On Eating Paw Paw (Papaya): remembering a friendship

Pic courtesy Pinterest: http://www.lovefoodeat.com

Today I was finally able to cut into the gorgeous paw paw (papaya) I found this week! It’s not often that I find a paw paw in these parts to suit my standards, but I was whizzing by a shop earlier this week and this lovely half golden fruit caught the corner of my eye. I quickly diverted to purchase it. I’m certain Baby T2 was jumping with excitement eager to taste my favourite fruit. I cut the fruit in half which I’d intended to share with Angelo, but he was not in the mood to have any. He’s had paw paw before, it was one of the first fruits he was weaned on and he loved it but he’s becoming a bit fussy in his toddler phase. Not having anyone to share my half a paw paw with; I went into a retrospective mood thinking of my good friend Miss Z.

Miss Z was a truly amazing friend to me in my singleton years and still is today but we are thousands of miles apart. Whenever I see a paw paw, I think of our long lazy afternoons together listening to the rain fall as we spoke of movies, men and music; but not necessarily in that order. My life then seemed challenging; juggling work, university, a relationship etc. I now know it was much SIMPLER.  Whenever my visit was planned either I or Miss Z would have a large ripe paw paw at the ready to share. There were times when I should have been in the library at university but I opted to visit Miss Z. However, I reckon my relaxed but focused approach to study did me well. I graduated with Upper Second Class Honours much to my surprise and pleasure.  As we listened to the sexy sounds of the still relatively new (back then) Dave Matthews Band or Jeff Buckley, those slow, simple, sexy days were …. solace

When I was five months pregnant with Angelo I went home, to Trinidad. Of course, I visited Miss Z,  I'd set aside a day for that visit. Neither she nor I was sure how the day would go, it had been seven years since we'd last seen each other but it was like old times… except it didn’t rain. The day was scorching hot AND we didn’t have paw paw… she forgot to get it.  I can’t remember if we listened to any music at all! Yet still, we had an amazing time catching up on life events. She inveigled another dare friend to pop by to ‘lime’ (hang out) for a while in between that time another friend of hers also popped round after work.  Merry ole it time was had by all!

Isn’t it funny how one thing can conjure up memories from a life time…?

Maybe one day Angelo will learn to love paw paw again, as much as I do.

Thank you I Z! I miss you more than words can say…