1 Chapter 1
AS IT IS SAID, AS SOON AS SOME OF US ENTER THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD FROM OUR MOTHER'S WOMB; WE HAVE BEEN HANDED A SILVER SPOON IN OUR MOUTHS! WHILE OTHERS ARE GIVEN A WOODEN SPOON! AND THEN! THERE ARE OTHERS, WITH NO SPOON AT ALL! AND THESE ARE THE ONES WHO HAS TO FIGHT TO MAKE IT!
THOSE WHO WERE BORN WITH THE SILVER SPOON IN THEIR MOUTHS DON'T HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT GETTING AN EDUCATION OR FINICIAL SECRURITY! THEY JUST NEED TO SHOW UP TO THE INSTITUTIONS THAT HAS BEEN CHOOSEN FOR THEM; THEN APPLY THEMELVES TO WHATEVER IS BEING TAUGHT! THEIR ONLY CHALLENGE IS TO FOLLOW THROUGH... MAKE SURE THEY GRADUATED!
AFTER GRADUATION THEY MIGHT START THEIR OWN COMPANY OR JUST TAKE OVER FROM WHERE THEIR PARENTS LEFT OFF! OR EVEN IMPROVE ON WHERE MOMMY OR DADDY LEFT OFF! NOW I CALL THIS! A BLESSED SITUATION!
NOW! PERSONS WHO WERE BORN WITH THE WOODEN SPOON IN THEIR MOUTHS; ARE PERSONS WHO I WOULD DESCRIBE AS BEEN IN THE MIDDLE CLASS!
THEIR PARENTS MAY HAVE HAD COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL OR EVEN COLLEGE! HAS A JOB TO PAY THE BILLS AND SEND THE CHILDREN TO SCHOOL... EVEN TAKE A TRIP WITH THEIR FAMILIES NOW AND AGAIN!
THESE CHILDREN MAY NOT HAVE WHAT THEY WANT ALL THE TIME! BUT, THEY SURE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED! FOOD, CLOTHES, SHELTER; AND THEIR BUS FARE! TO TAKE THEM TO SCHOOL! AND IF THEY ARE FORTUNATE! THEIR PARENT MIGHT HAVE A VEHICLE TO DROP THEM OFF AT SCHOOL! BUT, THEY WILL HAVE TO CATCH THE BUS BACK HOME!
ONCE AT HOME THOUG! THEY COULD BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED! BUT CLARE INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN TO: "CHANGE YOUR SCHOOL CLOTHES WHEN YOU GET HOME FROM SCHOOL! MAKE A SANDWHICH OR WARM UP SOME LEFT OVERS AND EAT IT! THAT WILL HOLD YOU UNTIL I GET HOME AND MAKE DINNER!"
AND THE NEXT WOULD BE!
"MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR HOME WORK BEFORE I GET HOME!"
BORN WITH NO SPOON AT ALL IS THE MOST CHALLENGING! IT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL, TERRIFYING AND IN SOME CASES FATAL! SOMETIMES I WONDER, IF THE GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY; WAS A BIT MAD OR UP-SET WHEN HE MADE THOSE WHO DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPOON AT ALL! LIKE MY FRIEND KERRING!
SIMILAR TO JESUS BEING BORN IN A MANGER! SHE WAS BORN IN A TENAMENT YARD! AND NOT ANY OF THE FANCY ONES EITHER! IT WAS A TENAMENT YARD; WHERE FOUR TO FIVE OLD DILAPIDATED, CRUMBLING HOUSES WERE CONSTRUCTED!
HAVING SIX, SEVEN! AND SOMETIMES EVEN EIGHT FAMILY MEMBERS INHABITING THEM! THESE HOUSES HAD VERY LITTLE PRIVACY! THERE WERE HOLES IN THE WOODED OR BOARD STRUCTURES! ONE COULD PUSH A STONE OR A STICK THROUGH THEM WITH EASE! AND WHICH OFTENTIMES THE CHILDREN WOULD PEEP INSIDE THESE SHACKS TO SEE WHAT THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE HOUSES WERE DOING!
SOMETIMES WHAT WAS BEING DONE WAS NOT FOR A CHILDS EYE TO BEHOLD BUT THAT WAS THE WAY IT WAS!
THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE DWELLINGS WOULD SOMETIMES USE NEWS PAPER TO COVER THESE HOLES; SO AS TO SECURE SOME FORM OF PRIVACY FROM ANYONE! BECAUSE, SOMETIMES CHILDREN WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES PEEPING IN THOSE HOLES! THERE WERE ADULTS TOO, WHO WOULD PEEPING! THEY WANTED TO SEE WHERE AN OCCUPANT WAS HIDING THERE SNATCH OF CASH AND THEN THEY WOULD MAKE THEIR MOVE - EXECUTE A PLAN ON HOW TO STEAL IT FROM RIGHT UNDER THEM... WHEN THE TIME WAS RITE!
NOT TO MENTION AT NIGHTS! ONE COULD LITRALLY COUNT THE STARS AT NIGHTS THROUGH THOSE HOLE; AND COULD EVEN SEE IF THERE WAS A FULL MOON OUT OR NOT IN THE SKYES!
THE ONLY ADVANTAGE WAS; WHENEVER THE MOON WAS OUT! ONE DIDN'T HAVE TO BURN MUCH KEROSENE OIL; BECAUSE THE LIGHT FROM THE MOON WOULD ILLUMINATE THE ENTIRE YARD! ALLOWING EVERYONE TO SEE AND CARRY OUT WHATEVER TASK THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN DONE DURING THE DAY; AND THEN THEIR WERE OTHER TASK THAT THE MOON ITSELF HAD SET AND NATURE HAD IMPLANTED IN MAN! IT WAS JUST TOO MYSTIFING TO RESIST!
HOWEVER, THE GREAT DISADVANTAGE WAS; WHENEVER IT RAINS EVERYONE HAD TO GRAB BUCKETS OR ANY OLD PAN TO CATCH THE RAIN WATER! SOMETIMES, OCCUPANTS HAD TO FORGET ABOUT SLEEPING IN THE BED THAT NIGHT AND IN SOME CASESES FOR WEEKS! BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE RAIN WOULD FALL WEEKS AT A TIME; ESPICIALLY WHEN THERE IS A HURRICANE PASSING THURGH OR WHEN THERE IS THE RAINNY SEASONS OF MAY, JUNE, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
SO, THE OCCUPANTS HAD TO STAND OR HUDDLE THEMSELVES TOGETHER IN A CORNER OF THE HOUSE WHERE THERE WAS LESS RAINING! SO AS TO GET SOME SLEEP! THE AFTERMATH OF THIS EXPERIENCE USUALLY LEFT EVEYONE TIRED, MISERABLE, FRUSTRATED AND MOODY; HOWEVER THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE!
KERRING HAD LITTLE AND SOMETIMES NO CARE AT ALL! IN HER EARLY INFANT STAGES OF HER LIFE!
THE SHARE KINDNESS OF SOME OF THE TENANTS HER NAPPY - ANOTHER NAME FOR DIAPER, WOULD BE CHANGED! SOMETIMES THE STAFF OF LIFE FOR ALL INFANTS... THE BREAST WOULD BE ABSENT!
IT WAS THE NEIGHBOURS AND SOMETIMES HER FATHER WHO WOULD SUBSTITUE CONDENSE MILK; SO AS TO FEED HER! SHE WOULD THEN BE PLACE ON THE VARANDA TO WATHCH THE WORLD GO BY!
THERE ARE TIMES, WHEN THIS TODDLER WOULD LISTEN AND WATCHED THE FIGHTS AND QUARELLS OF THE NEIGHBOURS IN THE YARD WHICH WOULD OFTEN TIMES TRAUMATIZED HER UNTIL IT WAS TIME FOR BED! A BED WHICH WAS PIECES OF OLD CLOTHING THAT WAS USUALLY PLACED ON A ROTTEN, COLD, WOODEN FLOOR!
