A TENEMENT YARD IN A DE CITY - CHAPTER 6 -

                 Friday evenings were always special to the people who lived on the road. Knowing that there was no school the following day, or work for most of the adults, it was a time of enjoyment and merriment for them. Cooking on a Friday evening was a no-no; so Lady Hermine’s shop was the place to purchase what was called ‘lighters’ for their dinner/supper. Lighters included fried sprat, bammy, fried dumplings, roasted yam, saltfish fritters, banana fritters, roasted saltfish and hardo bread, bully beef sandwiches, cornmeal pudding and potato pudding. Lady Hermine also made toto, coconut drops and grater cake. The shop was always crowded on a Friday so Marsue and her sister Winnie would go and assist Lady Hermine, their grandmother. This Friday evening, however, was different. The Prime Minister

A TENEMENT YARD IN A DE CITY - CHAPTER 5

               It was Michael’s duty to feed the dog and water the plants in the garden at the side of his grandfather’s quarters. There was also the enclosed garden at the top of the yard, near to the fence, where his grandfather planted yam, gungo peas and callaloo. These were also to be watered every day, as per his grandfather’s instruction. Any dereliction in this duty could mean a reprimand in front of all the tenants in the yard as well as the next door neighbours. Not to mention the people that lived in the yard across the street. Michael did not want that to happen because there was a new girl next door and he would not want her to hear his grandfather talking to him like he was six years old! He connected the hose to the garden pipe, turned it on and began to water the plants. Suddenly