My mom hated to wrap presents, so she would buy these huge bags, put our presents in them and give it to us.
My sister and I would sit there countless hours taking toys and junk out and putting it back in. Comparing toys playing around, just having fun and most of all being happy. That was my last great Christmas memory, I was 6...
When I turned 7 years old my mother married an American soldier who was stationed in my country. Panama city PANAMA to be exact. All up until this point were happy days and us staying in this 2 bedrooms small house with our great grandma, my cousin, my great great granny and my mom and us two sisters. Yeah two to a bed and one on the couch. There were three beds.
I slept in the same bed with my great great granny. She was half French and half Russian. She had one blue and one green eye, she was white complected with black curly hair. She became blind and had a tumor on her back like a humpback.
Her name was Antonia, she died when I was 4. She over loved me, she taught me how to pray, how to sing and how to snap my fingers.
She would sing and I would dance for her all the time.
My great granny name was Paulina, she was a strong woman she was the alpha female. She was mean and handled her business, she was the one in charge of all whipping blood related or not!!. She took care of our great great granny Antonia, while working a full time job. My mom's first cousin Adaris aka Cuca as we all call her. Moved in to help. Her high school was closer to our area than it was from her mom's house, so she moved in with us. She is my God mother, I over loved this lady. If I wasn't with Cuca I was with my mom. We spend great Christmases together. In fact she bought me my last Christmas baby doll. She made sure I had some for Christmas. I was spoiled.
We stayed in a bad neighborhood it's now much worst but then it was lively, it was everything. My mom was there all the grannies and my God mother and my only sister on my mom's side. I was so HAPPY.
Holidays seasons were the absolute best in my country. We will paint our houses different colors, because of the high humidity every year we had to paint, it was necessary because the constant raining will mildew the paint and it would look a mess by next December. All homes were either build with cement blocks or wood. We lived in duplexes. Our neighbors and us shared a wall in between houses. Low income neighborhoods. But happy neighborhoods.
We would also decorate the doors with gold, green, red, or silver paper and tagged the old Christmas' cards to the door. We would have lights displays, sometimes we would even have Christmas lights competitions. It got crazy at times. Houses will end up looking like they were on fire. But it was all in the spirit of Christmas. The air itself smelled like Christmas. Up until today whenever I smell paint it takes me back home and the holidays. Where I'm from there's no winter cold it's only windy and the leaves fall and the leaves are oranges and brown's shades but there's no hard cold winters. The summers are humid and rainy. We call January to March our Sumner. Every one is out of school and it's windy and sunny. For these reason, kites are popular on these months.
I never experienced another Christmas like these ones ever.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
I Remember
कथेतर साहित्यI decided to write this memoir for my kids. Kalina, Braylon and Bryce. I wanted them to know how I grew up and what all happened when I was a child. Maybe one day they can sit down and read this little book and remember MOMMA. I want to also apologi...
