I would love to trade all of my worldly possessions to go back in time to stay with my babysitter Grace for a little bit longer, learn her traditions, culture, family. Ever since I was little, my mom struggled to find me a cooperative, understanding, committed, and caring babysitter. She went to every website, every nursery, every friend, but she couldn’t find one. Eventually, my mom checked a phone book and found a babysitter. She was pure blood African (from Liberia), strong accent, but the nicest lady she ever met. My mom was very hesitant about leaving me with her; she left me with her anyways.
Grace was a stern, yet sweet lady. She would hold me as a baby and feed me sweet African dishes she cooked in her own home, nothing pre-bought. She had a few little kids that she babysat, I would play Lego’s with and watch TV with. Besides playing with the kids, I would hang out with one of her sons, Emil. Emil would let me watch Adult Swim with him around 8 o’clock, when Cartoon Network switched over to Adult Swim. When I was 2 months old, Grace sat me up, and rocked me. Side to side, I would be rocked. My mom came in and thought it was the most adorable thing ever, now she can’t stop telling me to “Stop rocking back and forth!”
Around 2 or 3, Grace would teach me how to cook and prepare African meals, although I sadly cannot remember… She would sing to me African lullabies to help me sleep, and treat me like I was her son. When my mom would drop me off, she always packed Ravioli, or Spaghetti-O’s. Grace would patronize her and tell her she does not need to pack because she cooked for me. My mom would refuse to stop packing so grace happily took it every time and through it away and say, “He likes my cooking better”, with a smile on her face.
Around the age of 4, my old step dad pulled me away from her because “He didn’t like her culture.” I wish my mom did not listen to him and let me stay! I could have gotten to know her better, I could have a better life and learn what’s right and wrong in life and be a better human… Sometime in 2012 – 2013, Grace was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. As for me, I completely forgot about Grace even when she was dying. After a few years of the disease ravaging through her body, my mom got the news and continued to say, “We have to go visit her soon.” We never did. December 23, 2015 Grace died of ALS, I haven’t seen her alive in 10 years… Luckily I got to go to her funeral and see her at peace in her casket, relieved of all her pain. I wish there could’ve been more time, 50s are too young.