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#331 Saroj Patel Tomato

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I mean, even at her house when we go there, she tells us to take the shoes off as well. So, she's very particular.

Saroj Patel

I come from Kenya, and got married in London, but then we moved to Leeds. And my son was only two years old when we moved to Leeds and my mom came from London to visit me once. I used to work full time. And my son used to go to school. In the afternoon when he comes home my mom used to be at home. I think it was half-term or something. And the gas man was going to come repair the fire, gas fire. And I told my son, I said 'the gas man is coming. I can't take day off. But can you explain to him what needs doing.' I've told already gas man what he was supposed to do. Anyway, the gas man came, and my mom opened the door and she let the gas man come in. And he did ask something to my mom and because my mom couldn't speak English, she didn't answer properly. And then the gas man started shouting, thinking that my mom was deaf as well. He was shouting, so my son he was only like, I think it was five because he just started school. He was five. And he said 'don't shout at my grandma. My grandma can't speak English, but she can hear.' He was only five years old and he just told the gas man not to shout. That was funny.

Then the gas man started speaking politely but that was one incident. Another incident, my granddaughter, she was like three/four years old, and I used to look after her every Thursday. I had a meter reading, people came, so my granddaughter followed me when I opened the door. She told the gas meter reader man 'take your shoes off' before he entered the house.

She knew that we don't wear shoes in the house. So, she told and actually, I mean, even at her house when we go there, she tells us to take the shoes off as well. So, she's very particular. My daughter in law, she's very, very clean. I mean, my son used to laugh at her because, you know when she does the bed, she wants exactly the same size falling down the bed sheet on one side in the same. So, my son said, 'shall I bring my ruler so you can measure?'

My grandson, now they move somewhere else, but they used to live in Meanwood. And one day my daughter in law she was changing his nappy on proper stand, changing thing, so he could see what's going outside from the window. The table was near the window. So, he stood there and said, 'tomato, tomato, tomato' and he carried on for nearly 10 minutes. He just carried on, 'tomato, tomato, tomato, tomato, tomato, tomato.' We didn't know what he was looking at. What he's looking at and where he can see a tomato. And now he's 13 years old and we ask him, and he says, 'I don't remember.'

They could see the sun setting. There wasn't anything. A few trees but there wasn't any fruit. I don't know what he was looking at. Still mystery.


Precis

The beauty of being in a company of older performers is the kaleidoscopic range of real-life experiences that they bring to the table. These experiences cover everything from the vivid and strange world of childhood, to the unexpected late awakenings of old age. Take our newest batch of anecdotes, for example. These new stories are delightfully diverse: from the earthly, sensual joy of baking bread, to the cosmic dreams of outer space; from an unnerving encounter with a poltergeist, to the risqué glories of adult pleasure products and burlesque. Running as a rich theme throughout, is the possibility of love, and the simple wonder of human connection. As one writer tells us, in her story of funeral rites and flirting, “Amidst death, life goes on”, and indeed it does, delightfully so.