Remember Christmas 6

 I had a part in a Nativity play I was Joseph, the leading actor.  Every boy in the school wanted to be near the girl that played the lead female part.  Deanna.  Deanna was Mary.  I had long since been in love with her, so of course I was devastated when I got ill and had to be hospitalized.  No end seemed in sight.  The doctors could not find out what ailed me.  I went through a battery of test and still no results and not feeling any better.  The Christmas season was fast approaching and I was feeling depressed.

         Sick and in hospital how miserable can that be?  Then I got a gift a pair of Cowboy guns and holster. My spirits perked up.  Still sick but in a much better mood.   Then one evening a man came visiting whom I had never seen before, and he took a picture of me, standing on my bed with my guns drawn. He promised to return a later with a copy of the photograph.   My mood changed miraculously and I began to feel better.  The spirit of Christmas was in the air again.          Oh! How I love this festive season of the year.  Soon come the day that I was to be discharged the man had not returned with the picture of me.  I was packed and ready and waiting for my parents to pick me up.  I sat on my bed feeling very sad and pensive. May be I would never see the man who took the picture of me again.  Then I would never see how I looked?  

However, remember this is Christmas just as I remove my hands from my eyes the man came rushing in, waving my

picture over his head.  I love it! I look great! I was overjoyed. I remember Christmas.

Art sick and in hospital I copied from a photograph taken of me. The first illustration I sold to a collector. While painting a second rendition of this photograph I noticed my father’s hand writing what he wrote will always be in the fore front of my mind and my wish is that it will ever guide my actions. He wrote {why were you born.  All about water Baptism}.

Love

Rowan Abbensetts

Folk Incognito Blog Master

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-christmas-rowan-abbensetts/1125158100?ean=9781365538780

Remember Christmas Chapter 5

Daddy loved Christmas.  During this time of the year, he took control of the kitchen.  Prepared the turkey, the Ham the Garlic Pork, boiling the pigs feet and ears to make souse. Boiling down the beef for the pepper pot and using all of the rich spices.  Not forgetting the rum punch and Punch a cream.  We stood by like nurses passing the different cooking utensils to him the surgeon who performing the different cuts on the turkey, ham and roast pork. 

         During all this cooking activity, loud calypso music was being played, With a Christmas festive flare.  Infusing our minds with the sounds of Christmas, we will never forget.  Mummy would peak every once a while. Concerned about the state of her kitchen, which was now taken over?  This was the only time of the year she did not interfere with activities in her kitchen.   Mummy got about decorating the living room area of the house.  When the food was in the oven, everyone gathered around to help her.  She was quite a boss, but we loved her all the same.  The Christmas tree had to be lifted in and placed into position.   We always had a very big natural Christmas tree.  Last year’s carton with all the Christmas decorations was brought down and old lights were tested and all broken bulbs discarded and new ones put in place.  Then came Christmas Eve night when we wrapped gifts and placed them under the tree.  Oh! How I loved Christmas. Now all tired, we try to stay up as long as our eyes would permit to see when Santa would come with all our gifts.  He only came after we drifted into a deep sleep. 

I Remember Christmas.

Attached art O Holy Night inspired to paint after hearing song by a beautiful woman one night on my way home from work on the Manhattan Subways. Attached links to Remember Christmas on Nook eBooks and links to my daughters Magazine Spoken Black Girl. All art shown on my blog are for sale except book illustrations.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/rowan+abbensetts?_requestid=105325

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

Remember Christmas 4

On Christmas Eve, we excitedly took a trip to the shopping district.  The roads were packed with shoppers and hawkers.  There were vendors on both sides of the street making it difficult to walk on the pavement.  Firecrackers went off “Bang! Bang!” Whistles and horns blaring in the esthetic Christmas air. They were tons of toys and lots of food for sale.

          Of course, one cannot leave out the masquerade dancers they were fun.  Accompanied by flute players and drummers making merry music. Joining them was the scary “Mad Bull with his horns and fearsome face.  Then there was the Granny long lady on stilts with her face painted white.  “Man is fun.”    The masquerade dancers and the flouncing musicians singing and chanting ‘Christmas comes but once a year so drinks your rum and tumble down, “Bato, Bato”!  Christmas comes but once a year so flounce if you flouncing “Bato, Bato”!  Christmas comes but once a year so wine and tumble down on the ground “Bato, Bato”!

         Up the road there steel pan players beating out sweet carols at a bouncy calypso beat. In addition, girls and boys, women and men dancing up a storm to the rhythm of Christmas calypso music. 

