Men go on all the time about how they just can't understand women. How women are just these strange beings that quite often make no sense. How little things are huge. I wish I had one of those WUPs (Woman Understanding Pills). Everywhere I go they are sold out.
The mural
Friday night dinners at Boobas was something that has stuck in my mind. When I think of my childhood, I think of Shobbos dinners at Booba and Zidas place in Dover Heights. If we got there early enough we would go for a swim in the pool. They had this really ugly mural on the wall of the backyard. It was like a seen from an island resort. Palm trees, cabana, sunset. When I think back on what it looked like, it was extremely ugly, but I don't remember thinking that it was ugly at the time.
The famous photo
We had a picture taken with all the kids beside the pool. It is quite a famous picture within the family. We (the cousins) were all lined up from youngest to oldest. Karen wasn't born yet. I love that picture.
The onion boat
Booba used to say "What... do you think I just came in on the onion boat?" when we would talk nonsense or try to get something past her. She was always very much on the ball.
It wasn't until I was about 10 when she told me about her coming from England on the boat with the family that I placed the "onion boat" to the boat that she... well... came in on.
Not sure if they all came on the onion boat together, but Booba also brought with her my Aunty Joyce. She was not really my aunty, more of a family friend who sounded a lot like my Booba. They called the accent 'Cockney'. They were from Manchester. My Zidas father went to America during the war (not sure which one). He had 10 kids (maybe eight, or nine... a lot anyway). He didn't know how to spell his name. It did, however, sound like Krite. or Creight. Or anything in between the two.
Funny times
Aunty Joyce had a glass eye. Everyone loved Aunty Joyce. Especially my dad. She had a dog that was called Dildo. She had our fish tank for a little while I think. It shrunk while she had it. It was big, then she had it for a few years, then when we got it back it was small.
They paved paradise
Shobbos at Boobas would bring on average about 20 people every Friday night. That is an average. I absolutely loved it. I really miss it. Dad would make fun of Aunty Joyce, and although she seemed naive to what was going on, I think she new. One night dad was sitting next to her, when he pulled out one of those little plastic eyeballs that you wind up, and it jumps all over the place. Well, he wound it up and it jumped all the way down the table, right passed Aunty Joyce. It was a very funny, and memorable night. She died. Dad was very sad. As was a lot of other people.
My Aunty Sadie was Boobas sister. She was our very own Dolly Parton. She had very large breasts. Big titties. I remember Booba and Aunty Sadie were always together. I think they worked together with something. Not sure what it was though. Something to do with wool... perhaps sheepskin factory - ugg boots, seat covers, etc. Aunty Sadie died of breast cancer a few years ago. Booba was absolutely devastated.
Whenever I go to Aunty Ruth's or Danny's, or Aunty Simone's, or Michelle's, a little bit of those memories of Shobbos at Booba and Zidas come back.
Zeida was really good at drawing. He had a cheesy moustache at times. Not all the time (I think). He was sick for most of my memories of him.
It was only when Booba died that I realised that I hadn't spent much quality time with her.
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