The Old House

Grandmother Ecaterina’s house stands at the top of a discordant double-faced hillock. One face on the cleanly paved and quaint Eternitate Street where decent homes slant below the church, the other side a slippery slope where gypsies, filth and shacks spill onto a dirt road. From a well-to-do family Ecaterina, could have done better for herself  but at 17, she eloped and lost herself in the love for her man and their six progenies. Her father disowned her while her mother, a fearful weakly presence, lurked about struggling to help herself and her daughter and unable to do either.

At 86 Ecaterina lives surrounded by feathery and fury companions; cats in her shed, dogs in the front yard and chickens in coops behind the house. She is still the force that keeps the family together they all seek and abide her ruling and share in her love. Their daily mission is for a family member to come up the hill and check on her.

One afternoon, her favorite granddaughter pops up the hill. First she goes inside the house and minutes later she follows Ecaterina’s raspy voice out into the breeze where she’s sweeping the yard. They chat for a while and after her granddaughter leaves Ecaterina realizes that her pension check had vanished from its usual spot. Aggravated, she calls, but her granddaughter does not pick up. She keeps calling the entire the day and evening her anger and blood pressure rising.

The next morning she’s up with the first rooster crow, to prepare for a turbulent day.  In front of a full basin of water she stands, soap and comb ready when the phone rings and a bomb is dropped—her granddaughter cashed her check. “But she must not worry, the amount would be returned soon.” Tears stream down her chin and over the basin as she bends to wash her red sweaty face. Her body gives way. Face fist she dives into the mini-pool and thuds unconscious on the floor. Late that afternoon another granddaughter finds her floating in a far realm absent and unable to speak, her life hanging on a spider thread.

The next night Ecaterina crosses into the stillness of headstones, her memory a dark spot on her granddaughter’s soul. After she’s laid to rest Father renovates the old house. He builds a new room facing the old garden, erects a new fence and encloses the front porch to keep the house warm. The neighborhood has never been safe, and in his old age he wants to feel protected, so locks and keys weight heavy on his doors and in his pockets. 

Liliana

Liliana

At the age of 60, Father finds his soul mate and adventure partner in 30-year-old Liliana. He finds himself ostracized by siblings, and the world alike. “You’re a dirty old man and she’s a gold digger from the dark side of life,” they all chimed.

And he might be a “dirty old man” for the entire world but Liliana keeps coming, and Father would rather be repudiated by all, than be without her. From a very poor background, Liliana knows struggles; she’s been through many hot burning hells of her own. Her mother died /giving birth to her. To escape an abusive, alcoholic Father, she eloped at 14 and a year later gave birth to her first baby, a seemingly healthy baby boy. Her husband, a railroad man, worked hard, drank even harder, and brought home no bacon.

At 19, Liliana buries her son when he unexpectedly dies in her arms, then ends her marriage. The second time she marries an army officer and gives birth to her second child, again a boy. Her new husband provides for her and their child but his demanding job leaves Liliana lonely. When her second son dies at the age of 3, destitute and depressed, she finds solace with the wrong crowd. She begins to drink, and by the age of 26, she’s bitter and “cursed,” twice divorced and with two children dead in her hug. She has no education, and to survive, she cleans houses Father employs her to help around the newly renovated old house.

Sad story, Liliana.

Dark complexion and bright smile, she’s charismatic, curvy, and petite; she laughs easy and starts a fight even easier. She rejuvenates Father. Cleaning his house and yard, she glues to his soul. They become intimate and business partners. As peddlers, they travel to Turkey, Poland, Russia, and China, turning into a profitable team. She acquires her own apartment and saves to open a small newspaper stand. When Father’s in New York, Liliana cares for his property, and keeps everything in order. Father has traveled between New York and Iasi for years. He likes America but loves Romania and would not want to die or be laid to rest anywhere but the Eternitate “Eternity” graveyard in Iasi alongside his parents.

One fall, Father entrusts Liliana with the key to his house and the stable-turned-wine cellar. A dark square room with steady-temperature where tarmac sealed bottles and a 200-liter wood barrel of red Merlot are stored for aging. Father invests great amounts of money, organic ingredients, pride and patience in old recipes of his Merlot. Every fall, he travels to vinifera the vineyards on the suburbs of Iasi to buy Concord, Muscat and Hamburg; for making his wine. To leave Liliana in charge of his Bacchus wealth means total trust or blind love and Father does not trust anyone.

Two in the morning, the house phone rings. I pick up and an unknown voice asks for Dumitru. I must repeat it to Father for he’s hard of hearing. Startle-eyed, he flings his arms in the air, moans, and gets up in slow motion. I hand him the phone, and I’m about to go back to bed when I hear him grunt and gag in lament and tears. Alarmed, I sit next to him until he hangs up.

