Friday, March 26, 2021

Trinbagonians talk. (131) If it is Budding You will get Bush Tea.

During breakfast an’ dinner time meh breddas, sisters an’ me always use to get a real nice cup of Milo, Ovaltine, homemade hot chocolate or Cocoa tea to drink. We didn’t kno’ dat we fadder use to watch we to see how much we does drank at breakfast time. He use to do dat because one night, in every week, we go get de same size cup, full of bush tea. De bush tea use to be made from bush meh fadder did plant in he garden. He use to bring home a set of bush an’ say to we mudder, “Boil dis bush for dem children.” We use to all grumble, but it did not help. De bush tea was made from, Bois Canon (Bwah-kah-no), Lime-bud, Malomay, Portugal-bud, soursop-bud, guava-bud an’ plenty odder kinds of bush. We mudder use to boil de bush an’ sweeten it. When we sit down by de dinin’ table, a cup full of bush tea was put in front of we along wit we meal. Meh fadder use to hav’ a little smile on he face when he see how vex we face use to be.

At breakfast and dinner, my siblings and I used to get a nice hot cup of Milo, Ovaltine, homemade hot chocolate or Cocoa. My father used to pay close attention to how much we drank because one night, in every week, we were going to get the same size cup, full of local herb tea. These herbs were from my father’s garden. He would say to my mother, “Make this tea for those children.” We all complained, but it did not help. It was either, Bois Canon (Bwah-kah-no), Lime-bud, Malomay, Portugal-bud, soursop-bud, guava-bud and many other herbs. Our mother used to boil the herbs and sweeten the tea. When we sat down at the dining table, a cup full of herb tea was put in front of us along with our meal. My father used to have a little smile on his face when he saw how upset our face used to look.


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