It just won’t be the same without “Mammy”

Dec 25, 2019 News

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By Renay Sambach

Reminiscing on the good and bad times they shared with their mother, 16-year-old Tyrese Hubbard and 8-year-old Tyron Hubbard share how different it would be for them this festive holiday season.

For most people Christmas is a time of joy, togetherness, peace and celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas is also a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate a traditional Guyanese Christmas.
Tyrese and Tyron grew up with their mother in Queenstown Village located on the Essequibo Coast. While the rest of the villagers have long been engaged in activities such cleaning, shopping and other preparations in time for today, Tyrese and Tyron are still trying to cope with losing their mother, the sole breadwinner of their home, who died earlier this year.
Days before her 42nd birthday, Mary fell sick, and on June 19, 2019, she was admitted to the Suddie Public Hospital.
“After Mammy get sick my aunty dem carry she to the hospital…and aunty Roxanne say she would carry me to see Mammy a day, but when I asked her she changed her mind and told me I can’t go,” Tyrese reflected.
Mary was her sons’ superhero.
In December, adults attend their work social and children attend their school party. Tyron, a student of Queenstown Primary School, said that his mother didn’t get the chance to keep her promise to him since she passed away before he could have attended this year’s school party.
Tyron was unable to attend his school party last year since his mother couldn’t afford to buy him new clothes and a gift.
He said that last year after his mother explained to him that he wouldn’t be attending the school party, he was disappointed, but he stayed home and watched cartoons. He remembers the other children dressed in their new clothes, fancy shoes and boots, passing on their way to the party.
Later that afternoon he had sat on his steps as the children talked about how much fun they had at the school party, while holding balloons and party bags in their hand on their way home.
Mary had made a promise to her youngest son Tyron that she would have purchased him new clothes, boots and a gift for him to attend this year’s school party. However, Mary died months before she could have fulfilled the promise she made to her son.
“Mammy promised me that she would send me school party this year, but she dead before I get to dress up nice.”
Still in their memories, Tyrese and Tyron remember the Christmas they spent with their mother before she died. They shared that around the Christmas season they would have helped clean the yard and even helped their mother decorate the home for Christmas.
After weeks of hard work, cleaning and putting away, it all paid off on Christmas Day when their mother would cook a big pot of fried-rice and pot-roast chicken for lunch, and a pepper pot so delicious it would finish in less than a day. “After Mammy finished cooking was the best time for us and the time we spent together was fun.”
With a melancholy expression evident on both their faces, the lads appeared to be fighting back tears. The boys agreed that thinking about this Christmas is sad, since they didn’t know last year Christmas was the last Christmas they would have spent with their mother. The most hurtful part, they said, is having to live with the fact that they will never again be able to spend this joyous season with their mother in person, but just in spirit.
Even though today won’t be the same for Tyrese and Tyron, they are willing to make the best out of it and make the necessary adjustments in order to keep their Christmas spirit alive.
While Tyron will be spending Christmas with his aunt Roxanne, Tyrese has moved in with his boss and his family. Minutes away from each other, the boys still communicate with each other. Tyrese visits his aunt’s home regularly and is able to see his brother off to school every day.
Tyron’s face lit up, while still having teardrops on his face, when he shared that even though his mother died before she purchased his school party items, his aunt kept his mother’s promise and she bought new clothes and ensured that he had everything to attend his school party
Today, Tyrese will wake up at his boss’ home, but he will go and visit his brother and carry him for a treat. The ‘badcow’ is a traditional event that happens during the Christmas season in Queenstown Village.
There will be days when the boys will miss seeing their mother and hearing her voice and sadness will overcome them, but their mother will always be in their hearts even if she won’t be able to be there to hold them anymore.
After years of learning and having fun with their mother, this Christmas will take a huge adjustment for the Hubbard brothers. While Christmas for some is cheerful and fun, Tyrese and Tyron will be trying their best to keep a smile on their faces and never forget that their mother will always remain in their hearts.

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