Emmy’s family all lived close by. Emmy’s mom’s mother and aunt Fide lived across the street from her horizontally in the same neighborhood of Sutter Ave near Pinking shopping district in Brooklyn N.Y… Her aunt’s Fide husband’s father had a grocery store that Emmy loved going to.
Emmy loved buying candies at the store, ice cream sandwich, milky way, sneakers, and kisses. Her aunt Fide’s husband’s father owned a grocery store. Nino loved Fide’s family very much, it was immediate love at first sight, Fide and Nino got married immediately making an instant family. And Yes, Emmy loved the fact that her family had a store through Nino’s relation to Fide. This was the reason that Emmy’s mom had wanted to move away from Suydam Street to Sutter Ave in Brooklyn N.Y. Aunt Fide had found Emmy’s mother a five-bedroom apartment, three bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Bigger than the three railroad bedroom apartment they were living in. So Emmy’s mom wanted them to move closer to her family in Sutter Ave
. “Mami are you really going to leave daddy a note with the address on where we are moving to.”
“Si, el va tener que encontralnos.”
“What daddy will have to find us?”
Emmy’s father did not like thinking about moving, it would give him an upset stomach. Emmy’s father was distressed because Emmy’s mom had made the decision, they were moving to Sutter Ave. Emmy’s mom was tired of Suydam Street, she promised one day we would move out of the neighborhood. The avenues there were big and the cars were too fast, too many accidents.
Emmy’s mom was always thinking of moving ever since Amy got into a car accident. Emmy’s twin sister, Amy did not think like Emmy, they were very different; still, they were good friends they like spending time playing outside. One day Emmy’s twin got hit by a car. Amy landed in the hospital for a whole week with a broken leg, thank god she was alive. Emmy would never forget the feeling she did not know of how one was supposed to feel when a loved one has gotten hurt. She wanted to cry, throw herself on the floor but she did not. She was just nervous about what could happen to her twin sister. Emmy recalls that day as being one of the most confusing days she has ever lived. Emmy would stammer,
“Amy did not listen to me, she just kept following Minerva.”
“She just followed this one teacher that knows Minerva.”
“And then they crossed the street and Amy followed.”
“I told her not to leave.” Minerva was Amy’s friend.
Emmy was nervous; she loved Amy and could not see anything happening to her. Their mother Sra. Leonita was tired of the big Avenue where cars would zoom without caring whether or not children played in that block. Amy got hit by a car because she went after this one teacher that came by their neighborhood block where they lived.
Amy got so excited that she went after Minerva that was talking to the teacher, and Amy just tagged along without thinking or looking back at Emmy, crossing the street without supervision. Amy followed full of excitement and joy because Minerva was talking to the teacher and Amy still tailing them, without they knowing it, when all of a sudden Emmy watches how a car slams the break. Amy Falls to the ground on the crossway, the tires breaking was so loud that everyone stopped to look. I was still on the other side of the street with my heart in my hands. I began to hear people calling for the ambulance. Emmy went running to the apartment to tell her father because her mom was busy working. Emmy’s father took Amy to the hospital. Emmy’s mom was sick over this incident she could not wait to move.
Emmy remembers her father’s altar with candles, praying for her sister’s life. Luckily, Amy came home fully recovered. Mami wanted to move so badly from that neighborhood. And she managed to find a better place with her sister’s Fide’s help. Emmy’s father was just sneering saying
“ Ay Leonita mira que a ti te gusta mandal, pues has lo que se te salga en gana.”
“What daddy is saying that we can do what we want Mami we can move.”
So Emmy’s mom Leonita did what she had to do, she moved to a bigger and spacious apartment still in Brooklyn not too far from Pinking Ave the shopping district. Emmy’s mom was happy because mother Angela happen to be living next to her on the same block Sutter Ave. Emmy loved the idea of living next to her grandmother and grandfather. Once Emmy’s family moved to Sutter Ave Emmy always went to Nino’s father’s store to buy candies. Nino was Emmy’s aunt’s husband, his father was the owner. Nino’s father became a second grandfather to Emmy and her family. Nino’s father treated Emmy like a granddaughter and he always gave her extra candy and ice cream to share with her other brothers and sisters.
Emmy’s uncle Iran also lived in the same neighborhood; the store and the laundry matt were on the same block. Uncle Iran, managed the corner neighborhood laundry mat so Emmy’s mom would ask uncle Iran to keep an eye on her while she washed at the laundry mat. This arrangement allowed Emmy to help her mom and elder sisters with the laundry. She liked folding her family’s clothing. It made her feel like a big girl. Folding and hanging up clothing was relaxing for Emmy. Since being at home all the time with the family could get tense, doing the laundry or any chores that involved Emmy going outside the house meant an escape for her.
Emmy’s father was 20 years older than her mother. Her father was a barber and a master at cockfighting, roosters. The best in, Guayama, Puerto Rico. Emmy’s father was from the “old school,” and would always be arguing with Emmy’s big sisters about something or other, it was usually about boys, and how they were not allowed to talk to any of his six daughters. All the arguing would get Emmy nervous, so she would relieve her stress by keeping busy and doing chores. Emmy felt as though she had accomplished something by learning to do the laundry well. Even her big sisters would tell her how well she knew how to do laundry all by herself. She felt grown-up when helping with the family’s chores.
“Mami, can I do the laundry?” Emmy would ask.”
Why would you want to do the laundry it is a big job for such a small girl,” her mom would say.
“I’m not little, I am ten and a half teach me how to do it and I will do it myself.”
And so Emmy’s mom did show her how to separate the white clothes, from the dark clothes and the color clothes. Teaching her to read the labels on the clothing making sure to understand that labels indicate the proper care for each piece of clothing. Emmy could hear her mom saying while organizing the clothing.
“When you see a piece of garment on the floor one is simply throwing one’s money away, we can’t afford it.” Emmy’s mom was really organized with their clothing, nothing of clutter.
“Mami, you separate them and I’ll take them out of the bag and put them in the washing machine and dryer,” Emmy suggested to her mom.
“Ok, just make sure you only put the right amount of soap in each load one scoop. That is one scope per load,” her mom replied.
To take the clothing to the laundry one had to cross a street. Usually, Emmy’s mom would cross the street with her, but this time she was on her own,
“one street that all it takes,
”she would repeat this, as she waited.
She waited at the corner avenue moving her head from side to side making sure no cars were coming. She carried a two-wheel shopping cart with three bags of clothing. She was to do the wash by herself for the first time. She was to load the machines and fold all the three black bags full of clothing. Emmy learned quickly how to do wash, using just the right amount of money for the coin machine. Once her mom saw and understood that she had a good helper she allowed her to do laundry on her own. From then on Emmy had permission to do laundry on her own. She was proud of being seen as a big girl.
“Emmy, I have separated the clothing into three bags. Whites, darks, and colors so can you put them in separate washing machines and make sure you dry them in the same order whites, color, and darks. And make sure you put in the fabric softener,”
Emmy’s mom would add.
“Emmy, make sure you put the color clothes in to dry separately. While you are waiting for the clothes to dry, you can go visit Grandpa Nino’s store.
“ Oh! And make sure you fold the clothing once they finish drying!”
Emmy’s mom would give her enough money for the laundry and just enough for her to get something sweet from her Grandpa Nino’s store. Emmy just loved doing laundry. However, there was only one problem; there were some kids in the neighborhood that were around Emmy’s age, ten, that would follow her and make fun of her.
The kids were boys that lived in the neighborhood. They would tease her and sometimes take her laundry money away and run off laughing. Soon this became a bigger problem. Emmy was truly frightened when she would have to cross the street to the laundry mat. This was not the safest neighborhood, they were a crazy guy going around with a blade cutting ladies behind that wore pants. But she figured once she was at the laundry mat everything would be fine because uncle Iran would be there. It was on the way there and on her way back home that boys would spot her and begin harassing her. She always would watch out for those boys that would try to take her money, and sometimes even steal kisses without her consent. The boys would steal kisses. They go by and kiss Emmy on her cheek without permission, making her feel very uncomfortable and angry.
