MemKpr

My Mama by Stella Marie Majewski Zukowski

There are many things I remember about my Mama,  beautiful stories she told me when I was a little girl and she was just a young married woman named Lodislova Kostrobiec Majewski

(The picture below was taken of my mom and dad on my wedding day to Vincent Zukowski)

Mama was only 16 years old (1914) when she came to America from Lublin, Poland with her 13 year old sister Manja.   Mama and Manja came to stay with their oldest sister Kasia who was living with her husband, Stasiv in the big New York City.  Kasia and Stasiv had a Boarding House where many, young men lived.

Before Mama got her sewing job at an orphanage, she used to help her sister Kasia serve meals to the young male boarders.  It was soon after, that she met Papa, Johnnish Majewski who was a newcomer to the Boarding House.

Mama used to tell me about her family who lived in a little village not far from the city of Lublin.  Grandma Kostrobiec used to have a little farm where she grew vegetables.  There were five daughters to help her.  Mama had one brother, he was the youngest child.  Unfortunately, he was only 13 years old when he died.  Grandpa Kostrobiec was not a farmer nor a hard working man but more of a scholar who used to get dressed each morning and go from neighbor to neighbor, writing letters for them or negotiating business matters.

I remember well when Mama told me with sparkling eyes and animation in her voice of her memories of when she prepared for her wedding day to Papa.

At the Orphanage, Mama worked hard sewing little uniforms for the Jewish Children and saved all the extra money of the $12.00 a month she made.

In the traditional Polish style wedding, a Hall and musician were hired for a Sunday afternoon along with a Polish woman caterer.  Polish style food, Kielbasa, Kapusta, Gulomki, Roasted Chicken and all the accompanying dishes were selected for the reception.

Mama spent several, days off from work, excitingly shopping for the traditional white dress, veil, shoes, etc, etc for her wedding day.

Mama was married on May 12, 1917.

Mama said she was very tired on her wedding day after all the close supervision, checking to see that everything was just so.

I was born a year later on January 31th, 1918 on a bitter, cold Wednesday at 2:00AM.  Mama must have been a very patient, non-complaining Mother to be and Papa must not have been too very much worried about my arriving too early for Mama tells me I was born and turning blue from cold before Papa got the old doctor to come and welcome me into this world, properly.  I guess this being Mama's first baby and her experienced older sister Kasia, mother of several children was not around to tell Mama to announce her need for the Doctor sooner.

A couple of years later, my brother Edji was born and then five years more passed quickly and my sister, Broncia was born.  By now things were going along quite nicely for the Majewski family.

Papa and a close Polish friend (Komoter), John Sala owned a Garage together where they used to service and store automobiles.  Papa was the envy of his Polish cronies for he was the very first to view a big, black touring car.  It was black and shiny with chrome wheels and trim with celloid snap windows.  When I see movies on TV with gangsters driving big black cars in the prohibition days, it reminds me each time of my Papa's first car.

Oh, the happy, exciting car trips we made from our Bronx, NY home to our cousins in Staten Island where my Aunt Kasia's family lived.  Rides through Central Park seemed to be our customary route to catch the South Ferry.  My memories of riding the Ferry in those days are very pleasant.  I remember a trio of Italian musicians playing the Mandolin, Accordion and Violin that made the 45 minute boat ride very enjoyable.

Once we got to Staten Island and drove to Aunt (Cocia) Kasia's home with five children and several additional children from other family members and friends of my Cocia, was always a special treat and much fun.

The adults would usually sit in the dining room, eating and drinking while all the youngsters would gather in another room.  We would put on performances and I remember my cousin, Johnny who was a year older than I putting on a show, acting like Barney Google with the Goo, Goo, Google eyes.  He borrowed a hat belonging to one of our relatives and a cane and was really singing up a storm, swinging the cane rather wildly, when suddenly he hit the hanging chandelier.  Boy did we kids run and hide for the fear of our mothers would spank us but when my Cocia came in to see what had happened, she sweetly told us not to worry, that she could easily replace the broken lamp.

By now, I was approaching the age of seven and really should have been going to school but my young, foreign Mama didn't know the rules and regulations of our young America, that children were usually registered and attending school at about six years old, until our neighbors kept seeing me playing outdoors when all the other children were in school.

Finally they asked Mama why I wasn't going to school?  When she realized she wasn't doing the right thing, she very quickly adjusted her ways and in another day or so I was taken to Mother Superior, the principal of a Catholic school just a few blocks from home.  Here, Mama had to interpret for me for I didn't know many words of English at the grown age of seven.

As the years went on Mama and I became close companions.  I being the oldest of the 3 children did much to alleviate work chores for Mama.

