I Remember

My Extra Mothers

I grew up without a mother. Although my mother was alive circumstances separated us, for 10 long years. However, besides my grandmother and Cuca, there were more women who one way or another knowingly and unknowingly taught me something in this world.
I'm going to start with my neighbor Ana Luisa. She was our next door neighbor, a single wall separated us, she knew all that went on inside our walls, she heard and seen it all throughout the years. Some folk called her nosey, I think she didn't have a choice. She had her own things that she went through but for the most part she did good. She was a medical assistant her 4 kids were professionals. Her youngest son she spoiled rotten with all she had. He turned out to be a brat, she was still bathing him at 8 years old. But that was her baby so whatever. Her oldest kids were all married and had moved away. Jairo, however; was her companion, she would cook him spectacular meals and he would not eat them, or he would pick over it and go eat a pie.
Mrs Ana would call me through the iron bars and ask me would I come clean her kitchen and take home whatever I wanted to eat because he wasn't going to eat it and her arthritis was bothering her. He wasn't washing no dishes so I would finish my homework and go next door and do anything she asked to be done. I did this often, it guaranteed me food, good food. Jairo would come to our house and sit at our humble table and eat white rice and a small piece of meat, and loved it.
You see, little kids enjoy company and will do whatever they have to do to be like other kids. He was lonely with his mom no amount of great food was satisfying to him over there, he rather eat our food in company than to eat fancy meal and be alone. Mrs. Ana didn't talk a lot, she would doze off while I was over there, I tried my best to do as much as I could for her so that she would call me again. She began to save me a plate daily. Grandma got offended, she said I was shaming her and that folk was going to think she was sending me to beg, that Mrs. Ana was going to spread my business and hers. Mrs. Ana heard her and her feelings got hurt so I lost my meal ticket there. But I'm grateful for her compassion, she thought about me and that was special to me.
Another woman I owed thanks to, was Mrs Adela, she was Chalio's aunt, she had a nice house. She raised all her daughter's to be professionals also. Well educated and well mannered girls. She raised ladies, they were all built like Serena Williams. Adela was too once upon a time, one could tell. My aunt Mila used to roll her hair, but as I mentioned before,Mila retired the rolling hair business and I inherited, she came looking for Mila and grandma told her I would do it, so she told me to come to her house by 6pm. I did, and she talked me to death, praising my mom and grandma for being good examples and great women etc. She had a refrigerator over flowing with all sorts of food, she was a nurse and had plenty of money, her daughters all worked and had vehicles, they had money.
I became her hair roller, she would tell me the times to come by and what days. She was demanding, I see why her kid's became somebody, she didn't play.
She called me over one morning before school time, I went there but she was still in the shower. She told me to fry me a plantain, a chorizo, and a real hen egg. I was struggling to find my way around her kitchen and she came out to help me. She said this words I will never forget. "Slide over I'm about to show you how a real woman get down in the kitchen". From how to peel a plantain to how to fry and egg under the grease. Babyyyyy I was on it. I was a fast learner, I aimed to impress. From then on I was cooking in her kitchen each time I came over, she would laid my raw food there for me to cook. She would say, she knew my grandma worked all day and she couldn't possibly be having time to teach us to be real women. Grandma thought us the basics, she used to say, we will add our own personalised flavor and take away some until it satisfied our palate. She was right. Mrs. Adela was loud and loved to cook and entertain, I went there until I started dating Alonso and then his mom took over the lessons.
Mrs. Lubilia loved me like her own child. She had three boys, no girls. She loved that I was teachable, I loved to learn new things, I kept quiet and listen to every instruction and followed it to the T. She showed me how to cook fancy dishes, how to take stains out of clothes, and iron clothes to make them look like they came out of the dry cleaners. She was a homemaker, never had to work since she married Mr. Abel. They had money too, I don't understand how all these folk lived in these crazy ghetto neighborhood. I guess they all were poor once, then the ghetto moved in. Could be.
Lubi as we all call her, was strict, a Christian, and righteous. She will only tell you positive, and righteous things. She was a little nosey though, I guess you can help it if u never come out of your house and want to know what's going on outside your door.
I spent innumerable amounts of time with Lubi, she sewn her own clothes and made her own starch. She knew all households cleaning remedies she should've written a book too. My Aunt Delfina was said to be a mean snake, but guess what? her and I connected, It happened suddenly, she didn't like Leo so when she came into town she would stop outside the porch and call my name. She would bring me fruits, she used to work for a German man who own many acres of lands in Chepo, Los Lotes. It was the country side, lots of farms and plantations. Aunt Fina raised all her kid's in los Lotes, we used to visit there often with grandma, great grandpa Tadeo had land over there too. He owned and cultivated many parts of his land. This was Naty, Antonia, Catalina(Cuca 's mother) and Fina's dad. They had 4 Brothers: Sergio, Diego(RIP), Manuel, and Gavino(RIP). Tadeo was Paulina's Kids father, a white man, blonde with green eyes, sweet and quiet. Always gave us treats, heads of bananas, coconut, pineapples, oranges, lemons etc. He also had cows and Bulls, deep in the plantations you will run into the river, we would spend all day long in the water while granny washed, rinse, and dried clothes. Leo would leave us and go search for shrimps, and plantains. They would make a fire pit and cook it. It was a laundry day I mean a whole day. Grandma would hang clothes in the bushes and branches, there's nothing like fresh from the sun clothes.
Delfina was said to be a mean lady, after her kids grew up she would come stay with auntie Antonia. Grandpa Tadeo fell ill, he was older now and couldn't care for himself any longer. Aunt Antonia moved him into her house to care for him. Aunt Delfina would come stay with Antonia to help care for him. She lived close to my grandma so all of them would care for their dad. He died and Delfina continued to come stay and help Antonia with her business. She was a seamstress, whatever you showed her in a magazine, auntie would made for you. I seen her sew a wedding dress to perfection, hand beading applications and veil making, I was wowed, auntie had skills, she sewn my uniform too, best seamstress ever, never went to school for it either.
Delfina started to come by every weekends and every time I would get a special love package, I'm glad I got to know her past what others said about her, because she had a heart for me and vice versa. Antonia took a liking of me too, I soon became their favorite great niece. God never forgot about me, I can see that now while writing this mini-chapter.