I don't know how old I was, when this strange incident happened, However, what I do know is, I was not old enough to attend school as yet; yet I remember this incident as if it was yesterday. At this time of day, my older brothers and sisters were already at school. It was between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Because I was not enrolled in sch...ool, I spent my days at home with my mother; who we all called Mother, and my father who worked in the night and operated a shop in the day.
Mother was a house wife, and a seamstress. It is important to note that back then, every mother was a seamstress, especially, those, with as many children as my mother had. Mother had four girls: Clare, Closit, Charmaine and Andrea and three boys, Albert AKA The Skipper and Valentines AKA The Nazi; I being the youngest. This was so for the simple fact, it was to expensive to purchased clothe for so many children; therefore, one of the responsibilities, of Mother was to make clothes for her children. Those mothers who were good at sewing, were often given the odd job here and there to make outfit for friends, family and neighbor and their children.
And those who were extremely good at the trade, made the easy transition, and offered the service as a means of subsidising their family's income. I was too young to know which category my mother fell into, because she die just after my seventh birthday. However, mother was always sewing, with breaks to attend to her family's needs, cook, clean, etc.
Our closest neighbors, Mrs. Thelma John, operated a dressmaking business in her downstairs. She had many machine, and a small staff. Her clientele, were the big shots; her clients came in cars, they were people like Mrs. Hillocks, Mrs. Velox, the who of who of Vincentian society. My mother on the other hand, clients came by foot. It is not that they did not want to use the service of Mrs. John, it was a case, they could not afford to. Mrs. John prices were geared to cater to the deep pockets of her rich customers.
Obliquely right of the Palmer's residence, there was a beautiful, well kept two story building, that Mrs. Douglas called home; at this stage of Mrs. Douglas' life ,she was an old lady. I did not know much about Mrs. Douglas; other than she was a moody and strict white lady. She was an old fashioned music teacher who offered music lessons to anyone who could afford it. The story was; Mrs. Douglas had a rod, that she kept, whenever a student made an error, she give that student a wack on the nuckle, of the hand that infringe upon the wrong key, played the wrong note or played the wrong cord with her rod of correction.
Now Mrs. Douglas' eyes were dim, her hands were stiff and hurting from artaristis, and she could no longer sustained the stresses of teaching music; and playing the instrument was no longer fun. As a result, she sold her high back piano, an instrument you could frequently here her play, while singing, to amuse herself in the comfort of her home. It was always a delight to hear the beautiful music coming from across the street, breaking up the monotony of quite that has made the neighborhood its home.
Mrs. Douglas lived in a beautiful two story house on the corner of Queen Street and Middle Street, in the small capital of Kingstown, on the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadine. The ground floor of the house, was constructed with concrete or wall and the second or elevated level was constructed of wood. The lower floor, had large wooden harricaine shutters for the doors and the windows. While the windows that control ventilation on the elevated floor, were well crafted, well built, wooden framed, push up, ledweigh controled, glass windows. A two piece wooden framed glass door secure the main entrance of the upper level of the house.
The house also had a beautiful Gable roof which ensure the upper level remained cool on hot Sunny days. On the northern side of the house, there is a narrow outside stairway that led to and from the elevated level or the second story of the house. Running along the edge of the stairway, were a hand rail that was made of three quarters or one inch Galvernize pipe that was fit together, using galvernize elbow, Tees, and other joint connectors. The pipe frame work was securely anchored, every three or four round in the concrete steps, which created a secure and solid hand rail, which was more than efficient for the purpose.
Now the piano was just a fixture an unused piece of furniture that took up a large volume of space in Mrs. Douglas' small living room. Now that Mrs. Douglas had found a buyer for the instrument, she played so well. Now the men, with a truck came to removed the piano from her home, to it's new accomodations. This generated a lot of interest in the community. Back then, everything out of the normal routine was an event; as a result, those who got word of the sale and removal of Mrs. Douglas' Piano came out to see it.
This was so for a few reason, one of which was; Mrs. Douglas was a very private woman, no one went into Mrs. Douglas' house. As a kid I went into Mrs. Douglas' home very often, however, my visit was always restricted to her kitchen where she spent most of her free time. I went into Mrs. Douglas' living room three times. Twice with my mother, who went to visit for some reason, I was to young to remember the reason for my mother's visit. I sat in her kitchen while Mother and Mrs. Douglas chat, and when Mrs. Douglas was finished with her chores, we went into her living room and they continued their discussion. I also went into Mrs. Douglas' living room, once while I was still a tot and was at Mrs. Douglas’ home chatting with her, in the kitchen; she sent me into the living room, to get something she needed, which was very rear.