When Christmas, Easter and the other holidays came around, it was always Stasia (me) who used to trim the Christmas tree, gift wrap presents and make preparations for Santa's arrival.

Mama was a very good mother always devoted to her children, keeping them amused with stories of when she was a little girl in Poland.

She was always very fond of going to the movies.  In those days, open air theaters were very popular.  They were held in the back yards of regular, local, movie houses during the summer months.  There was no indoor air conditioning then.

Just as soon as supper dishes were done, Papa went to work (He used to work nights at his garage) and Mama, Edju and Broncia, in her carriage, would happily walk to the nearby open air theater.  Soon we would all be very engrossed in some popular movie being shown.  Broncia usually fell asleep after the firs half hour or so.

When brother Edju was about 6 years old and a very avid listener of Bobby Benson who was a very popular radio personality with young boys and girls of that day. The radio shows advertiser was H.O. Oats Cereal and promoting saving coupons that were on the back of each box.  Edju, Broncia, and I very eagerly visited all our neighbors and friends to ask if they would save the H.O. Oats coupons for Edju.

After several months of gathering coupons from our very many friends, Edju managed to collect the necessary five hundred.  We bundled the coupons into a package and excitedly mailed the package to the Oats company.  In due time a large parcel arrived for Edward Majewski containing a 10 gallon cowboy hat, chaps, bright red handkerchief, a gun and gun holster and even a pair of bright, shining spurs that made a clinking sound when Edju wore them on his shoes.  He sure was the talk of our neighborhood.  All the children would gather around him and just stare and wish they too had such a grand outfit.

One lovely, sunny, June day, Mama prepared Broncia for her morning nap.  Since it was such a lovely day, decided to have her sleep outdoors in her carriage.  I was told to wheel her back and forth until she fell asleep and to watch her in front of out home, while she napped.  My girlfriend, Paulinka was waiting until Bronia fell asleep so that we could play a game of jacks, one of our favorite games.  A few blocks away from our house lived a middle aged woman who was mentally retarded.  My girlfriend and I were not very nice or understanding of the poor woman's illness for whenever we would see her in our area, we would always laugh at her and call her, crazy woman.  As she approached us this morning we must have really annoyed her, for she made a fist at us and looked as though she was ready to slap us.  Boy! Did we start to run upstairs to hide in the clothes closet calling Mama.  When Mama got through apologizing to the woman and checked that Broncia was still sound asleep, I got a spanking I'll always remember.

Mama was a very pretty, young woman.  She had fine, small features, a well proportioned body, rosy, health cheeks and though she wore little or no make up she always looked attractive.  Many men glanced at her appreciatively.  Papa always worked nights and Mama was sometimes lonely for grown up company, after house cleaning, cooking, washing and doing the many chores, a mother has to do with three growing children.  She sometimes liked a little recreation and change from the daily routine.  Mama was very fond of going to the Movies, so every once in awhile, she would leave me in the care of Edju and Broncia and go to the close by Movie Theater for two or three hours of make believe.  Romantic love stories were her favorite.

Were Mama to want any extra romantic moments in her life besides the ones she had with Papa, it would have been very possible, for this night while Mama watched the romantic movie a lonesome sailor sat next to her and when the movies were over, asked Mama if he wouldn't walk home with her,  Which she agreed to but when they were just a block or so away from our home, he asked her if he couldn't come up for just a short while,  It was then Mama said, she was a mother of 3 children and couldn't possibly invite him in.  When Mama came in that evening, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes had a special glow, as she told me the story of her disappointed, Sailor friend.  Speaking of liking movies, as all of us did, brings to mind the evening Mama was getting ready to serve dinner.  After dinner, just as soon as the dishes were done, Mama and the three children went to see a Charlie Chaplin comedy at our nearby Movie House.  Edju and I were pestering Mama as to how much longer before we would be leaving for the movie.

Finally, Mama agreed to let us hold our Quarters for admission plus some candy.  Edju and I were allowed to wait outdoors until she got ready.  I was quite restless and fidgety and kept putting the quarter in and out of my mouth.  All of a sudden a big gulp and my quarter was gone.  Oh my goodness!  What ever will I do?  Does that mean I won't be able to go to the movies? I guess that was my biggest concern.  I quickly ran upstairs and told Mama what I had done, she quickly grabbed me by the hand, left Broncia and Edju with Papa, who had not yet left for work and took me to the corner Drugstore.  Mr. Wilkes, the Pharmacist, prepared a strong dose of Castor Oil, which I too while holding my nose.  A couple of hours passed and so did the Quarter.