The Rosy Mango That Fell In The 'Picker Patch'

"Oh Gawd Ah Go Dead!"
In hind sight there are some things that only children seem to notice and pay attention too; and most of the time  these things slip past the adults who don't seem to notice or care about any of it. It could be that special mango or cherry tree or even a guava patch (guava patches were ideal for 'hanky panky' since there was no under growth - trust me this is experience speaking here. Now have you ever noticed that cocorite patches usually grow on the banks of ravines or streams? This is one of those things that only a child would notice because sometimes in the midst of the cocorite patch, a mango tree will flourish producing beautiful mangoes that makes one remember the garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit - "yuh will ketch yuh nenen, uncle and aunty to get those delicious and beautiful mangoes".

Well, now that I have your attention let me tell you a story that centers on a mango tree that grew close to a cocorete patch. Now this story may take some turns and drift away from the mango tree but it is the mango tree, in the first place, that sets the scenario for the rest that follows. Now let's go back to a special time when we were kids; just try and remember your childhood days and you will be a part of this story and actually see the events as you read on.

First let me set up the scenario:
It was one of those typical Caribbean sunny days and out in the back of the house one of my sisters was washing clothes, on a 'jooking board' of course, and a needle got lodged in her inner wrist and broke off.  The older siblings advised her to tie a kerchief above where the needle broke off because it could travel through her vein up to her heart and kill her. Do you think that this was/is a myth or fact? Yuh know as a child all you could understand is that "oh gawd, ah go dead!" Who cares if it was a myth or a fact, as a child you believed and that meant it was a life or death situation. So here we are chaos is about to take place everyone is scared and help is needed to save the life of my sister.

Between the screams and tears someone advised that my sister should be taken to the hospital quickly before the needle traveled to her heart causing a heart attack and her eventual death. We took the advice, she was rushed to hospital and the needle was extracted successfully - phew, she lived!  We were all scared to death thinking about what would have happened if she didn’t get to hospital on time, before the needle traveled to her heart.

OK, now let's move on with the story.  My oldest sister’s older kids and I grew up as siblings; I was the baby in the family.  I visited her house frequently since she lived a short distance away.  One day my nephews, niece and I was playing in one of our favorite play area - yes you got it correct, in this wooded area with a ravine running through it (just picture the cocorite patch with the mango tree - Garden of Eden forbidden fruit).  We would catch wabines, play cowboys and Indians and stuff like that. While playing we noticed a mango tree with mangoes and there was this particular rosy mango (here we go the forbidden fruit, temptation and punishment to follow). Gosh we just had to get that mango!  So we began pelting it with stones and I was the lucky one who nailed it right on the stem.

Would you believe this mango fell in a picker patch (cocorite patch)? Everyone ran towards the area where the mango fell to get it but had to pull brakes because of the picker patch. I was able to fetch it out since it fell close to the perimeter of the picker patch. Oh gosh to hell with Satan he did not need to tempt me at all because I went on to wiping it off on my clothes and began eating that delicious mango that belonged to me and me alone. Can you taste it? Just recall the best mango you ever ate - well this one was better than that one, ha ha ha.  In the process of enjoying this mango I swallowed something pointy. It felt like a fish bone when swallowed.  I dropped the mango immediately in fear because I knew then and there that I had swallowed a picker. I held my throat, "cough cough, oh God ah go dead!" Now it was my turn to undergo the same ordeal.

Fear struck me instantly because I immediately thought about the needle scenario with my sister.  I began to cold sweat and my knees got weak. I told my nephews & nieces that I had swallowed a picker and it will travel to my heart and kill me.  We immediately took off for home and I told my sister what had happened.  She said, “Boy don’t be stupid, here have a piece of magnesia and everything will be okay”. Well I went home, went to bed and was happy to be alive the next morning.
I lived.  LoL.

Submitted by: Sandiego Lee (SDL) | Embellished & edited by Santiwah

Post a Comment

Your comments can also become a Post!