Living in a big city Emmy knew how to fight back, and there were times when she would have to tumble some of the bigger girls or boys on to the ground to show that she was not afraid of them, this was a neighborhood full of families that had 8 and ten children like in her own family. Kids always started some kind of trouble with her they knew how to get her angry, they liked teasing her. Emmy had to learn to be quick and fast in the streets of Brooklyn N.Y… That is when Emmy’s mom decided that even though Emmy was a good helper and loved helping with the laundry it would not be safe to let her continue doing the laundry all by herself even if uncle Iran was there to watch over her while in the laundry mat.
The journey to the laundry place became too risky. Emmy was sad and could not understand why kids could be so mean to each other. She loved the wind on her face while crossing the street and being able to buy candies when she wanted. She liked using the corner phone to call her mom and let her known when she was finished doing the wash and to, come to pick her up. Emmy liked her freedom, she remembered living on Suydam Street in Brooklyn, and how she was able to use the candy store.
Because she could walk around the block not have to cross a single street. She missed being able to go to the candy store without any hassles. She missed her old neighborhood where there were fewer kids and they all knew her family. She even misses the two girls that she always had fights with because most of the time they would make up again after fighting and then they would play for hours. In the old neighborhood, she did not have as many kids bothering her and making her life miserable as in this new hood. Emmy loved the spacious apartment, unlike Suydam Street. Sutter Ave was a busy street; there had been several accidents along the avenue. Little kids and even big people would get hit by cars. This avenue turned out to be the main street that led to bigger avenues and boulevards. Worst yet there were strangers men in the street would glare at her and throw her kisses, making truly nasty gestures towards her.
When Emmy would walk down the avenue, she did not like walking alone because of this problem. This is when she wished she still lives in her old neighborhood; there she was able to walk her street hassle-free. Everybody in the neighborhood knew her father the barber and mother that gave birth to twins. Emmy and friends would spend hours playing outside right in front of her building. In the summer Emmy could still feel the hot sun shining on her as she played hopscotch, jump rope, and many other games. What she liked of the new neighborhood, however, was the feeling of doing growing up chores and now it had been all spoiled by those immature boys wanting to terrorize her on her way to the laundry matt.
She was glad that her dad and mom knew how to protect her and if anything they would send my brothers and sisters would come out to defend her against anyone that threatened to harm her.Esmeralda Gonzalez AKA Emerldgonzalez.com
I like to sail, read, think, and write. My topics Positive Education, Child Development, Conscious Parenting, and Positive Psychology Science of Happiness.Follow
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I like to sail, read, think, and write. My topics Positive Education, Child Development, Conscious Parenting, and Positive Psychology Science of Happiness.Jan 10
The Black Out
(Responsibility)
“The world is ending! The world is ending!” Emmy could hear her neighbors screaming.
“What is going on,” Emmy thought. It was about 5 p.m. in the afternoon and Emmy had just gotten up from an afternoon nap, still drowsy, she realized that there was no electricity.
“Click, Click,”
She tried turning on the bathroom light, but there was no light. Emmy opened the refrigerator to see if it was still on, but it was off too.
“Oh no,” she thought, “no television.”
Emmy loved watching the Mickey Mouse Club and all the cartoons after that…Read more · 10 min read
“President Kennedy our 35th President
Of United State Has Been Shot”
(Awareness)
The news was on all the television and the radio, all they talked about was that President Kennedy had been shot. Emmy’s mom was divested. Emmy was also distraught she could not see her cartoons for a whole week. She did not really understand the urgency of the matter. All Emmy could think was,
“I guess this was more important than my cartoons, must be everyone has red eyes from crying.”
She could still hear her third-grade teacher Ms. Green said, “President Kennedy our 35 presidents of the…Read more · 6 min read
