-Edwin Hurdle.
 
I  remember going to the Barbados. The rays of sun caressed every inch of my body and I always had a cold, refreshing, freshly made glass of orange or pineapple juice.   I never thought about how many emails and voice mails that were piling at my job. As I took a stroll through the Barbados, I noticed the pastel colored, stocco homes.   The houses were lime green, pink, bright yellow, and one house had a few different shades of pink.  The bright colored umbrellas were lined up on the beach. A tourist pulled his straw hat over his face and took a nap, while his wife dipped her feet in the turquoise waters.  "Marco...Polo...Marco...Polo...,"the children in the water yelled. They were playing the same water sport that I had played in my Aunt's pool back in the mid to late 70's.  The honeymooners chose the serene part of the beach.  Romance rolled across every wave and under the shade of the palm trees.  They even had the same color light blue bathing suits.  They must have gotten their "his and hers" bathing suits on their wedding day. The funny thing is that it seemed that they did not smell the scent of the barbecued chicken coming from the deck of the hotel, nor did they notice cruise ships passing by.  All they needed was their blanket,  radio, and  embraces.   I loved the seafood in the Barbados, friendly natives, the sound of the steel drums, and the carribean print shirts that the band wore while they played.
 
However, the Barbados has a different meaning to me now that I had the chance to meet a man named Edwin Hurdle.  Although I am an Italian American writer and have written Italian American theme stories, my den is a place where all ethnic groups are welcome.  I am intrigued by other cultures and traditions. You do not have to be Italian to visit my den.  There are so many precious memories to share with each other!
 
"My family is from the Barbados," Edwin told me. Although Edwin was born in New York City, he said that he visited his grandmother a few times in the Barbados.  She is a bubbly and vivacious 82 year old woman.  "How are you doing today?" her neighbors asked.  Edwin's grandmother smiled and was beaming with joy.  "My grandson, Edwin, is coming to visit me," she said as she was sitting in the shade slicing pineapples.  "Well, let's hope he does not bring any New York City rain and cold air with him," her neighbor said, jokingly.  Her gardening tools were laying on the ground next to her garden. "I can't wait to show off my garden to Edwin," his grandmother said as she looked over at her garden.

One of the children in her neighborhood rode his bike into her driveway and asked, “Do you think Edwin will bring me a Yankees t-shirt?” while he smiled.  Edwin’s grandmother waved at him and said, “be sure to stop by when Edwin arrives.  I am making cou-cou with salmon and herring.”   Edwin has fond memories of cou-cou, which is corn meal mixed with hearing. Sometimes, they added flying fish, salmon, or tomato and is served in a bowl. I think this might be the equivalent to an Italian’s polenta, which is cornmeal, topped with marinara or meat sauce or sometimes it is mixed with mushrooms, sausage or just olive oil on top.  

The child said, “Are you making macaroni pie?”   Edwin’s grandmother swept her porch and said, “Of course.  I have to make macaroni pie. It’s our tradition.”   The child’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Whoa…I am definitely stopping by for that macaroni pie!”  My mouth watered as I thought about the traditional macaroni pie of the Barbados.   Edwin told me, “Macaroni pie is a dish which contains boiled macaroni, with cheese.  My grandmother baked it in the oven after putting it into a pie pan.”  

Edwin’s grandmother put a new, bright orange hibiscus plant in front of her house.  One of her friends stopped by with a big grocery bag.  “Here you go. I bought them fresh,” her friend said.  Edwin’s grandmother peeked in the grocery back after she put down her broom.  “Oh, those pigs feet and pigs ears look great! Did you get me a bottle of vinegar?”  Her friend said, “Yes, I remembered the vinegar and fresh lemons, too.” Edwin has such fond memories of a traditional dish called Sous.  “It is pigs ears, pigs feet, vinegar, and lemon juice.” Sometimes they would eat sous by itself or with a brown pudding which is made from the pig. "It is sweet, but not too sweet," Edwin added.

I remember my mother buying pigs feet and how scared I was after I noticed them in our refrigerator. Pigs feet were popular in many Italian homes.

