A Snippet from Auntie Cherri's Book

Hi, Everyone!

First of all, I would like to wish a Happy 47^th Birthday to my cousin Jade Freeman. Keep on shinin’ bright like the diamond that you are, Cuzzo!

So, I got an email from my Auntie Cherri around 7:30am CST this morning. She asked me to revise and proofread a particular section of her upcoming autobiography, of which she has yet to find a title. Well, I admit that I didn’t really proofread Auntie Cherri’s work on account of I was too busy reading about the time she saved a pregnant woman’s life… that’s right—she’s gonna put that story in her book.

Anyway, check out what Auntie Cherri had to say on that fateful day.

It was Friday, February 22, 2013, and I had a feeling that it would just be one of those days. It all began when I woke up late, meaning that I had no time to make my lunch. On top of that, I didn’t have any more strawberry granola bars for breakfast. This meant that my stomach would be growling like mad up until lunchtime. Oh, well—I did have some money to get a sandwich at the nearby deli.

When 11:30 a.m. came around, I clocked out so quickly that I almost forgot my purse and cellphone. On my way out the door, I let my supervisor know that I would be gone for an hour. I awaited the crosswalk signal to turn green, literally—or perhaps figuratively—tasting that barbecue chicken cheesesteak sandwich with buffalo fries. Just the thought of that sandwich made my stomach growl so loudly that it sounded like a dog was nearby.

Finally, the light turned green, and I started across the street. In my peripheral vision, I saw some awkward movement to my left. When I turned to my left, a pregnant woman was walking rather slowly. I took a good look at her, and noticed that her eyes looked pretty glazed over. I asked if she was okay, and to my surprise, she was about to collapse.

Not even giving it a second thought, I dropped below her and carried her safely across the street. Once we were safely across, I lay her gently on the sidewalk and asked one of the passers-by to call the paramedics I checked for a pulse. Remarkably, the woman not only had a pulse, but she was also waking up. In the process of awakening, however, she screamed something serious. As it turned out, she had immediately gone into labor.

Speaking both as a reader and as her niece, I feel that Auntie Cherri is doing the right thing by putting this event into her story. I felt like I was right there with her, from the time she left the house to the time she clocked out for lunch. Keep in mind, though: This is only a snippet of Auntie Cherri’s story; we all know that she saved the lady’s life and delivered her baby, but what happened after that? Did Auntie Cherri ever get her barbecue chicken cheesesteak? How did it feel to be interviewed on the news?

The answer to these and many other questions, just as soon as Auntie Cherri gets her book published. Right now, she’s got writer’s block and hasn’t really written anything since Christmas, but she has at least gone back and dusted off this particular section of her autobiography.

Until next time, y’all have a good rest-of-the-weekend.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

In Another Castle, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

So, I was on the phone with my Uncle Ronnie this morning, and I was telling him how I am looking forward to my summer vacation, but I have Summer School to contend with at the moment. Uncle Ronnie chuckled and said, “All you need is for that little mushroom dude to come out and say to you: ‘Thank you, Mario… but our princess is in another castle.’”

While I do realize that I wasn’t even so much as an afterthought when Super Mario Brothers came out, I am aware of the reference. Besides, Uncle Ronnie still has his original Nintendo, and I used to play him from time to time… hahaha! Anyway, I understand Uncle Ronnie’s analogy, and why he compared Mario’s search of the fair Princess Toadstool to my much anticipated return to my hometown, especially with so much going on back home. Notwithstanding my friend Becky Morgan experiencing the prom she never had (thanks in part to my cousin Calvin), I am to understand that Gramma Jewel has brand-new neighbors. And I have it on good authority that one of those new neighbors is a teacher at Sapp Elementary. Talk about six degrees of separation—Gramma Jewel is a volunteer nurse up at Sapp Elementary, and her other neighbor Mr. D is a kindergarten teacher up there... I’m tellin’ y’all—the irony is deliciously beautiful (and beautifully delicious)!

And y’all just know that Gramma Jewel and the rest of her neighbors have pitched in to officially welcome the new neighbors to Sapphire Street. Of course, the topper is Gramma Jewel’s super delicious strawberry seven-up cake!

Also, Cousin Calvin will be graduating from Cal State Long Beach on Wednesday, May 22, and y’all know how much I would love to be there, but seeing as how I’m “in another castle” known as Bearcat Country, I gotta miss it. As disappointed as I am, I will at least get him a graduation card and mail it to him.

So much going on in Southern Cali, and I’ve got to miss it! Oh, well—it’s not like I didn’t know what to expect when I accepted admission at Rust College. I knew the rules going into this thing, and then too, I was the one boldly professing that “I’ll go if I have to go by myself.”

I’m not saying that those words have come back to bite me—I’m merely speaking as an individual who is lonesome for her hometown. However, if Gramma Jewel has taught me anything (and she has taught me a helluva lot), it’s that this too shall pass.

Well, I guess I’d better close this blog for today. Until Monday, y’all have a good rest-of-the-weekend.

Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha