Hi!
Just wanted to share what happened last Saturday night when Mac (my partner) and I lit a fire in the garden and put on an Elvis c.d.- the experience was very touching.
We were having a fantastic time and a competition to see who could sing the LOUDEST when my partner went very quiet and was lost in thought when Elvis was singing, 'Don't cry daddy. Daddy please don't cry . . .'
I sensed he must be thinking about his dad who passed a few years ago, just a few weeks after we had got together. Mac has rarely spoken of his dad who used to hit him as a child and teenager then eventually left his mum to live with another woman. I barely knew a thing about his dad - not even his name - there's one photo somewhere in the house of an elderly man, a photo someone gave him after his dad died.
Anyway, in the altered atmosphere and out of the blue I saw clearly in my mind's eye an accordion. So I asked Mac if his dad had one. And he said yes.
Then I saw a brown recorder and his dad had one of those too.
Then I saw a keyboard and a song sheet - but there were no notes on the paper and Mac said his dad played the keyboard and many instruments but could not read music, LOL.
It was non-stop after that - image after image of Mac's childhood - all the GOOD times they had enjoyed together - things Mac had totally forgotten about and he was smiling away as he told the tales that accompanied the images I was being shown. (Oooh - I feel like crying as I'm typing this - what a wonderful night. I stated making notes of the images).
I saw a clenched fist in a glove and a bird a prey perched on an arm and the focus was on the eye of the bird. Mac said his dad had painted him that. I asked where the painting was - around his daughter's house. I felt like his dad wanted Mac to have it - and I found myself saying, 'get rid of that clock that doesn't work.' We do have a clock that doesn't work in the front room haaa haaa. I like the frame as it matches my furniture but it's always ten past seven! Mac fetched this painting the next day and it now hangs in our front room.
So his dad can't have been that bad! On the back it was inscribed to Mac, 'Happy birthday, love dad' and the date it was painted.
It's quite a long waffle but here's some of the other things his dad showed me and Mac's explanation.
I saw a stick which turned into a blind man's cane - which was like he was harsh - but he didn't see that at the time - he's sorry now.
Then I saw a matchstick that turned into a domino - Mac still likes playing with fires - literally loves lighting fires to sit around.
I saw a blackboard with algebra and fractions chalked on it and a stick hitting the board - Mac said his dad used to try and drum maths into him and Mac hated it. I then saw a triangular plinth thing under a shelf – meaning Mac knows his angles now as he is a carpenter and his dad took his ‘hat off’ to Mac ( I saw a gentleman's top hat being tipped - it was like he's dad proud of him - Mac said his dad never once said he was proud of him).
I saw a tiny tent - they went on a camping trip and the caravan was very overcrowded so his dad went and bought teenage Mac and his friend a small 2-man tent to sleep in.
I saw one sausage over our fire - emphasis being on 'one' and Mac said him and his friend cooked sausages during that holiday one at a time which his dad found funny and teased them about it.
I saw beans falling through a bbq grill over our fire – Mac totally hates beans! I saw a pile of sweetcorn – the only veg Mac would eat as a child.
I saw brilliant white cord ties on a bright red kagool – Mac said he had one just like that as a child.
A green cut-off hose pipe with a thumb over it – they used to play with a hose pipe in the garden.
I saw a brown horse with a very shiny rear. Mac burst out laughing and said his dad had had an accident with a brown horse. He unfortunately hit a brown horse with his car (it didn't die) but what they saw was a gleaming horse's bottom on the car windshield.
Green party blower thing – they used to be mad for them.
I saw a nativity play – symbolised by a child dressed as an angel - then I saw a blue and white checked tea towel – which is what Mac wore dressed as a shepherd.
Plastic bowl and scrubbing – Mac got so dirty once he was put in a washing-up bowl and scrubbed with vim (LOL)
A Victorian-type stripey swimsuit – Mac used to have to cover right up in the sun.
Mac was talking about how his dad liked to entertain and I saw a waiter's arm with a white cloth draped over – a chair being pulled out as if to seat a lady, then an old fashioned gramophone with a needle arm. I heard 'Brahms' and Mac went and dug out a classical cd and we put on a Brahms tune and I saw a a very toothy grin with one raised eyebrow. Mac said his dad used to raise one eyebrow just like that! I saw his dad lift his face, closing his eyes, pursing his lips as if to nod along in appreciation of the music.
We both kept doing that one raised eyebrow impression all night - funny!
I saw some dark blue oven gloves with thin white pin stripe – his dad used to love cooking..
Next a grey corrugated roof with an arrow pointing down – Mac used to get told off for climbing on this roof - and one day he fell right through it!
This was amusingly odd but as I looked at Ma,c his ears turned into Spock ears and he said his dad used to love Star Trek - especially Spock.
Then on our washing line I saw sheets of computer paper hanging on it with pegs. There was a child's paintings on the paper and Mac said his dad used to dry their paintings this way. (That's a trip down memory lane those sheets of computer paper that were perforated together)
A small green triangular tadpole net - Mac had one.
Bluish plastic squares a bit like swingball racquets – they had a cheap swingball set which was not as good as the real thing.
I saw a yellow plastic duck and a small blue plastic ring – possible bath toys - Mac wasn't sure about those.
A long, stuffed red snake which was S-shaped and it had a dark-blue forked tongue - they had one of those.
Brown cushions with gold diamonds - their cushions.
A gold harp on dark background which reminded me of guiness - his dad was Irish!
An old red post box with a bendy stick poked through the hole, rumanging around in the sealed letters. Mac's sure there's a distant memory of this . . . he thinks there is one or it could be symbolic.
I asked out loud if his dad had any messages for Mac's sister, Sarah, who I've only met twice when they were discussing funeral arrangements nearly three years ago.
I saw a maypole - Mac said she used to love dancing around the maypole and there was a build build up to it..
A dragon – red and black - she brought a dragon ornament in Wales that had a red eye
A white cotton baby bonnet with frills – she was his baby. A hanky – "don't be sad.".
Jelly cubes – luminous green – she used to eat raw jelly.
A 45 black record with a red/orange label – a long story behind that one.
A not-so-white bunny toy – she had one that Mac said looked grubby.
I saw a circle skirt swaying this way then that way which was such a beautiful image - Mac said she used to live her circle skirt constantly spinning around in it.
A stick of white and pink rock – when they arrived on holiday she wanted a stick of rock before anything else.
Little wimpsies - Mac said she used to collect them.
A porcelain shell – brown/black speckled, white bottom – Mac knows exactly what this is but not where it is.
Cigarette candy sweets - she used to like this.
Pink fan - she had one.
Cough twist candy sweets - she liked these.
A pink frizzy wig – she used to wear this and do Miss Piggy impressions.
Tartan trousers – wide – maybe a bit short - Mac said she had a pair about ten years after the Bay City Rollers.
Not sure if Mac will pass on any of the above to his sister as they never talk to eachother.
But I reckon his dad would want him to and it might bridge a gap between them - but it's not my call.
Thank you Connor for coming to say hello! I know who you are now and Mac remembers the best bits of your time together.
I now love Daddy Don't Cry.
Elvis is King!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxTG2z7QgSE&feature=fvsr
Blessings, Amethyst x
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