Edwin’s grandmother smiled as the calypso music played from her livingroom and echoed into her yard.  Although Edwin currently lives in New York, he stays close to his traditions by observing the West-Indian American Day Parade in New York. Edwin puts on his comfortable shoes, light, cotton shirt and sunglasses before he goes to the  parade every year. “Hey, Edwin, come over here….” His friends always call out for him every Labor Day as they gather on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.   Some of the children sit on blankets, while others drink their cold, refreshing fruit punch.   The flags of the Carribean Islands wave in the air as everyone displays their love and pride of their native Caribbean island.  Edwin said, “The parade on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn is a family gathering of the Carribean nations.   There are people from Jamaica, St. Thomas, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad,  Tobago and many more!  People from all walks of life and different parts of the city gather and become one family that day.”   As a matter of fact, Edwin told me that Trinidad and Tobago have the same parade on that day, but they call it “Carnival.”  The traditions spread to New York City.” Many people become immersed with their traditions as they eat bowls of rice, peas, and jerk chicken. "Mom, I want some rotti," some of the children shout during this celebration. Edwin told me that Rotti is stewed chicken with gravy,  potatoes and some other spicy ingredients. It is placed in a pita and baked in the oven. "Sometimes, people add a little bit of beer to the ingredients," Edwin said.  Some of the people enjoy eating green bananas.  "They peel the skin off the banana and mash the banana. Sometmes the people serve it with fish or herring, "Edwin added. There are booths of beef patties, flying fish, and curry goat.   The curry goat stems from Jamaica," he said.  The West Indian Parade in New York is a festive way to celebrate the Carribean culture and heritage of the islands.

I took a journey back to the Barbados in my mind while Edwin told me about his memories, I envisioned Edwin's grandmother  inviting her friend to sit down at the picnic table after she placed a beautiful tablecloth which had designs of  pink, orange and yellow hibiscus, bananas, and sea shells. It was a perfect day in the Barbados.  “Have some lemonade,” she told her friend.   “What do you think Edwin wants to do when he arrives?”  her friend asked.   “I know that my Edwin is going to give me  a big hug. That is always first on his list. After that, I am sure he will go down to Hackman’s Cliff. "   Edwin remembers Hackman’s Cliff.   He put on his blue, Nike beach thongs, comfortable tan shorts and  light yellow t-shirt  while he gazed at the clear, aquamarine waters. One day, he walked past the charming houses as the cascades of yellow and coral roses and tropical flora greeting him as they grew over the white, picket fences.  “It is one of my favorite places,” Edwin said. One day, he walked to the cliff and  drank a cold ice tea.  As he put his sunglasses on top of his head, he became absorbed by the sunset.   I remember the beautiful sunset in the Barbados and other islands that I have visited. You can really lose yourself as you become absorbed by the blazing, orange sun and vivid crimson and lavender skies.   Hackman’s Cliff in the Barbados is a place that touched Edwin’s heart.  Edwin did not want to leave Hackman’s Cliff, as he tasted the salty air on his lips, and stared at the sky.   However, he knew that he had to meet a few friends in Bridgetown.   In a way, going to Bridgetown is the same as going shopping in Manhattan. Edwin explained that there are department stores, restaurants, and shopping malls there.   As he looked out at the sea, he realized that his ties to his traditions will always be kept alive in his life  . Also, he loves his grandmother very much. It is her loving ways and special memories which make Edwin want to stay tied to his traditions even while he lives in New York. “My grandmother is 82 years old, but she is very active. She painted the livingroom and still loves to work in her garden,” Edwin said. Although Edwin has not found the love his life yet, I know that he will find a woman in New York who understands and who will share his love of his traditions.  "My grandmother looks out for me. Even if she tells me things that I already know, she keeps telling me anyway," Edwin said. She just wants to be sure that nothing bad happens to Edwin.

Although Edwin is tied to his traditions, he also loves American music. Edwin remembers singing a song by the Temptations to a woman that he cared about.   Although he sang, “My Girl,” he added a few words of his own to it because he wanted to make it even more special.

He looked in the mirror that day and told himself that he needed to express his feelings for her. He picked up his phone and as soon as he heard her voice, he serenaded her over the phone.  She smiled, laughed and was deeply moved by his serenade. Unfortunately, she went back to her ex-boyfriend a few weeks later. Edwin is full of live and love. Yet, he has experienced pain in his life as some of his affections were not returned.  Although his heart has been broken many times, he continues to appreciate his friends, family, traditional foods of the Barbados and music, especially Classic Soul, and R & B from the 1960s and 1970s era, as well as Queen Latifah and Salt N-Peppa and MC Lite.  “I enjoy The Temptations, Teddy Pendlegrass, James Brown, The Stylistics, and Gladys Knight & The Pips.  I really think they paved the way for many current musicians., “ Edwin said.  However, when Edwin was very young, he never understood why his family and adults called The Stylistics, Glady’s Knight and the Pips, etc, as“Real music.”   As he approached his teen years, he realized why it was referred to as “Real Music.” I agreed with Edwin when he told me that talented singers know how to touch our hearts with the lyrics and music, especially when they sing with their heart and soul while  teaching us a lesson about love. It is not just what the musician says, but the way that the musician says it. Their passion radiates over the airwaves or out of our stereo speakers. Most importantly, musicians and singers teach us about love, loss and sadness.

