Latest update December 18th, 2024 5:45 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

The death of a vagrant

Oct 13, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
Disregard for a fellow human’s life is nothing new in society today. We all are witnessing it everyday, but the way it’s happening and to whom, makes me so angry that words cannot explain.
There was a man by the name of ‘Babu’ who lived all his life on the Uitvlugt Sideline Dam. I would normally see him often, ever since I moved into that area around six months ago. He would normally give me a call and occasionally ask me for money to buy alcohol. He would also ask me if I had any odd jobs to do at my premises for a price every time I see him.
I sometimes declined to give him money because at times he would be by a place where I see a lot of people inhibiting alcohol. I would tell him that I do not like the idea of giving my hard dollars to be washed down in alcohol. I would promise to call him if I should need to have anything done in the yard.
I never knew the man’s name or bothered to ask him, but would see him running errands for people and when I asked my neighbors they would inform me that he does that for food and small change because he has no one.
On October 10, as I was about to leave home to see my wife and newborn daughter at my in-laws, I heard someone calling. It was “Babu”. I went to him and saw him trembling. When I enquired, he said that he was not feeling well and that he needed $20 to buy tablets.
Knowing all types of people and the tricks they use to obtain money from people I called my neighbour and showed him the man. I informed my neighbour that the man needed money to buy tablets and asked if the man was up to tricks.
My neighbour asked him what happened to him and how long had he been like that. The man said that he had been ill since the day before.
No one was looking twice at him. When he was well everyone had used him and sometimes gave him nothing.
I asked the man about his failure to go to the hospital which was a 15-minute walk and he said that no one wanted to take him.
I then inform the man that I would give him money to take a taxi or catch a minibus and go to the hospital if he would go. One taxi driver charged me $1,200 for a three-minute ride. I refused him.
I returned late the night and I looked for this man. I never found him.  I asked his relatives and they said that they didn’t know.
Two days later I saw people busy building a tent. Some folks started telling each other that I was the person who was taking this unknown man to the hospital.
They told me that he came back with a prescription for tablets that he had to get from the hospital on Monday; they told me that he left to go to the funeral of the man who had drowned a few days earlier. Then they told me that after that funeral that he went to the wall and died there some time.
Had people given “Babu” a second look, perhaps he might have been alive today. Instead of rushing to help build a tent and talking good of him, especially those who loved to have him slave for a meal or alcohol, they could have done something to enrich his life.
Sahadeo Bates

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

 

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Clarendon College too good for Dolphin as Annai Sec’ holds Speyside College to 4-all draw

Clarendon College too good for Dolphin as Annai Sec’ holds Speyside...

Dec 18, 2024

-KFC Goodwill Int’l Football Series heats up today Kaieteur News- The Petra Organisation’s fifth Annual KFC International Secondary Schools Goodwill Football Series intensified yesterday with two...
Read More
Glasgow excided for MLS journey with Chicago Fire

Glasgow excided for MLS journey with Chicago Fire

Dec 18, 2024

Matthews slams unbeaten 85 as Windies Women hammer India by nine wickets to level series

Matthews slams unbeaten 85 as Windies Women...

Dec 18, 2024

No room to breathe as five more teams to advance to quarters tomorrow

No room to breathe as five more teams to advance...

Dec 18, 2024

Sammy to be appointed as West Indies Senior Men’s Head Coach for all formats

Sammy to be appointed as West Indies Senior...

Dec 17, 2024

Bangladesh hold nerve to defend 148 and take 1-0 T20I series lead over West Indies

Bangladesh hold nerve to defend 148 and take 1-0...

Dec 17, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]