A BATHING NO-NO !

My brother and I did not know that there was anything wrong with bathing together. We did it all the time. Until an unexpected visit from a loud mouth woman of stocky build scolded us. As usual we were home alone and obviously she was a distant relative.

"You children are dirty, you need to go bathe right now."

Without question off we ran to the bathroom, and as we were undressing together and entering the tub one at a time, she shouted.

"Lord me God, you two children are NOT to bathe together!"

We had no clue as to why not yet she instilled such fear into why not that we just stopped bathing together. That was not the only thing that she picked on. She examined both our mouths and scolded us.

"...look at your teeth, when was the last time that you brushed them?! You must get up every morning and brush your teeth and wash your little faces, before you do anything else."

By the time she left, we were changed forever. I got up every morning and washed my little face and sometimes I'd brush my teeth. I think it went the same for my brother. We grew up with beautiful teeth. White teeth is a Jamaican pride.

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WHO'S AFRAID OF THE 2" POLLY LIZARD?

No!

Yes, me. A scared ten year old, was still afraid of miniature lizard.

I was afraid of all lizards! The Polly lizard looks like a light brown jelly creature.

It was a perfect sunny day when I washed my clothes in a wash-tub under a big shady tree.

All was peaceful until a tiny 2" lizard fell out of the tree and into my wash-tub!

The poor thing wriggled for his life against my hands... I felt this and started screaming!

After what seemed like an eternity was over with, I kept remembering it so vividly that I'd burst into screams repeatedly for quite a few minutes after it happened.

I screamed alone by my favorite "by-myself-wall" where I went to comfort and console myself after a beating. I would repeat these words until I forgot, "it didn't happen, forget it...forget it."

I never bothered to write of these events to my mother when I wrote to her in England. I did not want to upset her in any way at all. I loved writing to my mother though. Pleasant talk.

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WHO'S TURN TO SLEEP WITH DADDY?

At dinner-time when daddy came home before we retired for bed, we took turns sitting on one of his knees while he ate. Oryan (name change) and I were always excited to sit with daddy for his late supper, after all we had dinner earlier at the normal time.

Daddy would ask us "who's turn is it to sleep in daddy's bed tonight?" Excitedly we both chimed in saying "My turn!" Daddy wound up deciding for us.

Unlike other times, this one night was different for me. I was awoken in the darkness of the night to feel something warm and soft nudging my face. It felt like a human appendage. Without further investigation, I learned what it was because he was being persistent. I quickly turned onto my belly and placed my arms up around my face. For protection without confrontation I coiled into a fetal position, and pretended to fall back asleep.

I learned one more time that grownups could not be trusted. No matter who they were and how they were related to you.

These 49 pages are for my upcoming autobiography. To fully enjoy it you need to start from the beginning of the first chapter, "scar in my hand."

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ADDICTION TO MANGOES!!!

It was a stormy day that felt like the sky was going to fall in. Grey, wet and windy.

Soaking wet from head to toe, I happily dreamt of one thing as I approached home. Mangoes!!! Yes mangoes falling off a swaying tree in the rain, behind the outdoor bathroom.

There was always a green slime that snaked alongside the building in a ground-gutter, but that sight did not deter my scornful nature, because of my love for mangoes.

As usual I had brought home half my egg sandwich that I took to school for lunch. I never liked egg sandwich. Though gram-ma took good care to make sure I always had it for lunch. I never went hungry at her place for the need of food.

Before gram-ma, got home that evening I had gorged myself with the delicious mangoes from behind the unsanitary building. Mmm, sooo sweet!!

Her scolding was too late and my punishment was self inflicted as I suffered the pangs of pain from my belly. The unclean mangoes were leaving my little body from both ends at the same time. I don't remember washing them. Ooh no!

To this day I still love mangoes!

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.simplemalaysian.com/fruits/mango/images/mango_saber1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.simplemalaysian.com/fruits/mango/mango.html&usg=__9M4jBui4tyAuyftaBlO1d329--g=&h=400&w=300&sz=22&hl=en&start=9&itbs=1&tbnid=Y7xAfMxBwIguCM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=93&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMANGO%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

DADDY'S FRIEND WAS TOO FRIENDLY!

By the time I turned nine, I started to protect myself from grown-ups in a sneaky way. I avoided them without direct confrontation. I did not like grown-ups at all. After all they rarely showed me respect.

I remember playing hide and seek with my friends when daddy's friend tried coaxing me into the front room closet with him to hide from the rest of the gang.

Something in my gut told me that he was going to do something very bad, although I did not know what. I excused myself "I will be right back" and off I ran from daddy's room.

I left that man kneeling underneath my daddy's clothes in the darkness of the closet in the middle of a bright sunny day!