          Oh! Boy I love this Christmas season.  

I remember Christmas. 

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/rowan+abbensetts?_requestid=305040

REMEMBER CHRISTMAS 3

In the sixties in Guyana was going through a period of political unrest.  There was protest, rioting looting and thousands of workers were on strike. There were food shortages and many houses and business were burnt to the ground.  These were frightening times for children. My aunt Yvonne whom we lived with then was also on strike.  My brother and I had gone to live with her while; our parents were away in Ghana West Africa.

          Therefore I will always remember the sad rainy day when the miracle of Christmas came rippling into our world.  Our aunt Yvonne came bursting into our bedroom dancing and flouncing.  Flouncing is a traditional dance step in Guyana, preformed mainly during the Christmas season.

          Suddenly while flouncing away with the majesty of Christmas Aunt Yvonne raised the hem of skirt and out flew a toy.  Then with one, more whirl and toss of the hem of her skirt out flew another toy.  To my brother and I these were the best of gifts of the season, nothing else mattered.  Our hearts were so content it would not have mattered if we received no new gifts.  We were completely satisfied.  Her dance of an angle flowing with joy and Peace lifted our hearts with promise and happiness.

          I remember Christmas. 

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-christmas-rowan-abbensetts/1125158100?ean=9781365538780

Remember Christmas chapter 2

Chapter 2

During the Christmas season, one of the traditions in Ghana was to build a trash house. This trash house was built out of the leaves from a palm tree.  You then spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning in it rejoicing the day Christ was born.  This custom symbolized the humble way that Christ came into the world born in a stable.  Although I must confess that, I was never able to spend the whole night in the palm house.  I missed my bed and the nights were cold.          

It was Christmas Eve and my elder brother, Clarence and I decided to climb a tall tree to cut down a few posts to build our little Christmas house.  While my tall and on the way to becoming fat brother climbed the tree I stood at the bottom of the tree to point out which of the best limbs to cut.  Suddenly I heard a loud “crack.” Then before my horrified eyes, Clarence came crashing down from the tree landing on a pointed tree stump with a loud “thump”.  That then punctured his right thigh.

    Bravely he held on to his thigh and told me not to cry. Quickly he ripped his shirt off and told me to tie a tourniquet above the wound. How that taught came to him, I would never know.  I scampered home screaming for help.  What a courageous big brother Clarence was. Lucky for us my parents were home, they rushed him to the Hospital.  “Oh! For the love of parents what would kids do?”

 I remember Christmas. 
          Attached link to Remember Christmas in eBook format at Barnes &Noble.Com. Art attached Butterfly Flower on sale now for $100.00.

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/rowan+abbensetts?_requestid=155146

REMEMBER CHRISTMAS CHAPTER 1

I remember Christmas, when as a little boy I sat Under the Christmas tree and gazed at all the toys that Santa had brought for my brother and I.  Me saying aloud “Santa must be a very good man”.

Those words brought tears of joy to my grandfather’s eyes.  At that age I had no Idea that he was one of Santa’s great helpers, who brought all those wonderful gifts that were, adorned the bottom of our Christmas tree.  The essence of Christmas, giving gifts of love.

I remember Christmas. 

Remember Christmas is also available in eBook format at  Barnes and Noble .com. You may contact me for art shown on my blog, however paintings featured in Remember Christmas are not for sale. Amaryllis is on sale for $75.00. Attached links to Remember Christmas and my daughter magazine Spoken Black Girl.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-christmas-rowan-abbensetts/1125158100?ean=9781365538780

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

Lala

Ah!  Hearing the music in me head.  Ah! Can’t sleep. All night it beating
 Lala, lala,

 Lala, lala, lalalae,

 lala, lala, lala.

Ah! Getting hungry for some, Black Cake, Garlic Pork, and Pepper Pot, a shot of Brown Rum.

Lala, lala,

Lala,lala,lalae,

Lala,lala.

Remembrance of Christmas coming soon.

