'Telling a Story' * staged by Suzanne and Karo *
actually, this photo was shot in our bedroom
photo by suzanne 03/27/11
A few months ago, on March 20, 2011, I posted "Welcome Sweet Springtime" on my blog. My mother saw it, and marveled at the photos of the Peacock I had captured as he strolled and danced through our neighborhood. It brought back fond AND fun memories of her childhood, as the Peacock is the National Bird of India, and mom's favorite bird. She wrote to me the following story of a mischievous event in her childhood. I believe this to have happened somewhere in 1938, in India when mom was about 12 or 13 years old.
*** MOM-You Have The Floor! ***
Mom says:
"Am anxious to see your peacock pictures. I always wanted to keep one, but they are so noisy...suppose it's like the rooster crowing, only their sound is more raucous, is that a word? You need to have a large enclosed yard, and still they can fly out. Brings back memories of when, as kids, we were returning home from school one day, and sneaked into a Government House where these peacocks hung out."
Government House, CO11
I believe this one was in Calcutta (today's Raj Bhavan)
"just to show what they looked like"
Gate on side toward Dalhousie Square
"Yeah, it is hilarious now when I think about it. Government House was an enclosed, walled area, stretching for blocks of a street. Our school, Loreto Convent, in Lucknow, India, was right across from it, divided by a main street that let into the British Cantonments. There were gates that we could open and sneak in, and I CAN"T believe that we actually found THE NEST!
Peafowl Eggs
"One of my hobbies was to collect nests...I had quite a collection of various bird nests, some, that I would show at school. I just had to have some Pea eggs, tho, so I could have some of these birds to raise. Yes, Mums would have put them under one of her hens if I could just get them home....AND-without getting caught and into trouble for 'trespassing'!"
"The guy who worked as our gardner was sent to accompany us girls home from school, and he always wore those full, voluminous pants. My plan was to get the eggs, and have him put them in his large pockets to get them home. Well, I found the nest, stole the eggs, ran through the gates, and made the servant put them into his pant pocket, and, oh, Suzanne, if only I had a picture to send you! When we got onto our bikes, he threw that leg over the crossbar, and YIKES! THE EGGS BROKE! Hmmm, I guess he put them into the wrong leg pocket...alas! The damage was done! I think he would have strangled me if it weren't for the fact that we were on a main street!"
Not a happy camper!
Now, in my 'mind's eye', I can picture Mom and her sisters and friends running thru the gates, hollering, "I got the eggs!!! Let's GO! Put them in your pocket-and off we go!"
*** HEY!!! You kids!!! Where are you going with my eggs? ***
"I guess this means I won't be getting my peacock afterall!"
A sticky ride home, ya think?
"He didn't work for us very long, don't think Daddy liked his attitude...hehe! Seems like I was always getting him involved in my "bird nest capers", tho, and I'm quite certain he cursed me...but not in English. I did teach him the English alphabet, and he picked up fast on the English reading."
"Still...you can imagine the broken egg running down his leg! What a sight!"
***
I can't imagine my mom up to such mischief, and she said, "I didn't realize I was such a trouble-maker". When my sister, brother and I were younger, mom would never had told us such a story of her own shenanigans. We got into enough of our own. I guess she feels safe telling it now that I'm older-no fear of me pulling any pranks at this stage of my life. So mom, thank you for sharing this exciting tale in your life...I really got a kick out of this story, and many laughs!
My mother will be 85 years old July 8, 2011-just a couple of days away! And I know she probably has more stories to tell. My plan is to squeeze some of them out of her-I think she was quite an inventive girl, and I KNOW she's quite the inventive woman!
Happy Birthday Mom!
"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible."
- Marion C. Garretty
***
So there we have it, my dear readers...a true story from years ago, and Birthday Greetings. Here are a few more July Birthdays:
* Nelson Rockefeller * July 8, 1908
* My Dad * July 11, 1922/June 4, 1983
* Tab Hunter * July 11, 1931
* My Husband Karo * July 21, 1949
* Ernest Hemingway * July 21, 1899/July 2, 1961
* Karo's son Chad * July 26, 1970
* Mick Jagger * July 26, 1943
***
Thank you my gracious and youthful readers for taking time to stop by. I always welcome ALL readers of ALL ages to visit, and tell me what you think! And a Happy Birthday to all with birthday's in July from The KardKorner!
Thank You!
Wikipedia
Yahoo Images
bdayquotes.com
India
My Dear Mom
"Inside every older person is a younger person - wondering what the hell happened!"
~ Cora Harvey Armstrong
"What? NO EGGS???"
A truly impressive post Susan!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a cool Mum you have. I thoroughly enjoyed her story and, oh dear, felt her absolute sorrow when the eggs broke. It was a brilliant plan to get the eggs and have them hatched by her Mum's hen :D)
You put a lot of work into your post, hunting out the appropriate photos etc., all of which presented your Mum's story just beautifully.
That's a gorgeous peacock cake too :D)
My very best wishes to your Mum for a fabulously Happy 85th Birthday and thank you very much for sharing her story with us. Long may the twinkle in her [mischievous] eyes shine xx
What a wonderful memory, good story-telling, and excellent pictures. This was a fantastic post! Fun reading. Thanks, Susan. Your mom must have lead (and is currently living) an interesting life.
ReplyDeleteHappY BiRThDaY to your MoM!! what a wonderful and fun story...i say, get her to tell you as many stories as she can remember...write them down or have her use a recorder!
ReplyDeleteso...did you get some of those mischievous genes?? i bet you did! :)
* Susan, Mom was disappointed in losing the chance to have her own peacock, but she gets a chuckle herself when she remembers this story. And, yes, I can't believe I found that cake! I was only looking for a pretty cake, AH-patience perseveres...and there it was!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your Birthday wishes to my mom...if she sneaks on to look, maybe she'll read your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the story-it was fun to post, although Mom wrote most of it. It's so good to hear from you Susan.
* Hi Nancy-I'm glad you enjoyed Mom's story. It's fun to let someone else write and contribute, and I think Mom loves being featured on my blog. I'm glad she does still lead an interesting life, and I think she still tries to cause a little mischief now and then. Thank you for stopping by. Have a pleasant week.
* Laura, Thanks for your Birthday wishes to my Mom...I think she's laying low right now-haven't heard from her yet on her story. And, she has given me a few more adventures to write. It's amazing to NOW hear them! I have done some such things myself-I guess I may have picked up some of those genes. haha!
ANNND-yes! a recorder would be good.