Pearl Parker. For as long as I could remember, Ms Parker had spread her sunshine throughout our little community. She had become the Grand Old Grandmother of Baker's Avenue. The day that she was restricted to live in an old folks' home, we were all very sad, and refused to lose such a remarkable member of our neighbourhood.

Mrs. Parker was a very old lady, full of pep and energy, which is probably why we children took a liking towards her. She was a big, black woman with a smooth brown sugar face, that always smelled like Noxema. Her head was crowned with a long tress of silver grey hair, that was always tucked up in a pageboy style under a hair net. Mrs. Parker was a very sassy woman with a tongue as sharp as a nail, no one ever dared to disobey, and it was for this reason that she gained our respect.

There was no one in the entire area of Baker's Avenue, who knew your name, and who you were, like wise-owl Parker did. On our way home from school, we would pass by Mrs. Parker's house, where she would greet us from her squeaky rocking chair, on the front porch of her cottage home and question us about our day.

Mrs. Parker could always sense when something was wrong, and it seemed as if she could tell what was on each child's mind just by the expressions their faces would bear. You could never hide anything from the all-knowing Mrs. P! About two years ago on a hot summer's day after coming from school, we made our daily stop at Mrs. P's gate. On this humid day, however, Mrs. Parker was in her faithful, but old, rocking chair, asleep, which was unusual for Mrs. P.

at this time of day. Loudly, in unison, we shouted "Mrs. Parker! Mrs.

Parker!'' Immediately she awoke and angrily demanded that we get off her lawn.

This was such a bizzare display of behaviour for Mrs. Parker, so we dismissed the situation, assuming that she'd had a really bad day.

We were wrong, Mrs. Parker just wasn't her usual self anymore. Wise, old Parker began to forget names and the faces of people she knew; what day it was, and even where she was and who she was! The old lady who had once been as energetic as a six-year-old, was no longer able to join in our neighbourhood games, she was deteriorating mentally.

Mrs. Pearl Parker had been diagnosed with a very bad case of Alzheimer's disease. The doctor insisted thaht she be put in a home, and since there weren't any rest homes in our little town of Peter's-ville, dear Mrs. Parker was destined, by fate, never to be seen again. The thought of never seeing her again was devastating for all us kids. To prevent this great loss to our community, we, with the help of our parents and neighbours, came up with a wonderful idea of building a purpose-built facility for our senior citizens, in Mrs. Parker's honour.

Although Mrs. Parker could not recall and do the things she used to, it has always been a joy to visit her at the rest home. Sometimes, if you visit her, she may reflect back on the times she shared with us together in Baker's Avenue.

SHAY-COY BRIDGEWATER Form 4 Berkeley Institute