of a popular downtown Georgetown mall, her hands working feverishly as she crochets.

“Building a home is a taxing process for any person but I believe it’s a lot more difficult when you’re young and add to the mix, a woman.

“I miss my students and sometimes and I worry about them a lot.

I was prepared for the morning sickness and food aversions, big feet, swollen fingers, shortness of breath, huge nose and lips, darkened skin across the neck, face and the unimaginable places and of course the stretch marks which many regard as badges of honour.

“The first time I really get to experience it is when I was at this police function and the driver of the officer come to me and was giving me some keys.

Depression and anxiety are mental health problems, but people are often afraid to admit that they are struggling with these complaints because they are ashamed or do not want to be labelled as mad.

Classes will resume virtually when the new school term starts on Monday.

“Sometimes, you know, I would say that everything happen for the best and, you know, that God is in charge.

I had promised myself for some time now to chronicle my pregnancy experience as a first-time mom so that my daughter can have it as a keepsake if she ever one day wants to know the story of her birth.

“I am extremely proud of myself for the woman I have become.

“Well I see she back home now and is like she would be looking at me from underneath, you know.

“I am just trying to put my life back together and move on.

“Sometimes I get lonely, but I don’t let it bother me too much because for me right now, taking someone is not something I want to do.

“These last few months since the pandemic came to Guyana have really been hard for me.

“People would always say that when you don’t have children to mind then things must be really easy.

“A lot of work coming but sometimes I can’t explain it to she and then I have to work and when I come home in the nights I does be too tired.

“Little girls need to know their place, sorry to say this because I don’t know the whole story, but I know these teenagers behave more bruk out than we old people.”

“I know I made a big mistake and every day I am sorry.

“This is the second day I coming here. Yesterday when I come I didn’t even had nothing to eat because I say I would come and get through fast.

“For 19 years I have been living with HIV and I see the good and the bad in people.