Y = Yelena G = Gogo L= Lois
My maternal grandmother is Joan Idalia Weekes, but we know her as Gogo - a name I gave her when I was so young I can't remember it. So she has always been Gogo to me. She was born in St. Michael's Parish, Barbados in 1932. Gogo is currently 83 years old; although she was 29 for 5 years – she resisted her thirties for a while!
"I don't remember most of my childhood" Gogo insists but I don't think that's entirely true; she has quite a selective memory, partly due to age but I think to also block out things she'd rather not remember. I struggle sometimes to remember parts of my own childhood and she's got over half a century on me!
G - I can remember when the nurse come to the house and I thought she bring these babies in her (midwifery) suitcase. (We both laugh) I just said to her; don't you think we've got enough babies, you know, why do you keep bring babies here all the time? I didn't realise my mother was pregnant. Gogo has told me never got to sit on her mother's lap as a child, which is no surprise because she is the eldest of 11 kids.
IN THIS HEIRLOOM: 'MY FAMILY AND I' SERIES OUR CREATIVES SHARE PERSONAL INSIGHTS INTO THEIR LIVES. BY DOCUMENTING THEIR CONVERSATION, YELENA REFLECTS ON WHAT HER GRANDMA GOGO HAS PASSED ONTO HER AND HER SISTER
by YELENA GREGG-WEEKES
MY FAMILY AND i:
GOGO AND I