Mark Malcom

"Marco, MarcO!"

Enough people call to Mark during the day and afternoon, I hear it all the time. Mark is with Lucy, they're my closest neighbors, geographically and personally. They are from Parishara, though Lucy teaches Nursery School here in Yups, and they stay in the dilapidated teacher's quarters right next to my house.

Lucy is quite an active woman. She's curious and playful and has a sparkle in her eye at all times. And, of course, she's working full time. If one didn't look close enough, you could swear that Lucy 'wears the pants' in the relationship.

There ARE mild jokes about such; Lucy being the one with steady work and therefore uprooting the couple for it, they're both of personalities that suggests she pulls Mark along with her fancies. People tease, calling Mark "Mr. Andrew," which is Lucy's surname.

The two aren't married. They've been together for 23 years, though, and have children. Their youngest, Anthony, is in secondary school in St. Ignatius and is a spitting image of Mark. I would say that the two are in an even more caring relationship than some of the married couples down here. They enjoy each other, and openly demonstrate so. They do things together, not just basic living tasks, but things like dancing the night away and sitting in hammocks, reading or looking at magazines.

Mark is taciturn, unlike Lucy, but he's just as witty and alert and busy. He finds ways to earn money, whether it be through CH or contractors or going out to do logging or mining. When he's not earning money, he keeps busy during the day, whether it be engaged in 'manly' activities of fishing, repairing bikes or carpentry, or more 'domestic' activities of cleaning, cooking, or being attentive to his dogs; it's really obvious he loves his dogs - Kai, too.

Mark and Lucy's house is snug. Although it's about ready to fall down and is only a house they stay in temporarily, it somehow evokes a feeling of happiness and things as they should be. Both keep the place as spotless as possible, all objects on and in the house are kept working well. Mark has made lights out of old flashlight bits and old batteries, he's built stools for the house, has a place to hang saltfish or tasso, has his seine (fishing net) that he keeps immaculate. The shelves above the two burner stove has a jar of pepper sauce, a bottle of casareep and a plastic container of salt, that's about it. They have little here, but what they have is cared for, and found pleasure in.

As I pass Mark through the village during the day, he shyly calls to me "All right, Miss Sarah." When Lucy comes into the house and plays cards with us, he stays at home. He's always fixed my bicycle and done other repairs on my things or the house, mostly with Lucy's instruction, but he does it in such a way that makes it seem like he was waiting for Lucy to tell him to do it, or for me to ask, so he could do it.

When other men here would sit around, liming and/or drinking, during the entire day, and let the dishes be dirty or the let the laundry be, or let things fall and remain in disrepair, Mark does not. He certainly limes with men, just not excessively. Their household would be quite scant if he did not as actively tend to it as needed, because Lucy is a busy professional woman during the day, unlike most of the ladies down here. Mark does not act like he's bothered by teases about his and Lucy's relationship. In fact, the two seem to be blissfully ignorant to it, and good-natured and polite to whoever they encounter. Mark's as gentle as a lamb, though I know he would protect me from whatever I may need protecting from. Lucy is as cheerful as one could be, but has shown me how to ignore and passive aggressively deal with bothersome men. They both look out for and look after me quite well, and seem to respect my privacy when it comes to non-village activities at my house.

The two are virtuous, but not religious. Amerindian, but not strictly Makushi or Wapishana (Lucy grew up speaking Portuguese). Up with modernity, but still traditional. Happy and confident, but not overly demonstrative or attention-seeking. Different, yet the same.

Mark lets Lucy be her different, spunky, assertive, special self, and in doing so, lets loose his own special side. In a world of certain gender roles down here, that's quite a feat.

Mark Malcolm is a humble, good-natured, good man and I am glad to know him. I hope I can somehow express this to him, eventually.