Grandchildren
Tom’s ex-wife Sharlie’s mother, Norma, was from Luca. Luca is a lovely town in Northern Italy, and they speak Florentina. When I was teaching Italian to the adults, Sharlie’s father, Charles, was mad with Norma, because he told me, “Laura, excuse me for not coming to the class. You know I am Sicilian and my wife’s family thinks they are superior to me because they are from Luca!”
Charles was a great baker. Oh my! His bread was the best. I remember the Riverside Junior College, one of the reason I wanted to get there early was because he sold donuts to the college and I liked to have a donut before class.
Norma deserves a statue! She helped with the children all the time, every day. Norma had a very modest home in Corona and used to take care of all the kids. She did everything for them. She washed their clothes, she cooked, fed them, and she would have food prepared for when Sharlie came after work to take with her home. If we were at Norma’s, I would always think how the kids don’t know how fantastic Norma is.
The children wanted to stay with me though, because I played with them. But I had the easy job and I admit that. I told Norma that she deserved a statue for all her hard work with those children. I said to her, “You do everything!” I used to have records and put those records on and dance with the kids and taught them how to do somersaults and taught them how to make bean bags. I also taught them how to play scoopa, a card game.
The only thing that bothered me is because I couldn’t make them go to bed separately! They had to go to bed with me. One slept on one side and the other on the other side! I got socked and punched on both sides! When I used to say my prayers, by that time I had lost my husband, and we had grandfather’s picture up and I would always say my prayers next to his picture. Tom’s oldest daughter, Angel, would come stand right next to me and she would look up at me and say, “Okay Grandma, I’m ready.” She did the sign of the cross and mumble a little and then say, “Amen, grandma?” I would look down at her and tell her, “No, not yet.” Then she would continue doing it until I finished my prayer.
Those children got the best! I mean I don’t know how Sharlie would have done everything without her mother. Her mother was really fantastic.
