Keepings

On the side of the kitchen cupboard near the entry to Mammam’s dining room, hung a dinner plate. Carefully cut felt was glued to the surface - the word ‘Rose’ was near the bottom and the image above it was a woman’s profile. She wore a black hat and tulle covered the top half of her face. Mammam had wrapped the plate with Saran-Wrap.

When I was eleven or twelve I drew a rose for Mammam – her name was Rose. I drew it on half a sheet of loose-leaf paper. I drew it in pencil and next to it I carefully printed, “A Rose for Rose.” Years later, my father found it among things she apparently valued. It was in a small black leather change bag that she kept in her purse. It was folded a few times and it was stored there for safe keeping along with one clip-on earring, several bobby-pins, a holy card and a ‘Keep on Truckin’’ key chain.