I Remember

Natividad means Christmas

My glorious granny. We called her Naty for short. Born on Jesus Christ's birthday. Great God fearing woman. She took me to church every Sunday, until I started loving to just go. We were Catholics, she still is. They have lots of different classes they will teach. Domestic classes, such as cooking, baking, sewing etc. There was always a class we got into. My grandmother is about 5'8 long black hair, curvy with a big butt, the envy of the block. In Concepcion we lived in blocks. Grandma house was the first one of that block. They called it the 800s all houses on that block number started from 800 and so on. Ours was #803-6. Low income houses. 6 houses per block. She owns her house now. Being the first house in the block or row had its ups and downs. Every one hung in our porch to see what was going on. We had the best view. There was never a dull moment in our corner. Leo would come tired and.grouchy from work and cursed everybody who was outside of his house hanging and would clear that corner with his rants and raves. They love to hate him. Sometimes when it was payday he will come in a good mood and speak to everyone in the corner. That was seldom so the people took advantage of those days. We looked forward to them. No cursing, peaceful days. Grandma was the most beautiful lady in that block. Everybody knew it, so the ladies love to hate on her. Leo was promiscuous and the ladies enjoy that because it was the only thing they could say about Naty. Besides she was and is a great woman. Always helpful and respectful, and a lady. Inspite of what her husband did or didn't do. She is a devoted mother and was a devoted wife. She worked at McDonald's all her life. 16 years to be exact. She open with the company and then after 16 years they retired her, because McDonald's got away from hiring older people, they copy USA and started hiring new fresh faces. Younger people was their motto. That was the end of their quality. All I remember was her with her McDonald's uniform, always neat and professional. Never late working long hours and every shift they asked her to. With 8 kids and 2 grandkids she had to work hard. The rumor was that Leo cast a spell on her so she would never leave him. He kept her pregnant and busy enough so she wouldn't wonder off to better. I remember her saying every time she would get invited to go somewhere with her lady friends she would tell him her plans and then got sick with migraines that kept her home throwing up and feverish. He would call and ask how was her outing and she would explained how she couldn't go because of her sudden illness. He would act all concerned and sorry about her not been able to go with her friends. He either didn't want her to run into him out there or for no man to see her. He stole all of her better years. Between working like a mule and raising kids she was too busy for life outside of home. Naty was a saint to us. Never seen her drunk, un-lady like, or being messy or ugly to anyone. My grandmother was pure to me. In my eyes. Whatever she said was the truth and the law. We never questioned her. She was very knowledgeable. She knew something about everything. I believe it she would've had a better life, she would've probably been a doctor. She spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals, having 8 kids she had to. So she sat through lots of crying sickly kids and saw lots of doctors performing miracles to other patients. Naty had sick kids. Panama is or was not the healthiest country in the world. Every disease that came around we caught it. Chicken pox, meningitis, the mumps, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, you name it, we caught it. Food was a luxury that sometimes we couldn't afford. Bills such as water and lights took precedence. Leo was selfish he kept buying the latest radios and LP disks, and furniture on credit to keep up with the Jones'. His check was gone before he even got it. Back home credit means they took it out of your check no questions ask. Leaving Naty to pick up the bills, putting food on the least to buy items. I will go as far to say. Malnourishment was part of our family issues. Naty was determined to care for her kids. So she worked long hours and picked up clothes to wash for lawyers and doctors families that she would meet along the way. This was her days off job. My grandmother walked on water.