MOST OF THE CHILDREN WHO WERE LIVING IN KERRING'S HOUSE-HOLD... THE OLDES WAS ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN YEARS OLD AT THE TIME; WOULD STOCK-UP AGAINST EACH OTHER LIKE SARDINES IN A CAN TO SLEEP AT NIGHTS! URINATING ON EACH OTHER; BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT OR CONTROL OF THEIR BLADDER MUSCLES WEREN'T FULLY REALIZED AS YET! THEREFORE, THERE WERE FREQUENT URINATIONS AT NIGHTS CAUSING A DREADFUL STENCH IN THE MORNINGS THAT WOULD FUMIGATE THE ENTIRE ATMOSPHERE! CAUSING KERRING'S FATHER TO MAKE A QUICK UNGRACEFUL GRASP FOR THE OLD RAGS AND DASH THEM OUT ON THE STONES IN THE YARD TO CATCH THE EARLY MORNING SUN!
THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WAS JUST SO AWEFUL! I GUESS! HE WAS VERY EMBARRASSED FOR THE NEIGHBOURS TO SEE HIM HAULING AND DASHING OUT ALL THE URINATED OLD PIECES OF RAGS! BUT, THEN AGAIN! THEY WERE ALL LIVING A SIMILAR LIFE STYLE AND HAD TO GO THROUGH THE SAME EMBARASSING TASK AT ONE TIME OR THE OTHER; BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN TOO WERE BED WETTERS!
THE URINE AND ITS' STENCH! WAS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM THEY WERE FACING, EITHER! BUT, BED BUGS... CALLED CHINKS! THE CHINKS STARTED BREEDING INTO THE OLD CLOTHES THAT WERE USED FOR BEDDING! THESE INSECTS WOULD BITE THE OTHER CHILDREN! AND ALSO POOR, LITTLE, BABY KARRING!
CAUSING, LITTLE RED BUMPS! BUMPS THAT LOOKED LIKE RED SHOE-BLACK TREE IN FULL BLOOM ON THE SURFACE OF THEIR TINY BODIES! AND THERE WAS ALSO THE MOSQUITOE BITES ALONG WITH THE CHINK BITES; THAT LEFT A POINTED HEAP ON THE SURFACE ON THEIR SKIN! THE ONLY TREATMENT WOULD BE SOME VASILINE OR BABY OIL! IF THAT WAS EVER AVAILABLE! ONLY BORROWING FORM THE NEIGHBOURS WOULD OR MIGHT BE THE NEXT OPTION; BECAUSE MONEY WAS VERY SCARES IN THAT TENAMENT YARD!
KERRING HAD NO FORM OF MUSCULAR STIMULATION THAT ALL TODDLERS NEED TO THRIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MOBILITY OR MOVEMENT OF THE ARMS AND LEGS... IT WAS ABSENT! BECAUSE AFTER SHE WAS GIVEN SOMETHING TO EAT; SHE WAS PLACED TO SIT IN ONE SPOT UNTIL IT WAS BED TIME OR SOME OTHER TENANT PASS BY THE VARANDA AND DECIDE TO PLAY WITH HER... AFTER ALL, SHE WAS A CUTIE BUT NOT THE TOP PTIORITY FOR HER EVER BUSY PARANTS!
THIS ABSENT OF MUSCULER STIMULATION CAUSED HER TO WALK LATER THAN SHE NORMALLY SHOULD HAVE! THE CONTINUIOUS SOAKING OF URINE ON HER BODY FOR HOURS AND THE INFREQUENT DIAPER CHANGE LEFT HER WITH VERY LARGE URINE BURNS AND DIAPER SCARS ON THE INNER PART OF HER THIGH! WHERE THEY STAYED VISABLE FOR A VERY LONG TIME!
KARRING WAS NOW ABOUT THREE AND HALF YEARS OLD GOING ON TO FOUR AT THE TIME. SHE WAS ALSO THE FIRST CHILD WHO HER MOTHER HAD HAD WITH HER FATHER! BY THEN HER MOTHER HAD GIVEN BIRTH TO FIVE OR SIX OTHER CHILDREN PRIOR TO MEETING KERRING'S FATHER. BY NOW, SHE HAD TWO OTHER SIBLINGS, A SISTER CALLED VILEEN, AND A BROTHER CALLED WARRICK. WARRICK WAS AROUND SIX MONTHS OLD OR SO AT THE TIME. ALL THE CHILDREN THAT KERRING, MOTHER HAD, BEEN BORN TWO YEARS APART... AND OTHERS WERE STILL COMING!
