Devereux’s Nights and Weekends Part 2
Whenever I think of that time I feel joy running all over me. I had never felt secure in any group before; the happiest I’d been before Devereux was during my pregnancy with Michael.
Soon I was laughing along with my co-workers at all the crazy and dumb things that happened on any shift. The laughter was not cruel. Some of the Black/brown ladies and men found certain behaviors amusing. It was sort of like “One Flew Over The Kukoo’s Nest” in a way except nobody was given a lobotomy!!
I had a special friend who I worked with; her name was Amie, pronounced “Ahh-me.” She had left her husband in Africa and brought her daughter to the US. A lot of this was never known but I’m not intrusive. We just got along very well together and I absolutely cherished her company and sense of humor. Our friendship got started–big time–as follows.
Michael was a teenager then. Amie asked me one day if I knew anybody who could assemble a set of bookshelves that she bought from Ikea. I thought about Peter who can assemble anything; however, I asked Michael if he’d like to meet my special friend who only lived a quarter mile away and do a “mitzvah” for her. Of course Michael said yes, he’d be happy to help. There was no pressure on him. I knew that once Amie met Michael she’d fall for his particular charm and that’s what happened. He went over, introduced himself, then assembled these shelves with ease. He talked to Amie’s daughter and in general charmed them completely.
So: the next day I went over to Gatehouse, where I worked with Amie; I went in the door, Amie saw me, and sort of shouted my name in her lovely accent: Les-Leeee!!
What a son I had–not only is he handsome but nice and polite and poised. Other teenagers were such slobs, etc. How did I raise this “excellent child?” It should also be noted that she told all the other ladies about Michael, how handsome, nice, etc. he was BUT he was like me in that he felt comfortable around people of color. One of the crowning times of my career at Devereux. After that, every shift I worked was eight hours of fun, joking, telling funny stories. Remember the song Living La Vida Loca? We had morning television on and Ricky Martin was on and sang it–and Amie and I danced!!! Oh my God. Everyone–and I mean EVERYONE–should have the luck I’ve had in knowing these incredible people. And then Amie couldn’t shut up about “Les-Lee” dancing around the living room at 8 AM…I was too happy to be embarrassed.
lgmwriting 