IMAGINE GRANDMA

Bread Basket to the Caribbean

• Children

								
IMAGINE GRANDMA LESLIE
Never again will you find such a woman as my grandmother Marie Angelina, a woman of character a woman of substance a woman of great virtue, my grandmother was a heroine and time was her only enemy for in time she became short-sighted but never lost her sight on a life journey, At five in the morning you could sniff in the air the smell of flour cakes, as she gentle turn the last one over she would say to us you boys have to move fast I have but a short time before leaving for the country five miles from whence she live, take me with you I would always say to her and as usual she would reply one day when you are much older
Finally, that day came when Grand Ma said to me we are all going to the country tomorrow, the road was very narrow and muddy you could hardly call it a road at all it looked more like a track, over tree trunks and under makeshift bridges across muddy ravines we push on to finally arrive in a large field, at the end of the field were several breadfruit trees from those trees grandma would pick her fill of breadfruits
Of course, by now one thought in my mind was the trip back, I didn’t believe I could carry any load back with me I said to her, be brave nonsense child she replied here take that one she said giving me a medium-sized breadfruit, she then force herself to lift a heavy bag of food onto her head and off we go back on the trail that would take us home. By the time I arrived at the house I had thrown my one breadfruit down so many times that it was covered with mud, we will cook that one first Grandma would say as she laughed out loud, she never showed any signs of fatigue, I thought my grandma must be the toughest woman alive and was also as strong as a lion, I admired my Grand Ma
No sooner had we arrived at the house than she would put on her head kerchief and struck a short stub of a pipe on the palm of her hand emptying it she would then fill it with tobacco and set it aflame, grabbing her large straw hat and firmly securing it to her head she would call out to us saying ‘’ I will be in the field down in the valley if you all need me’’ how I long to know what was in that field that could not Waite for grandma to rest her poor tired body, ok grand Ma I would say half out of breath
 My next big adventure with Grand Ma was soon to introduce me to the secret that lies in the field, armed with her machete and several yards of twine she called out to me saying I am taking you with me today, where to Grand Ma I said come along child you will soon see. We set out towards the ocean I could tell because on the way we met several fishermen carrying back the days catch, you could also hear the ocean waves dashing on the rocky shore, I wonder I said to myself what kind of fish is caught with a machete and that twine she is caring
Finally, I heard her say we are here looking around I could not see the sea are you sure Grand Ma I called out to her, oh yes she said take a look around we are here to collect those leaves, pretending that I knew what she meant I said alright. Grand Ma went on chopping until we had a large bundle which she then secured with the twine, make one for me I said to her to which she replied maybe someday but now you are too small for such a trip here carry the machete
We arrived at the field at the back of the house I was very surprised to see lying on the ground were hundreds of such leaves throwing down the bundle of her head she immediately started turning the leaves over, I jumped in to help her not knowing why I was doing that, what are these for Grand Ma I turn around to inquire of her, why to make the brooms she reply they need to be turn regularly while the sun is hot, it was then I now understood the secret of the field below, Whether it was food five miles away brooms or coals Grand Ma Leslie performed her task with precision perfection for my grandma was a rose, the queen of the roses 
Short Story by Kenvil Atkins Lewis
Written in 2014 by Kenvil Atkins Lewis
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