Mother (Madea) 
by Joe Harris

It is that one word that none of us can define in a single phrase, that one word (Mother) that embodies all the love a human being could offer. Allena Trevillion Harris was born October 7, 1912, to Monroe & Rosie Trevillion in Port Gibson, Mississippi. She is not just someone who gave birth to a child. She gave birth to 9. My sister Florice, Nozella, and brother Thomas were born in Jackson, Mississippi. In contrast, Willie & Wilma (who died at birth), Edna Earl, Joe Carl, Mary Ann, and Cheryl were all born in Indianapolis. Our mother represents the combination of feelings, behaviors, and sacrifices when raising children.

Even though she was our mother, it was different from being Clarence Harris's wife. Being a wife to Clarence (Diddy), as we affectionately call him, meant getting up at 4 am every morning to ensure the coal furnace was loaded and stoked so the house would be warm when he got up. She would go about preparing his breakfast and lunch bag. After seeing him off to work she would take a short break before waking and dressing the kids for school. She never worked a job even though she had attended Alcorn in Port Gibson Mississippi. Her career was caring for her family, a position she had done well.

She is the only woman I know who will constantly forgive your lies, no matter how big. She will still give you that warm smile just minutes after you misbehave, making her angry. Our mother, "Madea," endured the pain caused by us when we rejected her and her kisses because we were mad or just too cool to be seen with her when we met our friends. She will be the only one supporting and lifting your spirit whenever you feel down. Madea would leave all her personal needs behind, so we children could have everything within her budget we needed. She will not sleep until everyone comes home, and she knows we are all well.

Some of us only understand a mother's effort once we become parents – better late than never, right? But the ugly truth is that sometimes it can be too late, especially for my siblings and me. I wish we knew back then to say, "thank you" and "I love you, mom," whenever she took the time to make a special meal or make Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas holidays something to remember.

In the summertime, when daddy would be BBQing, she would be busy cooking baked beans, potato salad, and the best cakes or pies you have ever eaten.

Here is a list of things about our house I remember specifically;

At the age of three, I remember seeing our new home @ 1326 Bellefontaine for the first time. A large wooden front porch with a swing with wide, inviting wooden stairs led to a big wooden front door with a pane window.

The person who built this house had good taste and money because it had a large living room with a large marble fireplace. The dining room had a large built-in China cabinet and a beautiful chandelier.

The house had big picture windows with crystal panes that allowed the sun to make a rainbow of color throughout the living room. The floors were hardwood trimmed with a walnut design. Mother was quite proud of these floors. My brother Thomas would get on his knees to wax and buff them to a beautiful warm glow, especially during the holidays.

There was a large stairway leading to the upper floors. As you entered the house, a doorway led into my parents' bedroom, which had a large marble fireplace. After thinking about this room, I would imagine it served as a library. As I remember, when we first moved in, the room had a door with a lovely-stained glass window leading to the side yard. My parents had the door removed to increase the size of their bedroom.

The kitchen had a water pump in a side sink, and to this day, I can still see the sizeable checkerboard-designed linoleum and the light green cabinets. We had a large room off the dining room where the kids slept.

Since my father was the only breadwinner working as a butcher for Kingans Meat Packing Company, the entire upstairs was leased to another family to help offset expenses.

Holidays were special times for my mother, especially Christmas. She would always get a large live tree, and my older siblings would do the decorations. Even though money was tight she always ensured we had plenty of toys and presents under the tree. A lazy Susan full of candy and a big bowl of mixed fruit and nuts would always be on the dining table. She would get up early to start her cakes, pies, homemade yeast rolls, and eggnog.

Those smells from the kitchen as she prepared Christmas dinner had us all looking forward to eating. Dinner was special because we all got to eat at the large table in the dining room.

On Easter morning, there would be a large basket of colored eggs and candy on the table with each of our names on one of the eggs.

She loved entertaining as she knew how to set a beautiful formal table.

In 1952 my mother bought our first black & white Admiral Television, which changed our family time together, especially on Sunday evenings. They enjoyed shows like Ed Sullivan and Wonderful World of Disney. Westerns were always a favorite. My father was a big Dodger fan, and he would take off work during the World Series. The kids looked forward to Saturday morning as the entire morning was complete with cartoons and kids' shows.

My parents celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary at this house. I remember the house decorated in pink & white streamers with silver bells. Relatives and friends came from near and far to celebrate their happy union. The house was full of beautiful silver gifts.

The most memorable time at this house was in 1958 when their first Grandchild, Carmen L. Sherrod, was born. I became an uncle at eleven, although the meaning escaped me. The thoughts of how lovely this little girl was and me being her uncle were in my mind forever.

My siblings and I enjoyed playing on our large front porch and backyard. Dad had a female hunting dog name Queenie that he loved because of her outstanding rabbit-hunting skills.

This story is to be continued