IT WAS ONE SATRUDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A DUSTY, GOLD, STATIONWAGON PULLED UP AT THE TENAMENT YARD! CAUSING ALL ABLE BODY TENANTS TO LEAVE WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING; TO SEE WHAT HAD CAUSED THIS LUXURIOUS CONTRAPTION TO STOP IN THEIR EXTREMELY HUMBLE MIDST!
TWO TALL DARK SKIN MEN EMERGED FROM THE VEHICLE AND A VERY BROWN SKIN LADY WITH SALT AND PAPER HAIR; PULLED BACK IN A BUNN AND SECURELY COVERED WITH A BLACK NET! SHE HAD MORE PEPPER THAN SALT THOUGH! HER HAIR WAS IN ITS' NATURAL STATE - NO COLD PRESS!
THEY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN COMING FROM A MIGHTY LONG JOURNEY! THEIR BONES WERE STIFF AND TIRED FROM SITTING FOR HOURS! BUT, ONCE OUT OF THE CAR, THOUGH! THEY HAD THEIR BONES STRECHED AS THEY STOOD OUT IN THE YARD TO DO SO! THEY TRIED GETTING THE BLOOD FLOWING IN THEIR BODY ONCE AGAIN! ONE COULD SEE THEY WERE WELL NURISHED AND HAD UP-RIGHT POSTURE.
FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR THEY LOOK AROUND THE SURROUNDINGS AS IF IT WAS A STRANGE PLACE AND AT THE SAME TIME; A FAMILIAR PLACE TOO! FOR A MOMENT THEY STARED AT THE OCEAN WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM KERRING'S MOTHER'S HOUSE! IT SEEMS AS IF, THEY WANTED TO FIND THE PATH THAT LED TO THE SEA, SO THEY COULD HAVE A SPLASH IN THE DEEP-BLUE WATER! HOWEVER, WITH A LOOK OF DISAPPOINMENT! THEY TURNED THEIR HEADS TOWARDS THE TENAMENT YARD AND STARTED WALKING UP THE SLOPE; WHICH TOOK THEM TO THE INSIDE OF THE YARD.
NOW! EVEN MORE TENANTS HAD LEFT WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING TO SEE WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE! THEY BEGAN ENQUIRING WHO THESE STRANGERS WERE AND WHOM THEY HAD COME TO SEE IN THE YARD! THE YARD WAS FULL WITH ON LOOKERS BY NOW! UP TO THE PASSERS-BY STOPPED TO BE INQUISITIVE! BUT, AS THE OCCUPANTS FROM THE CAR CATCHED THEIR BREATHS; THEY IGNORED THE FACES AND WITH A WILLOWING SOUND CALLED OUT!
"PEGGEEE, PEGGEEE ARE YOU THERE? PEGGEEE ARE YOU INSIDE"?
AND THEY WOULDN'T STOP CALLING UNTIL THEY HAD GOTTEN SOME RESPONSE FROM PEGGY!
PEGGY EMERGED FROM HER ONE ROOM TATCHED HOUSE WHERE SHE AND ALL HER SIX CHILDREN WERE LIVING; ALONG WITH THE FATHER OF THE SECOND SET OF CHILDREN; BEGINNING WITH KERRING!
PEGGY PEEPED FROM THE SIDE OF HER VARANDA TO SEE WHO WAS CALLING HER! WHEN SHE WHO THEY WERE SHE IMMEDIATELY COVERED HER MOUTH WITH HER HANDS AS SHE SMILED! BECAUSE SHE HAD SO MANEY CAVITIES DUE TO POOR DENTAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION!
SHE KNEW THE PERSONS WHO HAD BEEN CALLING OUT HER NAME! AND SO, SHE WENT OUT INTO THE YARD TO MEET THEM; WITH HER HANDS STILL COVERING OVER HER MOUTH TO HIDE THE OBVIOUSLY MANY CAVITIES!
"LORD! MS. BEE HOW YOU DO? ME SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU, ME NEVER KNOW YOU WOULD COME TODAY AT ALL! YOU COME SOONER THAN I EXPECTED YOU TO! AND MR. BEE AND MR. MARTIN! HOW YOU DO? I KNOW THE DRIVE WAS LONG, RIGHT?"
