I dont think aunt Bell will ever forget her 85th birthday on Wednesday 4th July 2012.
Some time ago, talking to my daughter Michele, we decided we were going to stop only seeing family when they got sick or in the coffin. So we would start with aunt Bell in Canada, who was our oldest living relative on my side.
I actually thought she would be 90 years old in 2012 since my late mother would have been 100 this year and I could have sworn aunt Bell was 10 year her juniour .
Anyway, she disabused me quickly.
The plan was for me to travel up to Ontario from Jamaica and Michele and family from Denver and we would all surprise her for her birthday. One problem was that aunt Bell never stays home as Canada is very old people friendly and for the same price, the bus company sends special vehicles for the elderly. So we had to figure out how to find her at home on her birthday.
Knowing how she just loves mangoes, I called her from Jamaica to say a friend was coming to Canada and I would be sending mangoes for her birthday I wanted to know when she would be at home on the 4th. She asked me the name of the friend and we arranged for 11am.
On the 4th we got Donnie to call her to tell her he had brought up the mangoes and would be coming over. He arranged to meet at her independent living retirement home at 12 noon.
When we arrived we saw her on the patio waiting but we were about 15 minutes late. While Michele and Devin got out the baby, I went ahead to surprise her but by then she had gone back upstairs.
Luckily there was another old lady in the lobby and she let me in through the security door and I called aunt Bell's apartment...twice, only voice mail. Apparently she got in just after I left a message saying I was downstairs and not expecting me, she did not even recognise my voice.
When she got out of the elevator downstairs you could see the absolute shock on her face when she saw me and although she speaks to Madelyn daily, she never met either her or her daddy Devin. So she thought the other people in the lobby were visitors to other residents until Michele greeted her.
He surprise was overwhelming and I told her that she should pinch herself as we were really there and she was not dreaming.
When we went upstairs, we discovered that our chatty mouth family, Michelle, my daughter in law and Bernie, my brother, nearly gave away the surprise. for Michelle had called her to wish her happy birthday in the morning and asked her if we were there yet and Bernie had also called and asked if she had gotten the mangoes yet!
Anyway as she had no idea we were coming, she did not connect the dots and was really overwhelmed to see us.
We then asked her where she wanted to go to lunch and she said Red Lobster. At the restaurant, when they heard it was her birthday, they brought her ice cream with one single candle in it and staff and manager sang happy birthday.
Coincidentally, the manager is from Barbados and we had a long chat. He is also Rhianna's cousin and says she has gotten very snotty since she has become famous and just the week before, another cousin got married and she sent a text message and did not attend. Anyway, he said, her mom was there he said and apologized for her.
It was a wonderful day all around and one aunt Bell will never forget as long as she lives....and I hope she lives for many many more years.
Some time ago, talking to my daughter Michele, we decided we were going to stop only seeing family when they got sick or in the coffin. So we would start with aunt Bell in Canada, who was our oldest living relative on my side.
I actually thought she would be 90 years old in 2012 since my late mother would have been 100 this year and I could have sworn aunt Bell was 10 year her juniour .
Anyway, she disabused me quickly.
The plan was for me to travel up to Ontario from Jamaica and Michele and family from Denver and we would all surprise her for her birthday. One problem was that aunt Bell never stays home as Canada is very old people friendly and for the same price, the bus company sends special vehicles for the elderly. So we had to figure out how to find her at home on her birthday.
Knowing how she just loves mangoes, I called her from Jamaica to say a friend was coming to Canada and I would be sending mangoes for her birthday I wanted to know when she would be at home on the 4th. She asked me the name of the friend and we arranged for 11am.
On the 4th we got Donnie to call her to tell her he had brought up the mangoes and would be coming over. He arranged to meet at her independent living retirement home at 12 noon.
When we arrived we saw her on the patio waiting but we were about 15 minutes late. While Michele and Devin got out the baby, I went ahead to surprise her but by then she had gone back upstairs.
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| Madelyn at Red Lobster |
When she got out of the elevator downstairs you could see the absolute shock on her face when she saw me and although she speaks to Madelyn daily, she never met either her or her daddy Devin. So she thought the other people in the lobby were visitors to other residents until Michele greeted her.
He surprise was overwhelming and I told her that she should pinch herself as we were really there and she was not dreaming.
When we went upstairs, we discovered that our chatty mouth family, Michelle, my daughter in law and Bernie, my brother, nearly gave away the surprise. for Michelle had called her to wish her happy birthday in the morning and asked her if we were there yet and Bernie had also called and asked if she had gotten the mangoes yet!
Anyway as she had no idea we were coming, she did not connect the dots and was really overwhelmed to see us.
We then asked her where she wanted to go to lunch and she said Red Lobster. At the restaurant, when they heard it was her birthday, they brought her ice cream with one single candle in it and staff and manager sang happy birthday.
Coincidentally, the manager is from Barbados and we had a long chat. He is also Rhianna's cousin and says she has gotten very snotty since she has become famous and just the week before, another cousin got married and she sent a text message and did not attend. Anyway, he said, her mom was there he said and apologized for her.
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| Aunt Bell at Red Lobster |
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