(An exert from For Love of Him available in print and kindle http://amazon.com/author/princebradford).
Boysie was cooking the curry goat
and manish water. The scent of which was
so good on the wind that Alex wished he could go and steal the pot. Donna would
be making gratered cake and coconut drops. Miss Lou would make the stripe candy
sticks. Sister Girlie would make the salt mackerel run down and Miss Tat was
making the blue drawers.
“I am hungry right now so I do not see why we should wait until tonight,
let us send and buy some of the blue drawers now,” Jeff said to Janice
“Yes” Janice agreed with Jeff’s suggestion.
Alex peeked and saw that both were busy. He was thinking of the corn
pone and the sweet potato pudding that he was planning to buy later in the
night. Previous experience told him that they tasted as good as they smelled
while being baked and everywhere smelt good.
Today he was willing and ready if called
upon to do any task because he did not want to be told later in the day that he
had to stay home in the night for any reason. Moreover he had heard Jeff say
the word hungry. He could not tell what
Jeff had said about hungry because that meant some treats will be bought shortly.
Alex chose a spot to idle where he could be seen. It was not long before Janice
called his name. Alex knew he was called because Janice could see him so he
immediately went to Janice.
“Go by Miss Tat's house and tell her to sell you six blue drawers,” Jeff
said holding out some money in his hand for Alex to collect.
“What!” Alex exclaimed in shock.
“Yes tell her that we are hungry
and cannot wait until tonight so she is to sell you six blue drawers. We do not
want the one made out of cornmeal, we want the ones made from green banana,”
Jeff said.
Alex took the money from Jeff but stood where
he was looking at Jeff in dismay.
“Why are you standing there looking at me?
Make haste and come back if you are lucky you may even get one of the blue
drawers,” Jeff said to Alex.
“But I do not wear panties
and I do not want one” Alex said to Jeff.
“Are you going to buy the food or not?” Jeff
asked even as he continued with his work.
Alex looked at Janice and although her back
was turned to him he could see she was doubled over with laughter at the
conversation he was having with Jeff.
“What is the name of the food again?” Alex asked.
“Blue drawers,” Jeff responded.
“Does it have any other name?” Alex asked.
“No,” Jeff responded.
“I can’t ask a big woman for that, can't I
ask her for blue panties?” Alex asked.
“What would I be doing with panties? It is
blue drawers I want to eat,” Jeff said.
The conversation was getting too much for Janice she was choking with
laughter as she coaxingly said to Alex “Just tell her to sell you six blue
drawers.”
“I can’t ask a big woman for that,” Alex
wailed “doesn’t it have any other name?”
“No,” Janice said “And make sure that it is
blue drawers you take back because I do not want any sweet potato pone, corn
meal pudding or toto. It is blue drawers I want.”
Alex put down the money and said firmly “I
will not go I cannot ask a big woman for that.”
The look of anger in Jeff face caused Alex to take quick flight even as
he heard Janice whooping with laughter and clapping her hands in delight.
Alex did not run for any distance but just
out of reach of Jeff or if Jeff should decide to give chase far enough for a good
head start. Soon Alex heard Simon being called. It did not take Simon long to
respond. Alex was vexed because Simon was even better at carrying a message and
whatever Jeff told Simon there would be no questions.
“Go down by Miss Tat and tell her to sell you six blue drawers” Jeff
told Simon handing him the money.
In what appeared to be no time at all Simon
returned with a plastic bag in his hand.
“Miss Tat said I was the first person that
came to buy today so she gave me one for myself. She said it is the one made
from sweet potato. She also said that the ones made out of corn are so nice
that instead of sending six made from green bananas as you asked she has sent
four made from green bananas and three made from gratered corn.” Simon
reported.
Alex moved into the open to see how this
message would be received by Jeff and Janice, he saw that they were smiling.
“Stay right here beside us and eat just in
case Alex take away yours from you,” Janice commanded Simon.
Alex was furious when he observed that what
Miss Tat had sold Simon was tie-in-a-leaf. His mouth watered as he watched
Simon enjoying his meal.
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