NOT WAITING FOR AN ANSWER!
"MR. MARTIN A YOU DRIVE THEM UP HERE NUN?" I KNOW THEM CAN'T MANAGE THEM YA BAD ROAD YA, COME AND SIT DOWN ON THE VARANDA!"
PEGGY GESTURED.
"MR. KAY! BRING TWO A THE CHAIR FROM IN A THE ROOM AND THE STOOL TOO! MAKE THEM SIT DOWN! ALL OF YOU MUST FEEL TIRED! MAKE ME MIX SOME LEMON AID! SO YOU ALL CAN COOL DOWN YOUR SELF! MR. KAY, PLEASE GO GET SOME LIME OFF THE LIME TREE ROUND THE CORNER OF MS. SHARON HOUSE! SO WE CAN MAKE SOME LEMON AID FOR THEM!"
PEGGY ASKED HER COMMOM-LAW HUSBAND.
MS. BEE WAS GIVEN ONE OF THE CHAIRS OF COURSE! BECAUSE, SHE WAS THE LADY! MR. BEE, HER HUSBAND HAD GOTTEN THE OTHER CHAIR AND MR. MARTIN, THE DRIVER, GOT THE STOOL.
ALTHOU! THESE SEATS WEREN'T COMFORTABLE, THEY SAT AND CHIT-CHATED AND MADE FUN OF THE CHILDREN! REMARKING ON HOW MUCH THEY HAD GROWN; WHILE THEY WAITED FOR MR. KAY TO COME BACK WITH THE LIMES, TO MAKE THE LEMON AID!
"WHERE IS YOUR OLDEST SON, PEGGY?"
MS. BEE ASKED.
"HE IS IN ANOTHER PARISH WITH HIS FATHER AND HIS STEP-MOTHER!"
SHE ANSWERED.
"AND HIS SISTER, THE SECOND ONE IS COMING UP HERE TO GO TO SCHOOL AS OF SEPTEMBER; BECAUSE SHE AND HER STEP MOTHER CAN'T GET ALONG!"
PEGGY CONTINUED.
"OH! I SEE!"
MS. BEE REPLIED.
"AND YOUR THIRD SON, WHERE IS HE?"
MS.BEE ENQUIRED SOME MORE!
"ALL THREE OF THEM IS LIVING WITH THEIR FATHER AND STEP-MOTHER, MS. BEE! ONLY HYCINTH IS HERE WITH ME!"
MS. PEGGY INFORMED HER.
"SO KARRING, COMING WITH US IS GOING TO BE A BIG RELEAF FOR YOU... FROM ONE OF YOUR MANY PROBLEMS! BUT THE SECOND CHILD, WHATS HER NAME AGAIN? LYNDA! IS GOING TO BRING ANOTHER BURDEN ON YOU WHERE MONEY IS CONCERN! THE LITTLE DOMESTIC WORK YOU DOING RIGHT NOW, CAN'T TAKE CARE OF ALL OF YOU! PLUS, YOU HAVE A YOUNG BABY BOY AND THEIR FATHER DO NOT HAVE A PERMANENT JOB; SO HE COULD HELP YOU OUT WITH THEM!"
MS. BEE CONTINUED.
MS. BEE WANTED TO DRIVE A POINT TO PEGGY THAT SHE WAS HAVING TOO MANY CHILDREN WITHOUT ANY RESOURCES TO SUSTAIN THEM.
"NO MS. BEE! IT IS NOT LYNDA; HER NAME IS LORETTA!"
MS. PEGGY CORRECTED HER.
"WELL! YOU NO MS. BEE, A NEW FACTORY IS SUPPOSE TO OPEN OUT BY THE ROUND- ABOUT CALL, GOOD YEAR. YOU NEVER SEE IT WHEN YOU WERE COMING? A BIG, BLUE, ZINK BUILDING! WITH A LOT OF MEN WORKING ON IT AND A BIG WHITE MAN AT THE GATE! A HIM THEM SAY IS THE FORE MAN! STANDING AT THE GATE WITH A LOT OF PARERS IN HIS HAND! MR. KAY IS SUPPOSED TO GET WORK THERE. HIM FILL OUT ONE OF THEM APPLICATION ALREADY AND THEM SUPPOSE TO CALL HIM ANYTIME SOON BECAUSE HIM PASS THE MATHS AND ENGLISH TEST! SO WE BELIEVE HE WILL SOON GET THE JOB THERE!"
