As a child, I loved #Easter. For our family, it meant my grandmother’s delicious #yam and salmon pie (yep I know it sounds nasty but man so good!), mashed potato balls, stewed chicken, #macaronipie, #pigeonpeas, #rice steamed vegetables and salad. Oh let me not forget #hotcrossbuns! She, my aunts and my mother would spend all day cooking in my grandmother’s tiny kitchen. We children would spend the day #flyingkites, playing #tag and #soccer. No #Easteregghunts unfortunately for two main reasons. Eggs were expensive so we would not be able to accumulate the number needed for all of us cousins (and there were many). Also, nobody had time to paint all those eggs on the off chance we could gather enough (so our parents said). The smell wafting through the louvres was met with alternating sighs and grumbling from our hungry little bellies. When Granny loudly announced "Food done!", then the action began. Lunch was a hectic affair with white plastic tables and chairs set out underneath the house to accommodate the large number of uncles, aunties, tantes and cousins that were present.
Various instructions were shouted from Granny's kitchen command center.
"You (insert random child name here) bring down dat mug of lime juice. Get your sister to bring down the forks and spoons one time!"
"But I don't have a sister, Granny"
"Well your brother then! Doh let me tell you twice!"
While the children scurried up and down the red concrete stairs, our uncles set up the bar area with the coolers of #caribbeer, #stagbeer, bottles of assorted hard liquor, bags of ice and plastic cups. The radio was brought down and played music at the highest volume. Finally once the table was set and everyone was downstairs, Granny would announce it was time for grace. Woe to anyone who snickered, made a face or did anything that Granny considered an insult to the Lord. After the prayer, noise began anew. Jokes were shared, juice was inevitably spilled, food was chewed noisily all against the background of whatever #socamusic was playing on the radio.That cacophony to me meant #family.
Now in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic and far away from Trinidad, Easter is very different to my childhood days. I look forward to a time when I can preside over a similar cacophony with my own #grandkids. I know that I am not alone missing family and friends this Easter. To those like me, I wish you and yours a very Happy Easter!
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