Since Edwin has roots in the Carribean, he still listens to Calypso, Raggae, and Socca. Edwin remembers looking at his father’s old Calypso and Raggae albums. As Edwin took me on  a journey back to his parents’ apartment in New York, he described the strong appreciation of music. His Godfather heard the music and would walk into the apartment, shake his head and bobbed it back and forth like he was a bobblehead doll as Edwin and his parents danced.  Dancing to the music is a tradition and memory that Edwin keeps alive, especially back in the 1970’s.   His family would be clad in their polyester pants and pointy collared, printed shirts as they danced to the sounds of Marvin Gaye.  “However, my father was never interested in Rap music.” That is one new tradition of my own.  His mother loves all types of music and still watches music videos while she sits in her comfortable chair. “Shake, shake, your booty….” Would blare through the livingroom. It was KC and The Sunshine Band that made his family gatherings special. It was an era of sideburns, pointy collared shirts,hoop earings platform shoes and frosted lipstick.   However, Edwin’s love of music all began when he was 9 years old.   His mom was cooking macaroni pie in the kitchen, while his father fixed Edwin’s bicycle in the backyard.   Edwin was glued to the television. The ice cream man rang that little bell on his truck, but Edwin did not move! He was watching a television commercial about a tape which featured the best of the rock and roll bands. The song, “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin blared through the tv screen. His eyes lit up and he wanted that tape.” The 70’s and 80’s were simpler times, before the Ipod took over.  Music was and still is  a way to stay close to your family and traditions.

 Edwin has weaved the threads of his life in New York into the threads of the Barbados.   As soon as Edwin arrived for his visits with his grandmother, he hugged her.  All of the neighbors would stop by to say hello.  He loves all of his grandmother’s traditional foods. As he sat with her under the palm tree in the Barbados during his vacation, he realized that he can love two places at once. Half of his heart consists of calypso music, reggae, macaroni pie, cou cou and sous.

However, the other half of his heart is filled with the memories of dancing with his parents and godfather in their apartment in New York when he was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s as well as his favorite American music.  He has become intertwined with his American and Carribean traditions.  At the core of his traditions is his father’s love. “My father looked out for his family, kept a roof over our head, and was a family man. Also, he had strong values and morals. He would die for his family. He kept food on the table and clothes on my back.” Edwin said from his heart.  Additionally, his mother’s love is at the center of his life. "I can express my thoughts and emotions around her. She appreciates my sense of humor and is my best friend,” Edwin said. I took a journey back to Edwin’s kitchen table in New York.   I was able to envision his mother washing the dishes while Edwin shared a special joke or confided in her. “There is a woman that I met, but I am not sure how she feels about me….” he would tell his mother as she stood by the sink.  Sometimes Edwin would touch his mother’s hand and ask her for guidance. “Mom, what should I do? She has hurt me, but I am not sure how to handle the situation…”  His mother offered advice as she cut him a slice of apple pie. She is the reason that Edwin is a caring person as she always encouraged him to speak all of the words that were in his heart.  “Let me see that poem you wrote Edwin,” his mother would say. He took it out of his pocket and unfolded it.”My kindness and trust made you feel strong. You took it for granted all the time….my heart took an enormous beating…” were some of the words of his poem.  His mother was his confidant and friend.  He shared his thoughts and feeling with her.  “Edwin,” his mother shook her head, “You have to be careful of who you trust.  You will find a caring woman. You just have to patient," she said as she put the dishes into the cabinet.  She sighed and said, "you are a wondeful man Edwin. Be patient. You will find the right one," she said.

His heart is in New York and the Barbados. He holds both flags high. Edwin surprised me when he told me about his love of Italian food.  “Edwin, come downstairs and eat! Your spaghetti is getting cold,” she would say.   She put a large portion of spaghetti with ground turkey on his plate. “Put some more sauce on that mom…” She would grab the ladel and place it on top of the spaghetti and ground turkey. Sometimes there would be 2 or 3 empty pizza boxes from Front Street pizza Brooklyn.  He loves pepperoni pizza and pizza with chicken and broccoli. I think Edwin should have 3 flags on his porch, one for the Barbados, the United States, and Italy.

I enjoyed my journey with Edwin as he talked about his life, family, and traditions.  My message to Edwin is this:

Always speak from your heart.  Sometimes the heart tells you things that you don't want to know, but just continue to follow it.  Your family traditions and ties make you a wealthy man. Most of all, stay close to your roots in the Barbados, as they are permanently woven into your coat. Your mother will always be your light.