A Christmas In Cabrini

A Christmas in Cabrini Green (In Memory of Dantrell Davis) Today, I would like to recall a Christmas in Cabrini that has been the crescendo of any Christmas that I have experienced throughout my travels. For thirteen years of my life I lived at 365 W. Oak St. which is one of the last "red" buildings left standing in Cabrini. Every Christmas my mother Rosetta Ambrose would pull out the tree and all of the children would reassemble it. Then Ma would play Christmas records by Nat King Cole, the Jackson's, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Kurtis Blow and Bing Crosby. Simultaneously, throughout the projects you could hear Donny Hathaway's 'This Christmas' blasting on the radio. I always enjoyed the week before Christmas. I 'd run home from school to watch all the specials. I was especially fond of Charlie Brown's Christmas. Speaking of school, my two brothers and sisterattended Richard E. Byrd and each school year we'd have a Christmas and end of the year party. We'd also have a party in the recreation room of our building. On Christmas day our apartment was always filled with plenty of egg nog, food and family. Ham, turkey, macaroni and cheese, greens, candied yams, sweet potato pies, you name it and we had it. Ma shared with us how some of the Christmases that she experienced. Ma said that back when she was a kid they were lucky to have a roof over their head and food in the refrigerator. Ma said that she didn't want her children to have to go through what she did. Ma said that Christmas had become too commercialized and that the meaning has gotten lost over the years. Nonetheless, every Christmas that we had was the bomb! We may not have gotten all that we asked for but we got enough. This particular Christmas in the early 80's, Ma heard from a neighbor that gifts were being given away in one of the 'white projects' to children and Ma asked my older sister Karen and I if we'd like to go. My sister and I were very excited. We arrived at the building and saw a line wrapped around the corner. In the bitter cold we stood for what seemed like hours . At that time in my life I was a big fan of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. One Christmas Ma bought me and my grab bag partner matching Mickey and Minnie Mouse watches. My sister Karen was a big fan of Ken and Barbie. She owned their country town home and some of the cars. As we entered the building, we were handed candy canes and I could hear a man saying, ho, ho, ho and Merry X mas. When some of the children came out of the apartment they had large boxes and some of them had smaller boxes but the looks on their faces were of pure joy. When it was our turn to enter the apartment the tall jolly man dressed as Santa who had big brown eyes and a warm smile handed us two boxes and said, 'Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" My sister and I ran all the way home without stopping to make angels in the snow. I shook my box but wasn't able to hear anything. I placed my box under the tree waiting anxiously for Christmas to arrive. The night before Christmas as hard as I tried I could not go to sleep. I could hear Ma and Dad assembling our toys and talking. I would pretend to have to use the bathroom just to get a peak at what was going on. After a few hours, I didn't hear anything so I'd get up and go into the livingroom. My parents were fast asleep. My brothers and sister were fast asleep. I looked for all of the gifts that had my name, Doreen attached to them. I saved my gift from the brown eyed Santa Claus for last. Lo and behold, it was a Minnie Mouse doll. My heart skipped a beat. I hugged her tight and never let her go. Just as I have never let go the memory of that Christmas, MerryChristmas, to all and to all a good night.