PEGGY RELATE TO MS. BEE.
MR. KAY CAME BACK WITH THE LIMES AND GOT THE BIG WATER JUG FROM THE KITCHEN WHICH THEY SHARED WITH OTHER TENANTS. AND THEN MIXED THE LEMON-AID FOR THEIR GUEST! MR. KAY COMMENTED ON NOT KNOWING THEY WERE COMING TO SEE PEGGY! BECAUSE, IF HE HAD KNOWN, HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN SOME ICE FROM THE ICE FACTORY WHICH WAS AROUND THREE MILES OR SO AWAY FROM WHERE THEY WERE LIVING! SO THE LEMON AID WOULD BE MUCH COOLER FOR THEM TO ENJOY!
ANYWAY, THEY DRANK THE LEMON-AID WHICH WAS AT ROOM TEMPERTURE WHILE THEY CHATED ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAD MADE ON THE ROADS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE LIVES OF THE CITIZENS IN THAT REAGION OF THE COUNTRY! AND HOW THE NEW FACTORY IS GOING TO BE MUCH BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT WILL SURELY IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR THE PEOPLE!
BY THE TIME THEY HAD STOPPED TALKING THE JUG OF LEMON-AID WAS EMPTY!
THE DRIVER, MR. MARTIN STATED CLARELY, HE DIDN'T WANT ANYMORE TO DRINK OR ELSE! HE WOULD BE STOPPING EVERY TEN MINUTES TO URINATE BY THE WAY SIDE WHICH WAS USUALLY DANGEROUS! BECAUSE, OF THE NUMEROUS CORNERS, LACK OF VISABLE ROAD SIGNS, BAD ROAD CONDITIONS AND OTHER MOTORIST WHO WERE RECKLESS IN THEIR DRIVING!
MR. MARTIN WAS A DARK SKIN HEAVEY SET MAN WITH A BEER BELLY! AND GRAY HAIR THAT WAS CUT VERY LOW TO HIS SCALP! A TREND HE CONTINUED WITH EVER SINCE HE WAS DEPLOYED FROM THE ARMY! HE LIVED AROUND FIVE MILES OR SO FROM MR. AND MRS. BEES' RESIDENT. HE OFTEN TIMES DROVE FOR THEM, WHENEVER THEY WERE GOING ON ANY LONG EXPEDITIONS. HE WAS A GOOD COMPANY TO HAVE AND ALSO A GOOD DRIVER WHO MR. BEE COULD EXCHANGE THE STEERING WITH WHENEVER THE DISTANCE WAS VERY LONG; AND HE FELT TIRED OF DRIVING!
HE ALSO HAD A SHOP ON THE SAME BULIDING WHERE HE LIVED! WHERE MR. BEE OFTEN TIMES STOPPED TO REST, SHARE A BEER OR TWO AND REMINISCE ABOUT OLD DAY UNTIL HE WAS READY TO HEAD ON HOME!
"WHICH ONE A THE PICKNEY IS GOING WITH ME, THAT ONE OR THIS ONE?"
MS. BEE ASKED.
POINTING TO KERRING AND THEN TO VILEEN. IT SEEMS, MS. BEE WAS GROWING TIRED OF SITTING ON THE HARD CHAIR, FOR FAR TOO LONG!
"THIS ONE STANDING OVER HERE, MS. BEE!"
PEGGY REPLIED.
AS SHE HELD ONTO THE UPPER ARM OF LITTLE KERRING, THIGHTLY! PLACING HER INFRONT OF MS. BEE AS IF SHE WAS BEEN AUCTION OFF IN A SLAVE TRADE!
"OK THEN, GET HER THINGS READY! BECAUSE, WE MUST SOON BE ON OUR WAY, BEFORE IT GETS ANY DARKER AND WE FALL INTO ONE OF THOSE POT-HOLES AND ARE UNABLE GET OUT!"
MS. BEE REMARKED.
