Moving n Understanding the folks

Posted on August 15, 2010 by grahame1414

Leaving one’s friends behind is one of the hardest things any boy my age should have to go through. It was one of the most jarring times in my life … I was only eleven @ the time and it seemed as though someone had just pulled the rug from beneath me and by extension my mother and sister. We were moving from Carenage to Diego Martin..And even though the move was sudden , the hurtful part was not being able to say goodbye in the shorterm and the long lasting resentment of our friends and neighbors,,,. But as we tried and tried to explain to no avail, that we didn’t know we were moving, those cries fell harder and harder on deaf ears. .

Where was my moms mouth in all of this you ask? Well her personality didn’t allow her to act out in the presence of my rigid and ignorant father. A petite woman in stature, a trait that was more often than not overshadowed by her big heart and generous nature, which led her into the role of matriarch of our family and extended family. But with that came a price as she and my father were like fire and ice.

As a couple they fought a lot but all in all as parents…where my father faltered my mom picked up the slack and one thing gained from that experience apart from what not to do in a marriage, was the strong work ethics they both showed, as well as the emphasis on education, moral and spiritual values. My house however had no love in it. At least it was not spoken. Come to think of it we never said “I love you” in that house or even hugged, leading one to believe that we were a family apart…maybe we were.

Laughter came @ the expense of others; And when we laughed we laughed! My mom @ one time had this Chinese hairdresser downtown, and on this particular day when she went by him he told her ” Miss Cookie ah have a new ting ah wanna try….. u mind? ”

Well my mom is all for a bargain so what the hell!

By the time she came home she was bald ! I mean bald-bald, not a grain on d woman head …Zero Hair os, nada! And my father had a field day with that one, going so far as to buy a wig and place it on a water melon…That was one of the many funny episodes…She was also accident prone; Looking back now I realize how lucky I am to be alive.

She was a scary driver like my father. They both needed a license to have a license to drive. She was always late to everything, and when she’s late is now self you have to clear the road. Imagine folks, no cell phone back then but d woman talking talking talking to who ever listening, plus lipstick going on, plus everytime a car come close she pulling to the left, everytime!

My father’s problem was that he was a road hord/hog. Nobody supposed to pass him, so when we in the car @ break neck speed, bet your bottom dollar that somebody behind giving him lights, signaling that they want to pass, but ‘Paaa-Pah?’ Not today paa lo, pick a number, cause papa’s got a brand new car!