CHAPTER 4: THE GARDENER

CHAPTER 4: THE GARDENER

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 from the grave. We were moping around the house feeling sorry for ourselves and being lazy. 

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. Due to the extreme heat and humidity the Gardner 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.

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CHAPTER 3: Milky

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. The trench was 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 learned how to swim.

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 Yvonne. 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.

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Love

Rowan Folk Incognito Blog master 

CHAPTER 2 RAMDAS

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 Ramada’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.

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.

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Attached Art{Live} is also available for$350.00 

Once Upon An Easter Chapter 1 Easter Vacation

CHAPTER 1: EASTER VACATION

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 as much as we could.  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.

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Art M Love is available for $200.00

Chapter 5 Part 1

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. 

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Attached Art {Subway Music} is available as a chistmas gift for $360.00.

Chapter 4 part 2

            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.

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chape

Remember Christmas Chapter 4 part 1

  

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 it’s fun.” 

           Remember Christmas is available in eBook format at Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon .com.

Attached early painting "Jazz" on sale for the bargain price of $155.00.