The Tailor

He had lived his whole life doing what he knows best, it all started way back in the early years from 10 years old, learning the trade from his grandmother in one of the old plantation houses. He would be sent by his mother to take food for his grandmother, who worked for the lady of the house.

They lived in an old Chattel house near the mountains by a flowing stream, the house where John had to go to, was a mile away from them, and each afternoon his mother would pack him up with food stuff. As a 10 year old, John knew all the short cuts and couldn’t wait to go as he looked forward to meeting her each time. When he had arrived he would always be greeted by a tall dark skinned man in khaki baggy pants and an over grown white shirt, standing at the entrance of the grand house. John, was a person, who always looked at others appearance and was amazed on how they were cut to fit. The tall man led him to a passage in a basement where he saw his grandmother, Erma, busy at the sewing machine, her foot moving up and down on the foot pedal to the motion of the cloth as the folds of material lay neatly on to the floor, she looked up at him from her small spectacles,

“John, what a surprise to see you, have you eaten?”

“I’ve bought food for you from Mama”

“She shouldn’t have, I get food from the madam upstairs”

Now, John’s mother, Taya, didn’t like her mother working for them at the plantation house, but since money was scarce, she vowed to always prepare the food herself.

“I don’t mind coming down here, could you show me what you are doing?”

“Ok, come here, let’s eat a little first”

He laid the bundle on to the small table nearby and they both ate in silence while listening to the humming of the birds in the trees and the murmur of the engine outside. Once they had finished, Erma dusted off the crumbs and resumed work, taking her time to explain to her grandson the rudiments of sewing.

As the time went by, Erma packed up the stuff and they both went back to the main house to hand over the garments to Madam Lourve. When John saw her for the first time, she had nothing but admiration for his grandmother,

“You must be a lucky boy to be a part of her”

John just looked at her and smiled while hugging his gran. Erma received a package in return of the goods from Madam Lourve.

“C’mon John, we should be on our way, thank you again Madam Lourve, will see you again, same time tomorrow?”

“Yes”

As they walked together, through the bushes keeping to the foot tracks until they reached home, the journey was longer, on account that Erma could not walk any faster, and leaning towards John for stability, they finally reached home.