Folk Incognito

Blog Master

You may contact me on art Lala which is priced at $200.00 also attached are links to my eBooks Remember Christmas and Once upon an Easter. Both books are on Barnes and Noble.com, also my daughters Magazine Spoken Black Girl.com.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-christmas-rowan-abbensetts/1125158100?ean=9781365538780

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/once-upon-an-easter-1-rowan-abbensetts/1125729066?ean=9781365725968

https://www.spokenblackgirl.com/

Aunt Sybil's

CHAPTER 7: AUNT SYBIL’S

Crossing the Berbice river in a ferry from Rosignol to New Amsterdam an old town named by the Dutch.  We trudged our way down to Saint Ann Street with our luggage and tattered kite.  We arrived at my Aunt Sybil’s house late in the evening, it was already dark and we were greeted with lots of love and kisses by my mother and Aunt. Now Aunt Sybil’s house was an old time huge Dutch style house with a high roof, the ceiling space allows breeze to flow through the house. My aunt’s house also had lots of windows and a bottom house which she rented to boarders. The house was also surrounded by a Guinep tree and a Mango tree and a Dungs tree.   The Dungs tree was so close to the house that with a reach out of the window one could pick the Dungs. After a quick bath.  Cold water mixed with hot water from a kettle and poured into an enamel bucket. Followed by a quick rub down with soap from head to toe. A bowl to throw water over your body we hoped out the bath as soon as possible. Towel off, then on with your pajamas. We head down to the kitchen for a hot dinner. Aunt Sybil had a huge kitchen with a large table from which all activity revolved. We sat down to some fresh brewed hot  ground Cocoa with raw Cow’s Milk and some Bakes with Salt Fish and two Chinese Cakes for sweet.  The Cocoa tea the best I vow to anyone in the world. Roasted fresh Cocoa Beans ground in a hand mill and served with hot fresh Cow’s Milk; just milked for the cow earlier in the morning it’s a taste to be savored for a life time.

Attached to this blog painting La Nascostra you may contact me on this art or through my agent Saatchiart.com.  Also picture of old plantation house with large windows and surrounding veranda. Links to Once upon an Easter on Barnes and Noble.com and Lulu.com. Any one knows where this house is located and its history?

https://www.saatchiart.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/

Once Upon an Easter Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13: JOURNEY

With breakfast over we headed to the Back Dam where all the kite flying took place.  Our kite was so big we had to hitch a ride on a donkey cart and bumped our way to the Back Dam.

Once upon an Easter.

https://www.saatchiart.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/

Once Upon An Easter Chapter 9 The British Soldiers

CHAPTER 9: THE BRITISH SOLDIERS

With our spirits uplifted Clarence my aunt Yvonne and I began preparing for the big Easter Monday kite flying day.  Only to receive a letter from my mother Gertis stating that she wanted us to spend Easter with her in New Amsterdam. The next couple days was now spent preparing for the long journey to New Amsterdam.

We boarded the train in Georgetown, Lamaha Street in Cummingsburg to begin the trip New Amsterdam. 

To our amazement and joy as boys we were in the same compartment with two British soldiers.

Guyana the then “British Guiana” was a sovereign colony of England.  The British army sent soldiers to help squash the unrest and riots and return to country to a state of peace.                            

Between strained snips of conversation we got to know the English soldiers. They proved to be a savior to us after the train made one of its major stops at Mahaica. At this stop we are allowed to leave the train to stretch our feet buy food and stuff.

What we did not know was Mahaica was also World Head Quarters for Sand Flies and Mosquitoes. The moment the train pulled out of the Mahaica station colonies of Sand Flies and Mosquitoes descended on us with most vicious attack of insect on man ever. Sand Flies will attack you in swarms on every exposed part of your body. They will find their way through your hair down to your skull and the bite every exposed part that no hair grows from and leave your head full of bumps, they are bad. The mosquitoes there will bite and drink every drop of blood you own by the time you reach to Rosignol, you will have no blood and pale. So there we were facing eminent death when the two English soldiers produced the most complete defense in the form of a bottle of Citronella oil. They offered to share some with us.  We graciously accepted their offer. We rubbed that oil on our body from head to toe. We literally took off our Yachting Boots and rubbed the oil between our toes and of course on our head, under our shirt and pants. “It just takes one sand fly to get under your shirt and pants to have you scratching and itching.  My brother and I will always be great full to those two English soldiers.

Once upon an Easter.

https://www.saatchiart.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/

Once Upon an Easter CHAPTER 9: TEST FLIGHT

The kits being completed mine was put to the test flight. It flew so high it homed so loud it could be heard for miles my heart could not stop pounding with happiness.  Then as if out of nowhere a strong gosh of wind blew and pop went the twine (Crochet #0) and away flew my kite.  There was no time to waste straight away we plunged in to action running in the direction of the falling kite. As fast as the kite fell it disappeared more speedily. We now had to go from yard to yard over fences fearing bad dogs and angry shouts. Finally we got to the yard of an old lady and decided to ask her if she had seen a fallen kite.  “Yes” she said, and then asks us to describe the kite. I slept well that night with my kite by my bedside.

