I am on a roll…
Another poem. This one includes some information on a seamstress in Linden. I see a theme in my poems so far – production (whether at home or in a factory/plant).
I wore the standard brown and cream uniform during primary school
My mother made my school uniform at the sewing machine
She determined what was required, bought the fabric, the “cloth”, and put together the uniform so I met the school’s requirements
My mother also made a lot of the regular clothes I wore
I wore a lot of short pants that my mother made
But there were some outfits that came from elsewhere
I recall a special red and white tube dress that required bows at the shoulder
I do not believe my mother made that one
A seamstress, a friend of my mother’s, made several special outfits for me
She was very good, considered one of the best
Her work was considered exceptional but she sometimes took a while to finish the outfit
I believe it was because she received a lot of orders or requests to make clothes
My interaction with the seamstress was interesting
I recall the messages I delivered to the seamstress from my mother
I would walk from my grandmother’s house, past the cashew tree that I once sold mangoes under
Then to the area the seamstress lived and to her door
A typical message was “Good afternoon, Mummy wants to know when the clothes will be finished”
Inside Fahmeena Odetta's Head 
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