Liliana a murit. “Liliana died! She’s dead, she’s dead!” No. She was only 40 years old.”

“What happened?”

Father cannot speak. He whimpers and splutters, pain suffocating him. The next evening at JFK airport, my heart follows his frail silhouette until feeble and disoriented it vanishes through customs. Two days later, I call, his voice sorrow–satiated, sounds gruffer than ever, and I can just picture him lighting up a chain of cigarettes, gulping mugs of black coffee, and forgetting to eat.

Story has it that Liliana celebrated her 40^th birthday in Father’s house she invited friends and neighbors. Red wine is poured from Father’s drums until the night hours turned small and Liliana was having a ball. Loud and bubbly, she cheered with every sip of aroma packed Merlot. She nipped and puffed often, through two packs of Marlboro. As she’s about to entertain the guests with a funny tale, she starts speaking then suddenly falls off her chair and thuds to the floor. The hollers shake the windowpanes and Liliana’s still on the floor, her guests continue to laugh as if her fall is part of an amusing act but minutes later they clamor over her unresponsive body.

Someone calls an ambulance. Paramedics arrive after the guests help themselves to Father’s belongings. They pronounce her dead on the scene, and her body is transported to the city morgue. The autopsy revealed that Liliana’s 40 years were a miracle, for she suffered from congenital heart disease—the same disease that killed her two sons before the age of 5.

Father buries her in the same casket with his heart, and three months later only his shadow arrives back at JFK. I’m shocked at how much weight he’s lost and at the sorrow carved deep into his hollow eyes. Father never recovered from this loss.  

Teachers

http://jd2718.org/do-not-apply/

ICEUFT Blog: Terminated Probationary Teacher Wins First Step Getting Job Back

ICEUFT Blog: Terminated Probationary Teacher Wins First Step Getting Job Backhttp://iceuftblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/terminated-probationary-teacher-wins.html

as: Semnal de alarma

as: Semnal de alarma

as: Semnal de alarma

as: Semnal de alarma: Controlul populatiei prin glutamatul de monosodiu. Iata in ce alimente se gaseste E 621 : Chipsuri Floricele Supe-instant Condi...

Blestemul Unui Ateu - Virgil Ciuca - Un nou Cosbuc si-a lui dragoste de neam

Blestemul unui ateu

 

În veacul imbecilizării

Blestem s-ajungă-n iad prelaţii

Ce sapă temelia ţării

Şi sunt mai răi ca renegaţii!

 

Blestem credinţe infractoare

Bazate pe ipocrizie

Cu rugăciuni umilitoare

Şi pe pământ, şi-n veşnicie

 

Detest să văd femei ca viermii

Târându-se la mânăstiri

Când în pămâmt – de-a lungul vremii –

Avem înmormântaţi martiri.

 

Eroilor să se închine,

Nu la schelete importate!

Nelegile ne sunt străine

Noi nu ne-am născut cu păcate

 

Am blestemat toţi infractorii

Care ne umilesc poporul-

Ne-ngenunchiază impostorii

Care conduc din veac soborul.

 

                                    Virgil Ciucă

                                    Bucureşti

Nobody's Child Romanian Review of Carti Nemuritoare

http://cartinemuritoare.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/recenzie-nobodys-child-lisa-pecainowbadys-child/

Recenzie: Nobody’s child – Lisa PECAI

MAR 10

Posted by alexa

Nobody’s child – Lisa PECAI

O poveste despre prietenie, despre iubire, despre feminitate și feminism, despre condiția artistului în lume, despre bărbați și despre femei, despre rătăcirile secolului XX și despre puterea de a te ridica și a o lua de la capăt.

Bine scrisă, cu atenție deosebită în redarea detaliilor și în descrierea atmosferei, ‘Nobody’s child’ este povestea Lisei, un copil “nedorit”, care se confruntă cu greutățile vieții încă de la o vârstă foarte fragedă.

Rememorarea copilăriei, în care își fac loc atâtea traume și atâta cruzime, precum și alte detalii legate de viața din Romania, în general, constituie realitatea, o realitate ”dură”; însă pe tot parcursul cărții am avut impresia că Lisa plutește oarecum în afara evenimentelor ca un martor care încearcă să înțeleagă ce s-a întâmplat.

Cred că cel mai important aspect al romanului este, de fapt, chiar mesajul pe care-l transmite, anume: indiferent de greutățile de care ne lovim, să găsim puterea să ne ridicăm și să mergem mai departe cu capul sus.

Alte teme abordate de autoare sunt lupta pentru individualitate, pentru nevoia de a fi altfel, nevoia de afirmare, nevoia de a ști că ești cineva.

Povestea trece de la un moment la altul, de la copilărie până la maturitate, marcând scenele importante din viata Lisei.

