Aunt Maureen and Aunt Alma pulled me to dance with them, effectively opening the dance floor, and told me “You must pull people for dance!” After that was dancing interrupted by refilling mugs and other interesting requests such as a tarpaulin to lay the children down (because no party is exclusively an adult party, and children are not exempt from sampling the drink, no matter how strong it is), cups of water, hammock to relax in and requests to change up the music or to try what they had brought. Franzea kept encouraging me to go dance, dance, which I tried to do. At one point, she fried up the birthday fish I’d received and that fed close friends. I couldn’t bring myself to say no to any requests to refill mugs – this contributed to the rapidly diminishing supply of drinks, I believe. A healthy amount of people came and I tried to make rounds, although I admit, in the dark, I couldn’t recognize everyone – not to mention I still don’t know everyone’s names or remember that I’ve met them before. It’s like, “Hello You!” Despite that, so many people are so special to me and I tried to make them feel that, although that is logistically difficult to do. I was basically enjoying it, though. For many of the people, they’d never been by my house. Most stayed outside, and I made sure to put my valuables in my bedroom and lock the door, and Franzea was mostly inside to keep an eye on things. CH Crew arrived, fashionably late, sauntering over to The Table, and of course, getting their own bucket of rice wine. Some Crew from the South was around, and they had brought a South Blend of cari for me, which was nice. Chris gave me a bottle of rum. Nice presents. Speaking of presents, a few days earlier, Russian gave my a bday present, a headband. It was very, very sweet.
I had fun dancing with my favorite people, and I danced with whoever asked me, something I don’t always do. All were respectful. And, with Fernando and Leroy and others who weren’t strictly of the village, I could dance more enthusiastically with, which was nice. Some Forro Gyga played finally and I got excited – this is what I first learned to dance to! It’s what the epitome of my Rupununi life here is. I ran outside and met up with Vaughn, who knew. He’s always good for a spirited, nice dance (or two). Alicia, Franzea and I tried to take pauses in sharing out, though I think we could have taken it even more slow, because drinks started to diminish, though I kept getting bombarded with requests until I finally stopped the music and made an announcement that whatever was left was on The Table, that’s it. Of course, no one ever believes that that’s it, and usually that’s never it. Truthfully, I was holding back one last bucket for my actual birthday. Drinks finally finished between 12 and 12:30. (‘Cept that 1 bucket.)
I had more and more fun, laughing and dancing until I decided to turn off the music around 1 or 1:30. Shamir was my last dance and a half; I told him it was ‘a must,’ he was obligated because it was my birthday. (We’ve only danced once before, our first dance happening only last month!) It was a nice dance to close the dance floor with. People were still feeling it and could have kept dancing (some were just getting started), myself included, but I figured we’d end it strong, and not disturb the rest of the village to late into the night, plus encourage decorum. Parties will typically go on until the cari finishes or the battery dies, which more often than not means early, early morning. Music was cut off and I started cleaning up, though some men still lingered on the side of my house, and ok, I had one man passed out on the ground, but just one!
Reports from those who went to check out Inez’s house said that not as many people were there as were at my place, however once my music cut out, many went that side. Fernando and Shamir came back for one last shot, though, and I closed the night with two of the people I’m closest with here. Water was on all night so we could keep washing cups and dishes, I never got too dosed up, and people truly did seem to be enjoying themselves. Went to bed around 2 a.m., satisfied – with how it went, and that it was over. Time will tell if all went well that night. But I, at least, had fun. No lingering itations. (Itations, which I'm sure you're dying to know by now, simply means "issues" or "hang ups." Sort of negative, not necessarily, though.) Next year, if there is a next year, we’ll go for dancing, drinks and a meal. Another year older another year wiser – that’s the hope, at least. And another year of development with my village. Because development doesn’t just come in terms of education, political and agricultural etc., but personal and social, too.
*My party was held on this day, the 24th, though my actual birthday was on the Tuesday after it, and was nice, too. Teachers gathered after school at Lucy's for some rum and rice wine, we danced to some forro, then Franzea, Mike and Shamir came to my house for the evening to chill. Ideal.
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