PEGGY WENT INSIDE THE ROOM AND GATHERED WHATEVER LITTLE CLOTHING KARRING HAD! PLACE THEM INTO A BIG GRACE PAPER BAG AND HANDED THEM TO MS. BEE.
"IS THIS, SHE WEARING"
MS. BEE ASKED.
"NO I HAVE A DRESS ON THE BED FOR HER TO WEAR!"
PEGGY REPLIED.
"KERRING, GO BATHE! AND PUT ON THE DRESS ON THE BED WHEN YOU DONE! AND BRING WHATEVER YOU TAKE OFF; SO I CAN PUT THEM IN THE BAG WITH THE REST OF YOUR THINGS THEM, AND BRING THE COMB TOO, WHEN YOU FINISH, SO I CAN COMB YOU HAIR!"
PEGGY COMMANDED KERRING.
COMB IN HAND, KERRING CAME BACK TO THE VARANDA! DRESSED IN A PALE YELLOW THREE SISTER, DRESS! WITH LACE ALL AROUND IT! THE YELLOW HAIR COMB HAD MOST OF THE THEET MISSING FROM IT! SHE HELD IT IN ONE HAND AND THE CLOTHES SHE HAD TAKEN OFF IN THE OTHER HAND! KERRING'S MOTHER PULLED HER BETWEEN HER LEGS, SO SHE COULD COMB HER HAIR! AFTER THREE BIG PLAITS, ONE IN THE BACK AND TWO IN THE FRONT! SHE THEN TIED A PAIR OF YELLOW RIBBON IN THE FRONT OF KERRING'S HEAD WHERE SHE HAD MADE THE TWO PLAITS! WHEN PEGGY HAD FINISHED COMBING KERRING'S HAIR, SHE TOLD HER TO GO AND PUT BACK THE COMB FROM WHERE SHE GOT IT FROM!
AND SO KERRING, RAN OFF TO DO AS SHE WAS TOLD.
KERRING WASN'T TOLD BEFORE HAND, THAT SHE WAS GOING TO LIVE SOME PLACE ELSE; FAR AWAY... NOT A SINGLE WARNING... WITH PERSONS SHE HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF BEFORE! SHE WAS A BIT EXCITED! BECAUSE SHE HAD NEVER BEEN DRIVEN IN A CAR BEFORE OR LEFT OUT OF HER COMMUNITY BEFORE EITHER! TO BE DRIVEN IN A CAR EXCITED HER A LOT! BUT OH! SHE WAS SHAKING INSIDE! HER NERVOUSNESS WAS OBVIOUS! BUT SHE WAS BEING OBIEDIENT TO THESE ADULTS AROUND HER! ONE SET WHOM SHE HAD KNOWN ALL HER LIFE AND WHO HAD SHOWN HER VERY LITTLE ATTENTION! AND NOW A NEW SET OF ADULT WHO IS TELLING HER TO COME ALONG WITH THEM!
MOST OF HER LOVE CAME FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE YARD WHO WOULD PASS BY HER WHILE SHE WAS SITTTING ON THE VARANDA AND WOULD STOP TO PLAY WITH HER! BY TOUCHING AND DANGLING HER LITTLE HANDS OR FEET AND MENTIONING HOW CUITE SHE WAS!
CRACKING HIS FINGERS MR. BEE GOT UP FROM HIS CHAIR! HE TOOK UP THE BIG GRACE SHOPPING BAG FROM OFF THE VARANDA FLOOR WITH KERRING'S CLOTHES AND MENTIONED OUT LOUDLY.
"WE MUST BE GOING SOON!"
MR. BEE THEN WALKED TOWARDS THE CAR THAT WAS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET, PLACED THE BAG WITH KERRING CLOTHES INSIDE THE STORAGE AREA OF THE CAR. HE THEN WALKED BACK TOWARDS THE HOUSE AND STOOD OUT IN THE YARD; AFRAID TO LEAN ON ANY OF THE VARANDA RAILS, FEARING THEY MIGHT CRUMBLE AND BRING THE WHOLE HOUSE DOWN!