Once upon an Easter

Attached are links to my art and eBooks. You may contact me on all art shown on my blogs.

https://www.saatchiart.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

spokenblackgirl.com

Once Upon an Easter Chapter 8 Kite Making

We explained to the Gardner our dilemma. He convinced us that our fears were unfounded and we could build our own wood kite. Up to that time my brother and I could only build pointer broom kits. Which were not very efficient kits. They were prone to breaking easily and had bad flying records.  The Gardner then proceeded to lead us through the steps of making our own wood kite with old pieces of board hanging around our yard. With the assistance of my aunt Yvonne who provide us with some of her Grease Proof paper and some color Barbados Paper we built two singing engine kits with big bulls so that they could hum in the air.

Once upon an Easter.

please feel free to contact me on art shown on my blog.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

https://www.saatchiart.com/

spokenblackgirl.com

ONCE UPON AN EASTER CHAPTER 6 SCYTHE

Because Guyana experiences bursts of heavy rain at any time and extreme heat and sunshine the grass grow at an aggressive pace. It therefore happens on one of those hot spells that a Gardner came by and offered to cut the grass on our aunt’s Yvonne’s lawn for a small fee.  My aunt Yvonne quickly agreed.  We as boys stood and watched in amazement as he used his scythe to swipe through the tall grass. Because of the extreme heat and humidity he had to take a break which he did. We sat around him in my aunt back yard and chatted with him and watched in amazement as he sharpened his scythe.

Once Upon an Easter.
Please feel free to contact me on art shown on blogs except illustrations for books.
Love: Rowan 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/

Chapter 5 The Gardner

The time was the early sixties there was political unrest in Guyana schools were on vacation and my aunt Yvonne was out on strike so was my uncle Wilfred. There was rioting in the capital Georgetown, and political factions marooning the streets. It was getting close to Easter my brother Clarence and I were facing the daunting prospects of going without a kite. In Guyana it is traditional to fly kits on Easter Monday symbolizing the resurrection of Christ. We were moping around the house feeling sorry for ourselves and being lazy.

https://www.lulu.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

spokenblackgirl.com

saatchiart.com

 

Once Upon An Easter Milky Chapter 4 part 2

Peter one of the older boys would lead us out to the middle of “Milky” floating on a log then take the log away and leave you in the middle. This called for desperate action frantic scramble to the shore line suddenly we were swimming.  Going to swimming in Milky was not however approved by my aunt. Therefore after concocting lies as to our reason for leaving the house we would end up at “Milky” swimming naked as we were born. Best way to swim one felt a sense of freedom. After swimming for hours we return to banks looking for our cloths which we hid under some shrub.  Only to discover to our horror that they were gone.  My older cousin while we were having fun had crept up and grabbed our cloths. This presented a big dilemma how do we get home without cloths?  Hands between our legs and over our bottoms. Picture that?  Total humiliation as we walked down the street the girls of the neighborhood to see us and laugh at us; then licks like peas when we got home. And if you don’t holler loud you get more licks not an easy proposition never the less, we have to journey home. May be we wait till dusk? Still not good proposition dusk is chilly and cold mosquitoes and Sand flies bite your tail. 

Once upon an Easter.

https://www.saatchiart.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Chapter 4 Milky part1

With the coming of Easter also comes Easter showers and Campbellville always floods.  Mr. Kerry our neighbor had a speed boat which he would float down to the wide trench at the back of our homes called Milky.   And there gather all the boys of the street and we would go speeding up and down the trench. This was the water way where all the boys in the neighborhood also learned how to swim.

Once upon an Easter

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

https://www.saatchiart.com/spokenblackgirl.com

ONCE UPON AN EASTER CHAPTER 3 BOTTOM HOUSE

Most families are not up that early.  However because Ramada’s Father worked on the Sugar Estate he had to be up early. We headed to Ramdas bottom house.  His mother had brisk fireside going the air was filled with the aroma of hot Cocoa and Coffee brewing, and Roti being clapped by Ramada’s sister. On the next side of the fireside, his mother roasted some Eggplant “Bologna chocker”. Two plates were prepared we sat in a hammock and ate using our hands as the cool morning breeze blew.

Once upon an Easter.