Fiind un copil nedorit, Lisa a simțit tăișurile ascuțite ale nepăsării pe pielea ei firavă de copil. Acestea au lăsat răni adânci pe care viața le bandajează în timp, dar cicatricele rămân. Ea a îndurat multe suferințe, dar acestea nu au distrus-o ci au făcut-o mai puternică. La vârsta de zece ani, mama sa a alungat-o pur și simplu de acasă. În scurt timp Lisa ajunge în America, unde învață să se ridice prin propriile forțe și învață ce înseamnă dragostea.

‘Nobody’s child’ este o poveste emoționantă, o poveste adevărată de viață și despre viața, o lecție pe care autoarea a învățat-o pe pielea ei și pe care a decis să o transmită mai departe.

Apreciez autoarea pentru decizia ei de a scrie acestă carte. De când am citit-o, m-am întrebat oare, dacă este ușor să scri despre viața ta. Sunt lucruri care s-au întâmplat, lucruri pe care ști să le povestești, în concluzie, cuvintele ar trebui să curgă și paginile să se complecteze ușor. Dar, m-am gândit și, cred că nu este ușor. Să scri ceva fictiv, în cazul unei drame, îi poți atribui unui personaj suferința pe care el nu a trăit-o, îl poți vindeca sau nu, îl poți modela după bunul plac. În cazul de față, cred ca este mai greu să scri ceva realist, și mai ales când provine din viața ta. Fiecare pagină scrisă te încărca cu emoția amintirilor, unele frumoase, altele mai puțin frumoase. Mă gândesc la faptul că, pe Lisa PeCai au încercat-o sentimente grele atunci când a dat frâu liber poveștii ei, de aceea o apreciez ca om dar și ca autoare.

‘Nobody’s Child’ este o carte grea, și nu ma refer la modul de lecturare, pentru că ea se citește ușor și repede, ci din punctul de vedere al emoțiilor care te încearcă atunci când o citești. Aceasta transmite mesaje importante despre viață și o recomand tuturor celor care vor să citească ceva serios.

‘Nobody’s child’ de Lisa PECAI a fost publicată la Millennial Mind Publishing – America

O poți urmări pe Lisa PECAI pe :

Facebook | Twitter | Nobody’s child | Nobody’s child – Blog

Francesco Portelos

orghttp://protectportelos.org/tenure-is-for-girls-and-others-who-speak-up/

Tenure is for Girls! [and others who speak up]

 JULY 8, 2014

Seriously… Is it not? Read Below.

Over a year ago I FOILed the number of probationary (nontenured) teachers discontinued in the NYC DOE in the last two years. I know, I could have just asked the UFT, but they wouldn’t give us the info. In fact, when I asked for the number of reassigned teachers, UFT Staff Director Leroy Barr wrote back ”

“Mr. Portelos,

As the number is constantly changing and the DOE controls who is reassigned, I recommend you submit a FOIL request to the DOE for this information.”

In other words since babies are constantly being born and people are dying every day, you can never get a real population count. Right?

In any case I finally received the answer.

Yes. In just 2 years, in NYC DOE alone, 456 teachers have not made it past three years and been discontinued. Some in just their first year. Discontinued does sound better than terminated, but in fact all those, and over a 100 more since then, have been terminated and barred from teaching in the DOE again. Carmen’s DOE continues with this method.

There! Are you happy now Sam Pirozzolo, Mona Davids, Campbell Brown, David Welch and the rest? According to the demographics of those teachers that contact us at MORE, DTOE and my attorney Bryan Glass, Esq. they are mostly young females.

Young females who wanted to teach and help children since they were little girls. Teachers like Lydia Howrilka who dared ask her former Principal Arisleyda Urena for state mandated mentoring to improve her teaching and was then terminated and later falsely arrested and detained for 14 hours.

Young females like this guidance counselor who was ordered to do everything but counsel students. When she dared tell Principal Adonna McFarland that students aren’t getting services she too was terminated. http://dtoe.org/2014/04/25/carmens-doe-takes-another-young-career/

Young females like this one who wrote:

“My observations were conducted on the following dates: May 13, May 15, May 16, May 19 and May 20, plus one conducted on March 30. I only received 3 feedbacks for all 13 observations. At the Summative Conference on June 16 I was handed a rating of Ineffective even though my students showed steady growth according to the Benchmark Assessment, Periodic Assessment and MOSL, plus I have a Valedictorian, new ESL student and one Salutatorian also an ESL student.” More on this story later.

Sign Our Petition

OK, we get males contacting us too, but you get our drift. Where is the UFT? Surely you don’t see any of these stories in the NY Teacher. Instead you read Happy Happy stories of the “New Tone” at the DOE and pictures like this:

“Carmen, as long as I keep getting my $250,000 I don’t care what you do to my members.”