ONE COULD SEE MR. BEE WAS UP IN AGE! HIS BACK WAS SLIGHTLY BENT ALTHOU HE TRIED WALKING UP-RIGHT! THE BENDING OF HIS BACK WAS STILL OBVIOUS! ANYONE COULD SEE HE HAD AN UPRIGHT POSTURE WHEN HE WAS MUCH YOUNGER! HE WALKED WITH HIS HANDS AT HIS SIDE, AS IF HE WAS MARCHING TO THE BEATS OF DRUMS OR MARCHING IN AN ARMY RECITAL! AFTERALL, HE WAS A VETRAN OF WORLD WAR TWO; SO HE HAD MANNERISMS OF A SOLIDER. HE WAS AROUND SIX FEET TALL AND HAD VERY DARK COMPLEXION! WHILE HIS WIFE WAS QUITE THE OPPOSITE!
EVERYONE WAS UPON THEIR FEET BY THE TIME MR. BEE RETURNED TO THE VARANDA POSTIONING THEM-SELVES READY TO LEAVE PEGGY'S HUMBLE DWELLING.
"COME KERRING IS TIME TO GO!"
HER MOTHER SAID.
MS. BEE REACHED FOR KERRING HANDS AS THOUGH SHE HAD BEEN HER PROTECTOR AND HER GUARDIAN ALL HER LIFE!
"SAY GOOD-BYE! SAY GOOD-BYE TO EVERYONE, KERRING!"
MS. BEE INSTRUCTED!
KERRING WAVED HER LITTLE HANDS TO ALL INSIGHT! INCLUDING THE NEIGHBOURS WHO WERE WATCHING EVERYTHING FROM THEIR STOOPS INFRONT OF THEIR HOUSES! SOME CAME CLOSER TO KERRING'S MOTHER, VARANDA; TO SAY THEIR GOOD BYES TO KERRING! WHILE SOME OF THE NEIGHBOURS ASKED JOKINGLY!
"KERRING, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE YOU AGAIN? WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK TO SEE US? YOU GONE TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE! YOU CAN'T TAKE ME WITH YOU?"
"YOU TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR-SELF! LITTLE PRINCESS, YOU HEAR ME!"
ANOTHER EXCLAIMED.
A BARAGED OF QUESTIONS WERE COMING AT KERRING... QUESTIONS WHICH SHE COULDN'T RESPOND TO! SHE JUST STOOD THERE LOOKING PUZZLED! WITH HER EYES DANCING FROM HER PARENTS, TO THE PEOPLE SHE WAS LEAVING WITH! BECAUSE, SHE WAS UNABLE TO ANSWERE ANY OF THEIR QUESTION AND WAS EXPECTING FOR ONE OF THE ADULTS TO DO SO FOR HER.
KERRING AND MS. BEE STEPPED DOWN FROM THE STOOP FRIST! AND THEN THE MEN FOLLOWED BEHIND! THEY WALKED TO THE CAR WHERE MR. BEE OPENED THE REAR CAR DOOR FOR HIS WIFE AND KERRING TO GET INSIDE OF THE CAR! IN THE MEAN TIME MR. MARTIN TOOK THE STEERING WHEELS AND MR. BEE GOT INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE BESIDE HIM. THEY WAVED GOODBYE TO THE CROWD WHO WERE STILL STANDING AND WATCHING FROM THE FRONT OF THE YARD AS THOUGH IT WAS SOME STRABGE PHENOMENON!
MR. MARTIN THE DRIVER! TURNED THE CAR AROUND! ONCE IT WAS POSITIONED IN THE DIRECTION THEY WERE HEADING, HE TOOTED THE CAR HORNS REPEATEDLY, GAVE A WAVE AND HALLA OUT...
"GOOD-BYE, EVERYONE, GOOD-BYE! I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN!"
THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY! TOOTING THE CAR HORN AS THE CAR SPED ALONG THE COUNTRY SEA SHORE ROAD.
ALL THE NEIGHBOURS AND ON-LOOKERS WAVED GOOD BYE! AND SOUNDED AN APPLAUSED! THAT WAS ECCHOED IN THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE! AS THOU SOMEONE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE HAD JUST LEFT THEIR PRESENCES! AS THEY WATCHED THE DUSTY-GOLD STATION WAGON! DROVE OFF DOWN THE REMOTE COUNTRY ROAD; STILL TOOTING ITS HORN! PAWN! PAWN! PAWN! PAWN!