As a result, mary people were curious to see the piano, they have always heard played but have never seen. This would have satisfied some of their curiosity. But many were curious as to what the inside of Mrs. Douglas house looked like. Hence the reason, when Mrs. Douglas, Mrs. Sprot and Mrs. Marshall died and had a home viewing; people from all over went to the viewing, not to see the corpse but to satisfy their curiosity; as to what the inside of their exclusively private homes looked like. Before that time, they had only saw the beautuy of the house from the outside.
Getting the piano out of the narrow doorway, around the 90° angle and down the narrow stairs way, proved to be a big task; even for the five or so men who were tasked, with the responsibility of moving the piano, from it's present location, getting it onto the waiting flatbed truck and deliver the instrument to it's new owners. You could hear the curious chatters, asking, how did they get that piano up those narrow stairs and into the house in the first case.
This may have not been such a difficult task; however, sometime earlier, Mrs. Douglas did some renovation/repairs to the northern side of elevated level of her home, as a result, they changed the doorway to provide more shelter at the top landing of the steps and to create a little more inside room. This alteration now created and posed a problem for the men as they tried to get the big piano out onto the steps without damaging the instrument.
My father and my mother was out side, standing partly in the street, obliquely opposite to Mrs. Douglas' house, along with some other people, who was engulfed in the drama that was created by the moving of the piano. this was safe at the time because vehiclular traffic was bvery light. I stood with my parents watching the confusion. After my father had to leave to serve customers, Daddy decided to stay closer to the shop to fullfil his duties to his customers who came by. I was still with my mother, who was all caught up in all of the drama.
By this time, the piano was three quarters out of the house; however, it was blocked by the hand rail. There was only one way to overcome this new problem, and that was to lift the piano over the hand rail. But in order for the men to do this, two or three of the men had to put themselves in harm's way to bear the weight of the heavy piano. If those who were so in harm's way, could not sustained the weight of the piano, it could spell big trouble for them.
I was curious about what was happening behind that which I could see from the road, as a result, I decided, to take up another position, to get a different vantage point and a better view. My mother, eyes was still fixed on the drama, she did not notice that I had left her side. I started my journey to my new location unknowing to Mother. I casually walked across the street, walked into Mrs. Douglas' Yard, as I often did, I then walked along the four feet passage that give access to the back yard that was shared by Pasha Brown, and the Douglas'.
While about, the men were struggling with the piano. I was immediately beneath the piano, the weight of the piano overcame the workmen ability to hold it, it also compromised the pipe hand rail and the piano fell. By this time, the bunch of on Lookers, including my mother realize; I was under the falling piano. I heard a big vocal commotion, went up. In my little mind I was wondering, what had happened. Not to be detoured, I continued my walk to my new vantage point. Then I heard a big explosion, behind me. When I got to my new spot, I turned around to take in the actions, I saw Mrs. Douglas Piano on the ground in pieces. There were pieces everwhere. What had happened I said to myself.
It all happened in a blink of an eye. The last time I saw the piano, it was almost out of the houses; now it was destroyed. My mother ran into Miss Douglas' yard, skipping over and around the fragments that was a piano. She was all terrified when she reached me. she scrambled me up in her arms and held me close to her bosom, holding me in her arms as if she was trying to protect me from impending danger. She was almost to tears. I was trying to understand what this was all about.
Immidiately Mother took me home, and she went onto her knees and began to pray. I still did not understood what had happened. After one of mother's lengthy prayers, mother began to question me about what happened when I walked into Miss Douglas' Yard. "Did you see anything or anyone she asked? I was confused, I told mother nothing happened and I did not see anything or anyone. Mother wanted to know if I saw an angel, she was curious to know If an angel presented itself to me while walking into Mrs. Douglas' Yard.
It was then Mother began to explain to me what happened, "while you were walking into Mrs. Douglas' yard, when you reached under the piano, the piano got loose from the men, broke the hand rail and fell." She further said, "you were directly beneath the falling piano and even if you had ran; which you did not do, there was no way you could have made it out of harm's way." She further said "everyone was frightened and we were all screaming, because we fear the piano had crushed you." "I still do not understand, how the piano did not fall on you." she siaid.
Mother was searching for answers to explain the impossibilities she had just witnessed. That was why mother was asking me what happened, or if I saw anything or anyone while I was walking in Mrs. Douglas' yard. Mother was convinced, I had an encounter with an angel. Mother further said, "what was also amazing was, there was not a even one scratch on yo" she pause trying to put the whole event into prospective; then she continued. "When the piano collided with the ground, there were a lot of debris from the piano flying everywhere.
Mother's explanation of what happened was. When I was in danger, an angel, cause time to stop, freezing everything in there places, including the piano in midair, as well as everyone who witnessed the event. The Angel then moved you just far enough out of the collisions point of the piano, then restarted time. Hence the reason, no one can explain how you were not hit by the falling piano.
All of my life, even when I was a helpless child, the devil was on a mission to distroy me, He wanted to take my life; and each time he failed, because of the Most High's mercies and perfect protections of me. Bless be the name of Yahuwa See More
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