Ma Leta Salandy
By Ras Tyehimba and Tammy Davalia
Event Date: July 16, 2008
Posted: July 24, 2008
Who was Ma Leta?
There is no easy answer to this question because she was many things to many people. She was mother, wife, grandmother, gardener, nurturer, storyteller, cook, artist and queen of the Salandy family. She was the mother of four boys and eight girls: Ginette, Calvin (Kabadda, deceased), Alfred (Blusie), Walter (Scratch), Valda, Magda, Faye, Yolannde (deceased), Jennifer, Beverly, Blanche (deceased) and Edward. She had twenty-nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Final viewing of Ma Leta Salandy
Leta Julien was born on January 28, 1911. She was the last of four daughters. She was born in Diego Martin and lived in Beausejour during the last seventy-six years of her life. She came from the days of the flambeau and fireside, the days when agriculture was the central part in the lives of many ordinary people. The days where cocoa was king and much of Diego Martin was an agricultural district covered in cocoa and coffee estates; where people planted most of their food, and danced the cocoa; where children's snacks were fruits from the many trees around. The days when people did not have cars, but walked everywhere and relied on donkey carts to transport goods. She lived through one of the most eventful centuries in history, often telling us about her first sighting of bicycles when they were brought to Trinidad and of the first cars as well.
Relatives of Ma Leta Salandy
She experienced two World Wars, Labour Riots, Uriah Butler, Eric Williams, and other heroes. She witnessed the birth of a nation, the movement from the weakening stranglehold of British colonialism to being a politically independent nation. She experienced the Trinidad Railway, the birth of the Steelpan, Food Stamps, the Black Power Movement, the Muslimeen Coup and the days where a dollar had value. She came from the days when bread was a penny and condensed milk was six cents and people used to work for five dollars a month. From there she lived to a period where five dollars which could have done so much, to the present period where five dollars cannot buy a loaf of bread or a tin of condensed milk. From then till now, society had changed immensely and she adapted well in response to electricity, microwaves, telephones, electric stoves, television and the many other conveniences of this age that were not present during most of her life.
Funeral Service
The point is that Ma experienced and witnessed great change over the 97 years of her life, not only in terms of her self and her family, but also in terms of the community and the evolution of Trinidad and Tobago society. Bits and pieces of the history of our country would come out in the stories and experiences she would share.
She was a remarkable storyteller of both real life events and folk stories and would go into these vivid and rich descriptions of the many things that she had experienced in her life, her husband, her children and what it was like to live in the long time days. She is remembered for her many sayings and pearls of wisdom, some of which she created from her own insight and observances. One of these goes: "Mangoes fall boof boof boof. Who ran for it, did not get it, who got it, did not eat it, and who eat it, got licks for it."
Gravestone of Raleigh Salandy
She was deeply connected to her husband, Raleigh, who passed away twenty-three years ago on the very date that Ma passed away. She told me that she often dreamed of him, and that they would be talking and interacting as they had before he passed away. It was a very close and happy marriage lasting more than fifty-two years in which they never spent a night away from each other. Many recall that she was always working side-by-side with Pa. Her love for people and her welcoming heart led the family to grow during school holidays. The house would be full of family and friends beyond her own children, all wanting to enjoy her good company, to listen to her enthralling stories and to partake of her delicious cooking.
Ma Leta Salandy's garden
In her later years, after her children had grown, she pursued her love for gardening and did it with a passion. The beautiful garden that she has kept for many years is a testament to her landscaping ability and green thumb as well as persistence, strength, discipline and understanding of the importance of doing her best. Until this year we could find her working in her garden even despite attempts to keep her quietly indoors. We are literally enjoying the fruits of her labour to this day and the beautiful plants and flowers that she tended are admired by many.
The Salandy house
Ma was an extremely hard worker - a trait which she instilled in her children from a young age. She herself would wake up at 4 or 5 a.m., plan her day and write out all of the things that she wanted to accomplish. Then she would start her day. She always had a project on the go and would make sure she got help to do it - whether renovating some part of the house, or a landscaping task, or even something creative. She was an excellent judge of character and that helped her to designate tasks to appropriate individuals very effectively. The interaction went far beyond the various tasks to be done, because she would share her perspectives on life, her insights and her many rich experiences with those assisting her. And if a person thought that the tasks she delegated were hard, she worked many times harder! Into her nineties she could be found skillfully wielding all manner of garden tools including a hoe, the hammer, pickaxe, shovel, digger and cutlass. Even when she got weaker, she continued to do these things, albeit in a slower and more patient manner. Many people would marvel at her strength.
Carrying out the casket
There are many things about her personality that we can all use in our daily lives to improve our lives as individuals. This is important as people should understand the lessons that people share by their presence on earth. This of course, includes not only the positive and good things about a person, but also ways in which they (and now you) could have done differently or better. One of the great things about Ma was her attitude towards time. When Ma was going out, she would get ready early and when the appointed time came, she would surely be ready, even if others were not. Given the lax attitudes of many Trinis to time, she would often have to wait for the late comer(s) and this used to upset her (rightly so). If she gave her word that she would be ready for nine o'clock she would be and she would expect you to be there also.
Beside her love of people and gardening Ma was very creative, as many of us can testify having seen her handiwork framed on the walls of her home and having tasted her wonderful treats.
At the Cemetery in Diego Martin
She did not wish to conform to perceptions about how she should be, or how old people should be. She made sure that she did the things that she enjoyed and saw benefit in, and that was very important, I think, in her living this long life. She shattered the perceptions that the place of a ninety-something year old lady was in a rocking chair. She was tremendously active and strong and showed a passion for lifelong learning. At eighty-six years old she did a batik course, where she topped the class, and at ninety years old she wanted to go to the university with her daughter to do a landscaping course. In 1979 she was declared Mother of the Year by the Diego Martin Organisation and was also awarded for being the longest serving member of the Beausejour community.
Family and friends of Ma Leta Salandy
She also liked social events, and made sure that a birthday party was arranged for her every year into her nineties, where she would dance into the early morning hours and show her youthfulness.
She witnessed and had a hand in many people's growth and transformation from gurgling, innocent babies to children and finally to full adulthood, similar to how she witnessed the birth and growth of Trinidad and Tobago as an Independent Republic.
Relatives of Ma Leta Salandy at the gravesite
She had a lot of love and compassion for her family and those who encountered her. She rejoiced in the attention of her family, especially her daughters who looked after her so well. She was proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
We would like to acknowledge all those who have sent their love and wishes from abroad, and especially thank all who are here with us showing love and support today.
To Grandma, we thank you for your wisdom, love and strength. You will live on in our memories.
Ma Leta Salandy's Send-Off in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=279584
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