Taking care of Aunt Nettie
Published:Saturday | April 16, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Jermaine Francis, Gleaner Writer
STEWARTON, Clarendon: IT IS not very often you find young people taking care of their elders, but such is the case with a group of young women in the community of Stewarton, located in the hills of Clarendon. They are in complete adoration of a woman many in that community speculate to be more than 110 years old.
Elizabeth Messam, affectionately referred to as Aunt Nettie by members of her family and community, said she is not affected by her age and the one time she can remember ever being admitted to hospital was last December when, according to her, she simply had a little cold.
"Mi don't worry about anything, I just live with God's grace and nothing don't sick mi. Only thing is that I can't walk and mi body feel cold and the sight nuh so good," Messam stated while laying on her bed.
unable to recall her age
She told The Gleaner she is unable to recall her age, but is grateful to have lived for so long as it is not often that one lives to see their third generation.
Messam, who grew up in Stewarton, gave birth to seven children, of which only two are alive, Alice and Mavis, who are in their 80s. Her youngest child died five years ago at age 65.
She recounts her life growing up as fun and filled with happiness.
"From mi small, I never into the chakka-chakka living and is so I tell my children and grandchildren to live. Live good and clean," Messam stated, adding that she likes when the place is clean and commends her great grand children for doing that.
She said she went to the market when she was younger and washed clothes to make a living for herself. She said she was also skilled at cutting umbilical cords and took pleasure in carrying out this task in the community.
"Mi used to cut navel string nuff. As somebody have baby, dem run to me to cut the baby navel string," Messam recounted.
Messam, whose memory is still intact, said she does not eat chicken, but likes to eat mutton and beef. These days she takes pleasure in drinking tea throughout the day to keep her stomach warm.
enjoying the task
Latoya Hewitt, Messam's great-grand daughter, said she finds joy in taking care of her great grandmother and would not trade the task for any other in the world.
"Some days, all Aunt Nettie do is give us joke. She tells us about life and what we should do to have long and healthy life. So I love her and is a blessing and a pleasure looking after her," Hewitt stated.
When queried as to why she thinks she has lived so long, Messam said, "Is goodness and love in my heart cause me to live so long. Mi live with everybody good. I care for dem and dem care for me. That's it."
Messam said her mother's name was Keziah Lennon and noted that it was her mother's insistence in her children attending church when they were growing up that helped her to live a peaceful and happy life without much trouble.
These days, she said all she does is sing her favourite hymns Come Into My Heart and Too Late, Mercy Gone and listen to her great grand children reading the Bible for her.