TATA
( Aunt)
Danielle Bensimhon
66
My parents are my angels. They were unselfish, giving, fun, and tolerant. They let us do what we wanted in life. I moved to the States in 1975. I was 24 years old, and although I left my parents, they were letting me do what I wanted. My favorite memory of them was when we moved to Senegal. We arrived by boat. My father was waiting for us on the pier. On the boat was my mom and their 6 children, including me. My father was dressed like a colonialist, with a white hat, white shorts, and white knee-high socks. He came with flowers and exotic fruit. We came down off the boat and felt like princes and princesses.
Today, I miss their warmth and care and love. The anticipation of their love was very fulfilling and rich. They didn’ t expect anything from us, but we expected a lot from them, and they gave it. I used to take my children to France about once a year during summer vacation. My father always waited at the airport or downstairs at the apartment building for hours until we showed up.
My brother, Charlie, is also my angel. I miss his tolerance. He was very open. He was dry, but loving in his way. Through his eyes you could tell whether he approved or disapproved. He was smart and self-taught – a philosopher. We would see each other in the car and we would lower the window and blow the horn and greet each other. I miss that. My favorite memory of him came in May of 1968. I was in boarding school in Paris, and there was a student revolution. All the students were out in the streets. It was a good revolution, but of course, the police were trying to get everyone out with tear gas bombs. There was no metro, no bus, no taxi. Everything in Paris was paralyzed. I called Charlie and said,“ I need to get out of here.” I hated Paris, and I wanted to go back to the south of France. He said,“ Okay, wait for me.” Then he came.
He hitchhiked in a flower truck and came to pick me up. He drove me to the Plaza of Elysées. There was one bus going to Nice. It was very dangerous. When we got there, there was only one seat on the bus. I fought my way through everyone, got the seat, and went back to Nice. Thanks to him, I got to avoid the whole revolution.
When you lose somebody, you want to know they are still with you. You want to know they are present. Even though they are gone, you want to make sure they accompany you through life. So, you carry them on your shoulder. You don ' t bury someone and forget about them. That’ s why my parents and my brother are my angels. They are with me every day.