One Little Star in Infinite Space
First Memory
5/25/1999
The first memory I have of my mother; I remember I was about seven living with my Auntie Niecey.
I walk down the brown wooden stairs from my room into the warm peach colored kitchen when I hear a voice unfamiliar to my young ears. I’ve gotten very good at eavesdropping since my auntie’s always gossipin’.
And because I’m always told to “stay out of grown folks business” and “stop lookin’ in my mouth” I just listen whenever I walk by. I don’t walk any slower or any faster, I don’t even look in her and her company’s direction anymore unless I’m actually talking to them. I keep it cool and I’ve heard a lot of stuff, but one thing I didn’t hear about is a visitor.
Standing in front of the open fridge pouring myself some orange juice I listen.
“Would you like anything to eat or drink?” my auntie asks in her cheerful gospel-like tone.
“No I’m too tired to eat anything,” the woman’s voice said.
Her voice, very smooth yet it has a bass to it.
“Not much has changed huh?” she continues.
Her voice also womanly she sounds strong.
My aunt Niecey responds “not everything stayed the same.”
There’s a pause and I begin to think they know I’m listening and I don’t want auntie fussing at me so I go on to finishing up and putting the juice back. I’m headed back up the stairs to my room when my name is called.
“Pattyn,” my auntie calls. “Could you come here honey?”
I stop halfway up the stairs, turn around and go back down. I take a gulp of orange juice and round the corner to the living room where the two tall chocolate women stand.
I’m surprised as to how similar my aunt and this woman look. They both have dark chocolate almond shaped eyes which is the same as me. They both have a head full of curly black hair my aunt is wearing her hair pulled back into a ponytail where as the lady has her hair fluffed out into a big afro.
The woman just stares at me with a weird smile on her round face she looks like she could burst into tears any second.
I shift my eyes to my aunt Denise and she says, “Honey this is my sister.”
Oh okay that explains it! Then she continues, “also your mother.”
My eyes go wide, heart stops and skips three beats then restarts and my stomach fills with fluttering large winged butterflies.
The woman finally lets the tears spill and lines crinkle around her eyes. With her arms open wide she leans down and embraces me in a long warm tight hug.
Her voice brittle and muffled into my hair, “oh Pattyn I’ve missed you so much! I’m so sorry I’ve been gone for so long, but I’m here now!”
She decorates my face with kisses and sprinkles my skin with joyful yet remorseful tears.
The first memory I have of my mother; I remember I was about seven living with my Auntie Niecey.
I walk down the brown wooden stairs from my room into the warm peach colored kitchen when I hear a voice unfamiliar to my young ears. I’ve gotten very good at eavesdropping since my auntie’s always gossipin’.
And because I’m always told to “stay out of grown folks business” and “stop lookin’ in my mouth” I just listen whenever I walk by. I don’t walk any slower or any faster, I don’t even look in her and her company’s direction anymore unless I’m actually talking to them. I keep it cool and I’ve heard a lot of stuff, but one thing I didn’t hear about is a visitor.
Standing in front of the open fridge pouring myself some orange juice I listen.
“Would you like anything to eat or drink?” my auntie asks in her cheerful gospel-like tone.
“No I’m too tired to eat anything,” the woman’s voice said.
Her voice, very smooth yet it has a bass to it.
“Not much has changed huh?” she continues.
Her voice also womanly she sounds strong.
My aunt Niecey responds “not everything stayed the same.”
There’s a pause and I begin to think they know I’m listening and I don’t want auntie fussing at me so I go on to finishing up and putting the juice back. I’m headed back up the stairs to my room when my name is called.
“Pattyn,” my auntie calls. “Could you come here honey?”
I stop halfway up the stairs, turn around and go back down. I take a gulp of orange juice and round the corner to the living room where the two tall chocolate women stand.
I’m surprised as to how similar my aunt and this woman look. They both have dark chocolate almond shaped eyes which is the same as me. They both have a head full of curly black hair my aunt is wearing her hair pulled back into a ponytail where as the lady has her hair fluffed out into a big afro.
The woman just stares at me with a weird smile on her round face she looks like she could burst into tears any second.
I shift my eyes to my aunt Denise and she says, “Honey this is my sister.”
Oh okay that explains it! Then she continues, “also your mother.”
My eyes go wide, heart stops and skips three beats then restarts and my stomach fills with fluttering large winged butterflies.
The woman finally lets the tears spill and lines crinkle around her eyes. With her arms open wide she leans down and embraces me in a long warm tight hug.
Her voice brittle and muffled into my hair, “oh Pattyn I’ve missed you so much! I’m so sorry I’ve been gone for so long, but I’m here now!”
She decorates my face with kisses and sprinkles my skin with joyful yet remorseful tears.