Attached to this post art Stop which is on sale at saatchiart.com. Attached also find link for eBooks Once upon an Easter and Remember Christmas. Link to my daughters blog Spoken Black Girl is also attached.

https://www.saatchiart.com/

https://www.lulu.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/

Once Upon An Easter 2

CHAPTER 2 RAMDAS


Its 5:00 am in the morning and Ramdas comes calling.  {You really had to know the guy. He woke me up by throwing tiny bean seeds at my bedroom window}.  I spring out of bed before he wakes up the whole house hold. It is also bird-catching season. The morning air is filled with different sounds of birds singing and chirping.  And just before sunrises you here the Cooks crowing around the neighborhood it is a festive time for all birds.  Ramdas and I plunge ourselves into the surrounding fields with high grass.  Ramdas already had a bird in a cage, attached to that cage was a mini cage with a trap door.  He also has some poles stuck with chewing gum remains. We wait as Ramadas's bird in the cage whistles away. We were hoping his singing would attract other birds like “Kiskadee” or a “Towa Towa”.  We were hoping to trap one or two in the little cage or on the gummy poles
Once Upon an Easter.
Attached to blog please find links to Barnes and Noble.com, Lulu.com and iBooks.com, here my books can be purchased in eBook format. Also attached links my art on Saatchiart.com.and my  daughters blog Spoken black girl.

https://www.lulu.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

https://www.saatchiart.com/https://spokenblackgirl.com/

Once Upon An Easter Chapter 1

Thanks to all who followed my blog Folk Incognito in 2016, it was a nice having you with me.  Here is wishing the past year was successful and you journey with me as I begin my blog {Once upon an Easter}.

Love

Rowan

School is on early Easter vacation.  The Campbellville Heroes as we fondly call ourselves were racing home on our bikes.  My bike “Yellow Bird” was an old model ladies bike fondly called a “Preggie”.  With a make, shift wooden bar.  On this wooden bar I towed my good friend Choe Chan.  Riding home, we made a screeching halt by the {Shave Iceman} for a snow cone with colorful sweet syrup.  This will cool us down from the hot sticky sun. We hoped to meet Ramdas and Suzie at the D. Y. C. playground.  Finally we got to the playground but the Subryanville Iguana’s had got there before us and had all intentions of hawking the field.  With nothing else to do but wait, we settled under the huge Guinep tree with its large branches and cool tropical breeze blowing. Ramdas however saved the day “would you believe it he had a flour bag full of mangoes”. We ate our belly full of mangoes. Now it was barging time. We dealt the rest to the Iguana’s to get them off the cricket pitch. By the time we got home from cricket, Choe Chan’s mother had prepared for us some Chinese cake with some cold Sorrel drink.  We ate then left and went to the back of my home to start making our own cricket bats.  Sometimes, we made then out of old coconut branches that had fallen from the trees and at other times out old pieces of wood we found around our yard.

The start of Easter holidays.

Once upon an Easter
Attached to this blog are links to Once Upon an Easter 1 and Remember Christmas on Lulu.com and Barnes and Noble .com also kink to art agent saatchiart.com and my daughters blog Spoken Black Girl. Feel free to contact me on any art shown on my blog or on Saatchiart.com

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/rowan+abbensetts?_requestid=22962

https://www.lulu.com/

https://spokenblackgirl.com/https://www.saatchiart.com/

Remember Christmas Chapter 8

Christmas also means giving of oneself.  One Christmas my mother was working very hard on a Nativity play for our local church.  She had offered me a part in her play.  I refused the part.  Why? I had no idea I had become a stubborn and rebellious teenager. In retrospect, I had no good reason to turn down the part.  Two days before the opening, her leading actor pulled out of the play. I believe he got cold feet.  I was her only recourse and she came to me one more time.  I accepted. What is my reward? A kiss from an old lady in the audience.  How did my mother feel? Proud.  Me? I love Christmas it brings out the best in people.  It makes our goodness shine. What gift Christmas is but for us to accept.

I remember Christmas.
                                        This is the last chapter of Remember Christmas.  I thank you all my followers and friend for reading and making this blog a success. I look forward to sharing 2017 Christmas.

Love

Rowan 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-christmas-rowan-abbensetts/1125158100?ean=9781365538780

http://www.lulu.com/shop/rowan-abbensetts/remember-christmas/ebook/product-22947345.html

https://spokenblackgirl.com/author/spokenblackgirl/

Remember Christmas Chapter 7

         The school term is not yet over my part is still available.  One week before Christmas, I rehearsed my part.  The play opens on Christmas Eve.  There was a standing ovation for me before and after the play.  By then Deanna wanted to act with me she was in love with me all along and I did not know.  Oh! Boy! How I love this Christmas time of the Year.

I remember Christmas.