Old ME, New View Ch. 5

When I was three years old Santa Clause came to the house to visit me.  He gave me all kinds of gifts.  I remember a baby doll and stickers.  The stickers were my favorite.  My daddy was at work as usual.  I remember it all being filmed as the whole thing went on.  I can only remember everyone smiling and laughing and just having a time.  In the home video we were all talking to my daddy and my uncle cause they were on the boat at work.  I have no idea how or where, but I lost that tape.  I’m kinda glad I did.

Another three-year-old memory I have is a relative named Raymond would stop by and for some odd reason I was so afraid of him.  He’s a veteran.  I can remember crying my eyes out every time I’d see him.  The man was nice.  Always gave me candy money for the little grocery store down the road.

My Paran (godfather) used to come visit.  I enjoyed those visits.  There was a lot of people, friends, and family in and out the house all the time.  Once we were all close.  I specifically remember a cousin of ours coming over and kissing my momma a lot all the time.  I didn’t understand why.  He wasn’t my dad.  I used to put hair ties and barrettes in his long black hair.  He drank a lot of beer and constantly brushed his teeth.  At night, when he would spend the night with momma, I’d go with Mawmaw and pawpaw in their room to sleep.  Pawpaw would snore so loud.  Sometimes when they would all drink and party it up, I’d get to go spend time at Old Mawmaw and Pain’s house.

I’d have so much fun with them at their house.  We would play outside, and I watched them cook, and fix the days catch whatever it was that day.  When Pain would go take a nap, Old Mawmaw would give me a bowl, or a basket and I’d go out in her yard and pick all the flowers I wanted.  I’d pick and pluck every petal sometimes.  When we’d go back inside, I’d always go tickle his feet to wake him up.  Every single time, he would make growling noises and each time I’d run out the room.  After a couple times he would come out on all fours growling and chasing me back to the living room.  I’d run straight to Mawmaw screaming and laughing.  Then he’d give me piggyback rides around the house like that.  When I’d spend the night, I can still hear the sounds of the fan at night, at the foot of their bed.  I’d sleep right in the middle of them.  Before bed Old Mawmaw would go to her bedside and say her prayers every night.

When I’d spend the days with just Mawmaw and Pawpaw, Mawmaw would make a fake kitchen with real food, and she would teach me the basics of cooking.  We would play with baby dolls and beauty parlor.  Pawpaw used to love to color with me.  He used to tell me to stay in the lines and I’d do fine.  He would help me learn my alphabets and numbers.  Mawmaw and Pawpaw would sing to me, and we would dance.

Later on in life I found out that my momma was having an affair with the cousin and cheating on my dad.  She told me since my dad had already cheated on her at that point, so she did it too.  My dad and him put my toys together for Christmas that year.  I wonder if he knew then, cause he damned sure knows now.