I can still hear my grandmother's voice saying "Fix me a cup of coffee sista, I still have a long way to go" she would explain referring to cooking our Christmas dinner. She would cook enough turkey and dressing for an entire army on Christmas Eve. I'd stand watching as she used her bare hands to break down the cornbread. My Aunt Keisha would be mixing up the cream cheese for what taste like the best cheesecake ever made. The house would be filled with all six of us grand kids who lived there since the death or incarceration of our parents., most of her sons and two daughters, her favorite sister, my Aunt Katherine and some of her grandchildren. Katherine's oldest grandchild Nicole was my age therefore we were inseparable. We were favorite cousins and soon called each other sisters. We shared everything: secrets, dreams, stories etc. We even pretended to cut our fingers yet used ketchup as blood, rubbed our fingers together, taste it and became blood sisters. All we did was talk while the other kids played. Nicole was such a good listener, she even believed everything I told her. Once I told her a cat talked to me and she believed it lol.
None of us kids could sleep, afraid we'd miss Christmas if we so much as dosed off, unaware that all we had to do was go to bed and wake up to Christmas Day lol.
Silent Night by the Temptation's would be flowing thru the speakers setting the tone. I was a very observant child. I would observe how special my grandmother and Aunt Katherine would try to make Christmas Day for us. The tree would be loaded with gifts. Cakes and Pies of all kinds covered the dining room table. Everyone was happy. No fussing, No fighting; my grandmother wouldn't allow any one to disrespect her house with all the drama. She was the only one allowed to raise hell :). I miss those days. My family is so distant since my grandmother passed. Some of her son's are now in prison with long sentence's, hell I even did time.My grandmother was our rock, she held us together. She reminded us constantly that we were all we had. I miss her. There is a void in a my life. A part of me has grown cold without that real solid love. She loved us unconditionally, even though we were orphans, (myself and the other grand kids) she never made us feel as though we were a burden. We were hers and she was ours. I wish she could hold me one more time.
