The Shot

The Shot

I grew up with parents who were born from the South. The state of Alabama to be exact! Anyone who have relatives from the south know that they started and still believe in following traditions. One set of people who won’t do anything they don’t believe is Black folks. I am a Black and proud black female who is grounded in tradition because it was the way my parents raised me. Traditional ways of doing things can be good it helps to keep you from going toward the crazy. My father was a hardworking man and he moved to New York to make a better life for his self and my mother. Inside our house we still live by the old ways. On Sunday we have a family dinner. That means everyone sits together at the dinner table and eat together. As I learn to live in New York some of my parent’s tradition started to make me waiver on a few of them. I mean there were so many. Don’t sweep after six or the witch will come to your house. Don’t leave your hat lying on the table or bed because you will die soon. Don’t sweep the broom over your feet because you will go to jail. If you sweep over your feet spit on your shoes and then the spell will be broken. Everyone should know that every year you have to cook black eyed peas, rice, collards and some others before or after the New Year in order to insure you be prosperous in the new year. It was very serious for my parents. A black cat passed in front of my father one day as we were on our way home. My father turned the car around and went another way just to avoid passing the cat. That is how serious it was for my parents.

When the covid epidemic started it was difficult time for me and them. My mother who has diabetes and high blood pressure was very surprise when she found out she had the disease. During the old days Diabetes wasn’t as prevalent as it is now. She isn’t good at keeping it down and I have to help her with her meals and trying to get her to exercise. My dad suffers with backaches and a lot of time refuses to take his medication. He believes the medicine is some sort of gimmick made to kill him. When the world started to suffer with Covid-19 my parents didn’t believe it wasn’t nothing but nonsense. I was concern for them and told them about the shot they have to help people in case they get it. O tried to explain to them how the shot could help them fight the disease. They refuse to believe it. I would show them news coverages of sick people actually expiring from the complications of the disease. I tried to explain it to them that it was dangerous and it could be fatal for them. Honey they wouldn’t budge. So, I decided I would have to come up with something great in order to get them to take the shot. My is mom is seventy-nine and my father is eighty. I was scared to lose them. I wanted to keep them as healthy and live as long as they can. So, I tried to think of something I could do to get them to take the shot. Weeks went by and some of our family members were calling the house panicking because some of their love ones were sick and they were worried that they wouldn’t make it. What could I do?

Then it came to me. I knew my parents trust me and know that they could trust me to make good decisions. I decided I would take the covid shot and take them with me. I knew if they saw me take it, it could help them to be a little less afraid. It was always told to me by my parents that they parents would not go to the hospital unless they had one foot headed toward the grave. It is so true and it stands true even now. I knew it was going to be a battle. I knew my father would give me hell. I called my other siblings and talk to them about it. I let each of my family members know how important it was to get the shot. I was asking them to go and take the shot also so that as a family we could convince them to do the same. I was afraid because I had seen on the news that some of the people who took the shot died from taking it. I knew my siblings seen this also and may decide to tell me no way. That made my battle twice as hard. But I was determined to get them there because I kept imaging my parents with covid and the thought of them unable to survive it. I had to make the sacrifice. If I could get them to do it, I could possibly get everyone else in the family to take it. People like my cousins, their children and even in-laws. So that evening my family brothers and sisters came over. There is four of us. My brother James wife is a Registered nurse and she refuses to take the shot.

When they got there, I talked to the family without my parents. I told them my concerns with our parents and the covid pandemic. I explained to them that the only way they were going to take it if we all take it. They understood and they were on board. So as a family we went to talk to our parents. We must have talked all night. We were able to convince mom to get on board but dad wasn’t still sure. We gave them a day to let the thought settle in. The next morning, we were all going. I volunteered to be the first to take it. We got them in the car and my dad was still talking against it in the car. My brother who knows how to direct the conversation got us all to laugh. He stopped talking about it until we got to the place. I got out it was about eight adults and nine children. My brothers and sister and their mates plus children. I got them in to the place and got my dad to sit down with some hesitation. Mom she was okay. When the nurse came over to me, she offers me a seat and I sit. It got very quiet in that room. They were so quiet I had to look over and insure no one passed out especially my parents. I thought it was over when my dad says “Do yawl have any coffee?” We told them no they don’t! I sat down and the shot was ready. My mom grabs my hand and I shed a few tears. I was afraid and a part of me felt like I was making them do something against their will but I knew it was best for them. I wasn’t worried about myself. The shot didn’t hurt. I grabbed my mom and held her face “Please mom if you do I know he will.” I quietly told her and she went on and sat down. The nurse gave her the shot and we all laugh because she looks over at us and says “That didn’t hurt at all.” My brother starts to tease dad as he gets up. “Dad is going to fold I know it.” Dad looks over at him and says “If my wife doing it so am I!” Then the rest was easy everybody else sat down and took the shot. Even the baby who screamed out but we just comforted her. I thank The Lord that they all did it. I knew it would take me to get them all there. I was the oldest and the family consider me a leader because I took care of my parents and anyone else in the family. I love them all and I don’t know if the covid will still overtake us but at least we gave ourselves a chance to fight. A chance to live and be around one another through it all. Life is precious and so is my family. I pray for the world that we get through this and hope for some normalcy in the future. Amen!