At 5:20 p.m. on Friday, February 10, 1995 I answered the telephone. Someone with an English accent asked for me and said that it was Selo calling. Immediately I realized who she was and asked whether she was calling from England. As soon as she answered in the affirmative I said “Oh No!”. I knew that it was something serious and feared for the worse. Selo then informed me that my good friend Ed had passed away. I was stunned for a while and felt helpless. Helpless because another friend had been taken away. Ed was 59. He had had a heart ailment for many years and had suffered a stroke a few years ago.
Twenty years earlier, I lost my nephew Neil (23) and friend Arthur Chang-Yen (38). They died tragically in separate car accidents in Guyana. In 1975, another nephew Vibert (29) was shot and killed in a robbery in my brother’s drug store. My brother Lionel and a store clerk were also shot but they survived. More recently, a nephew Michael (22) and a cousin Denis Bankay (52) died in Toronto.
In 1950 Edward De Raney and I were students at Central High School. I was one form higher then Ed and cannot recall ever speaking to him at that time. I did remember him because he stood out--hair always well groomed, dark, mature, good looking and with a nice smile. I next saw him in 1955 when we attended evening Science classes at Queen’s College in Georgetown, Guyana. At that time we were both working in the Civil Service. I was at the Post Office and Ed at the Customs Department. Like the other students in the class, we were taking Science for the first time because it had not been offered to us in our respective High Schools. At that time the High Schools in Guyana, except Queen’s College and Bishop’s High School, were privately run and the teaching of Science was not considered a priority. We were all planning on pursuing further studies abroad because there were no Universities, Colleges, Community Colleges or other post secondary institutions in Guyana. As far as I remember, Queen’s college was the only school that offered an evening class in Science. We considered ourselves fortunate. Ed and I got along very well and soon became close friends. He lived in Ruimveldt, on the out skirts of Georgetown, and I lived at the corner of Camp and Norton Streets. Ed used to ride his bike and pick me up on our way to Queen’s College. Later we chummed around with Clancy Validen and Caliph Hack.
The period from 1955 to 1958 was one of the happiest periods of my life. I was able to socialize with most of my friends from High School, many of whom were working in the Civil Service in Georgetown. I also developed new friends at work and at Evening Science classes. Ed, Clancy, Caliph and I enjoyed the cakes and pop in the “cake shops” in Camp Street on our way home from classes. On many Friday evenings after classes, we would hurry home for a snack and go to the movies. Ed got complimentary tickets from friends. We loved musicals. Ed encouraged us to take dancing lessons at Derek Leo’s home in Ketley Street. Derek was a friend of Ed. At that time I was very shy. I slowly gained confidence and had lots of fun at the many birthday and house warming parties we attended. Now, when I hear songs by Pat Boone, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney and other artists of that era, my mind quickly flashes to the many happy moments we enjoyed during that period.
Ed and I shared a strong desire to do well and to be adequately prepared for life overseas. Whenever either of us heard of someone who had studied abroad, we went to meet that person to learn as much as possible about University life. Our parents encouraged us and allowed us to save. Finally in 1958, after completing my “O” Level G.C.E. Examination in Chemistry, Biology and Physics, I left Guyana for Guelph, Ontario, Canada. In the following year Ed left for England. We corresponded with each other regularly.
We saw each other again in 1966 in Guyana. I had completed my studies and was working with The Ministry of Agriculture in Georgetown. Ed came home on a visit. Lucy and I had been married the previous year but Ed was still a bachelor. We went out to a dance with Ed, Winston Tamaya, Ann Swamber and Jaquie Nelson. I took Ed to a great party hosted by James Mohabir. We had a wonderful time during Ed’s visit. In 1970 Ed visited us (Lucy and I had immigrated to Canada in 1968) when we lived in an apartment in William Street in Guelph. Ramon was a baby. I took Ed to a few cricket games and to a cricket club party and also to my school in Erin. He liked Canada and enjoyed himself.
Shortly after Ed returned to Guyana and took up a post with Booker’s Sugar Estates at Skeldon Estate. In 1974 my family took a holiday in Guyana where we met Ed and his wife Selo. When political and economic conditions worsened in Guyana, Ed and family immigrated to England and settled in High Wycombe, in England. My family and I spent a night with Ed, Selo, Paul and Viveka in the summer of 1979 when we went on a holiday to England, France and Germany. I saw Ed for the last time in 1981 when he and his family spent one night with us in Dumbarton Street.
During all these years we kept up our correspondence. I enjoyed hearing from him. Our personalities were similar and we shared the same expectations and interests. We cherished our friendship. Now Ed has departed. Another chapter in my life has ended and I will surely miss him. Farewell my friend.
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Ed and Selo De Raney and friend (1974) |
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Arthur Chang Yen, Lucy and Cassim Khan |
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Family Gathering (1995) Back Row: (L to R)
Lionel, Sita, Errol, Gavin, David, and Ranji (leaning) Front: (L to R) Lucy, Jovin, Teesha, Navita, Sonia, Sheila, Sonita Stooping: Hector |