Wednesday, December 23, 2009

happy Birth Day Maya




Celebrating Maya’s Birth Day


Maya was born on Christmas day here in the village in our tiny board house eight years ago. Yesterday we celebrated her birth with friends from school and the village crew! Eight years ago on Christmas Eve I walked up and down the laneway breathing and counting the spaces between contractions. They were too far apart to hustle our midwife to the house. Theo went up the road to hang with his brethren to ease his nerves while I continued slowly walking and watching the kilometers in between contractions. The rest of the non birthing people on the island were either baking, hanging curtains, cleaning house, feting in towns or shops or simply settling into the eve of Christmas.

I was having a home birth and therefor hiding from most of the village. I did not tell many people I was making my baby at home. I did tell one village friend who watched me sternly then walloped me with words:

“So what if something go wrong gyal? You come from big country with big hospitals and you decide to stay in little Grenada with hospitals people afraid to go in. And to add fire to fire you decide to have the baby in the village. You mad gyal! Jacqlyn laughs, “what gyal you real have your belly (another way to tell someone they are brave and bold at the same time)”

I knew I was tossing privilege to the wind but at the same time I also knew that women have been giving birth at home for centuries and that complications happen more frequently in hospitals because of the unnaturalness of birthing in a sterile white walled institution (yes I realize this too is a privileged opinion).

I hoped

Maya would not arrive on Christmas day as this was the time that people drop by for their sorrel or ginger beer or black cake or malt or guiness or any thing baked and ready to eat. My water broke early Christmas morning and Maya arrived Christmas day at 5 pm. By the time Theo finished cooking pumpkin soup maya was peeping out into the world with the crowning of her head. Marguerite our midwife called Theo to come and Theo gracefully, skillfully guided maya into the world.

Two hours later neighbours began to arrive looking for eats and drinks and were greeted with two hour old Maya and Mama rocking on the veranda smiling blissfully. “eh eh”, I hear in between offerings of cake “Maureen have she belly oui?”

Eight years later and we are celebrating Maya’s birthday with a yard full of kids, coolers full of busta, carib, malt and guiness, and a table full of cake, popcorn, treat bags, chocolate Canadian chip cookies and Caribbean Christmas songs sailing through the air from neighbouring dj sets. Songs like: “santa looking for a wife. Santa looking for a wife. Santa looking for a wife from the Caribbean…” and “All I want for Christmas is a lover, a lover, a lover…” and “We wish you a reggae Christmas. We wish you a reggae Christmas. We wish you a reggae Christmas and a dance hall New Year!”



Pin the tail on the donkey stole the show away. There was a line up of kids (about 25) down the stairs and onto the laneway waiting their turn to pin the tail on the donkey that looked like a sheep. “nah man that looking more like a sheep!” says samara. The donkey sheep was pinned to the outside of the house on the veranda and each child was blindfolded and handed a donkey tail that looked like a candle. The kids squealed with fear and delight to be blindfolded and in charge of finding the but of the donkey. We also had a Christmas caroling competition with each group performing their favorite Christmas carol and plenty of circle games.

The party ended with: over 25 kids squished onto the veranda and into the house bellowing happy birthday and watching maya blow out unblowable candles; the cutting of double layered vanilla and chocolate cake that maya, samara and I made that morning; spooning out of ice cream from the back door by Theo; and Kayla distributing popcorn and treat bags. The kids went home with sugar filled bellies and loud rolling voices that started a moment of confusion with other older kids who were sitting on the road down below.

We enjoyed the rest of the evening in the yard with family that stayed behind. Both Theo and I relieved knowing “nobody can say they didn’t get enough to eat or drink”. One of the stresses about having a party here in the village is making sure you have enough food and drink for whoever shows up and that can mean any amount of people. If you unfortunately run out of food and/or drink you then become the topic of gossip and scrutiny. “Eh eh they have big birthday party and they run out of food so early! Them not easy oui?”

Happy birthday to Maya

And Happy Birthing Day to mom and dad





3 comments:

  1. Wonderful post Maureen! Love the tales of you roaming the streets with your big belly! Give Maya a huge birthday hug from all of us.

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  2. This looks like fun, wish I had been there, cant beleive I forgot Maya's birthday, HAPPY B_DAY Maya...wish i was there, maybe next year. And congrats on 8 yrs of joy and ispirational teachings Theo and Maureen.

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  3. thanks wesley!!! and thanks fiona. one love. maureen

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