Memories of Papa

 

Papa and I were buddies.  He always had time for me.  Mamie was busy in the house with cooking and stuff I wasn't even sure of and her programs but Papa, he worked out in his workshop and in the garden and I was right there with him.  He would talk about the garden and his fruit trees, most of which I didn't get but I knew it was the reason his fruit and veggies tasted the best.  

He would fix stuff in his workshop and talking to me the whole time as I watched him.  

In the afternoon and evenings he would play cards with me.  Teaching me how to play rummy and crazy 8s.  We would share a 7Up and he would help me add up my cards and keep score.  

Papa was also the one who would take me and my friend Lee to the corner store to buy us Smarties.  No matter where we were when we saw his car we would start running and yelling "Papa, papa, papa!!!"  He would pick each of us up and swing us around, happy to see us.  

Papa and Mamie were the ones who got me a tricycle for Christmas in just my favourite colour.  Every five years Papa would change the trim of their house from blue to red and back again, he also painted the lawn chairs that they had to match as well, the garage door was part of it too changing it's colour from blue to red.  When we moved to our home next door to them when I saw my Papa in his workshop or garden I would fly over as fast as my legs would take me to spend time with him.  When I was older I would help mow the huge lawn that both our homes had, he was very careful to care for his lawn mowers and when he was reaching the end of his time to care for the outdoors he made me promise to not let my father use his machines as dad wasn't very careful when it came to lawn mowers.

I do miss my best buddy Papa.