Which one of us will live to be 117 years old? Very, very few of us will have that privilege.
I was elated when it was confirmed that I could document a day in the life of a woman right here in our Caribbean region who is among the special few who have lived so many years. Off I went to the island of Grenada and on my second day there, I took the Ospreyfast ferry and sailed north to Carriacou island to meet this very special lady. Although she spent much of the day resting I felt both honoured and awed just being in her presence.
Leonora Noel, affectionately known as ‘Masima’is one of a select few people in the world to be living into their second century. It’s quite possible that she may be the second oldest person alive, although the lack of a birth certificate makes this claim difficult to prove, Masima as she recently celebrated her 117th birthday. She was born in Venezuela on December 10, 1901. Her mother died in childbirth when she was 7 years old and her father, who felt that she should be raised by a woman, sent her to live with an aunt in Carriacou, while he kept her brother Elejandro, who she never saw again. Masima was raised in Mt Pleasant and Belmont by her aunt Dora McLeoud in Carriacou. She has lived in L’Esterre, a village famed as home to the late great master musician and internationally acclaimed naïf painter Canute Calliste.
Although she was never married, Masima had 5 children. One son and daughter died,while two daughters and one son are still alive. Her daughter Ruth Bristol, who is 80 years old lives with her; her other daughter Olga Pope who is 82 years old, lives in the United Kingdom and her son Francis Toussaint lives in US Virgin Islands.
Her daughter Ruth described her mother as a work house and she believes that is one of the reasons she has lived this long. Ruth said she knows she is not going to live as long as her mother:“De doctor say me mother strong too much, she stronger than me.”“Me eh meeting dey whey me mother meet.”Ah done mash up already where ah sit down here yuh know, ah done break up.”I only will make quarter of what meh mother make.”