Dalton Sterling is Real Silver Ware – Part 3

Third in an eight-part series.

“Maldon Secondary was about three miles from where I lived in Spring Gardens. This was a great school compared to my former school, Springfield All-Age. There was a big playfield where I could go to and play with my friends.”

“I was placed in grade seven and my favourite subject was agriculture. There were plenty of oranges and cash crops such as carrots and cabbage. Much of these foods were used in the school’s canteen to help with lunches for students.”

“I loved what was then called ‘bulgur’ (made from cracked whole grain wheat berries). This rice was cooked with minced vegetables and meat.”

“I used to have a lot of friends like Wilfred Jones and his brother Henry Jones.”

“A lot of my relatives went to Maldon Secondary and we would sometimes stop and pick mangoes from nearby trees. My favourite mango was ‘Blackie’. These were small, dark in colour, and sweet.”

“I also loved June plums. These hang over the road, so we did not have to trespass to get a dozen or more.
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“My mother, Olgar, had a sewing machine, so she could purchase cloth and make our uniforms for school and dresses for her church sisters. She would sit near a window where she could watch us as we played cricket and marbles.”

“My grandmother lived with her husband close to our house. She would bring us lots of fish from Barnett Street market which was located in Montego Bay. I used to love when grandma cut the head of the jackfish and stew it down with coconut milk. This she would serve with yellow yam and renta yam.”

“I loved soursop juice and grandma claimed it would help to make us healthy and strong.”

“One of my brothers lived at Sundown Crescent, off Molynes Road, Kingston. This was where I spent some of my holidays. Our aunt would pick us up at the bus park in Downtown, Kingston after we journeyed from Montego Bay.”

“I always look forward to his delicious fish meal which included snapper along with sliced okras and carrots and calaloo stuffed inside.”

Next: Dalton Sterling jets off to New York to join his parents.

(Photo courtesy of Dalton Sterling)