Some years back, I met a fellow, Tom, at the downtown Blue Ash Starbucks. He had a lot of history in Madisonville. A smart and interesting fellow who had played college football at Notre Dame and the University of Cincinnati. He would walk the streets of Madisonville engaging in colorful conversations, and often challenging confrontations, with some of the locals. The residents began to respect him, and he became a pastor with the New Life Temple Church there. Over several years, we would have coffee and our conversation would often turn to Madisonville. He helped me become more familiar with Madisonville and as a neighborhood that my son (Noah) could grow into. In the spring of 2024 Noah bought a home in said neighborhood.
You might assume that “in the shadow” is a negative, but rather it is a positive and interesting twist to my life…to my family’s life.
By the way, The Kenwood is a massive multi-story building that towers over his home, housing hundreds of wonderfully aging people. I found myself imagining each and every one of them keeping a close eye over my son’s home from their catbird seats.
What have we here? Noah’s father raking the yard of the fruits from the magnolia tree. All of a sudden, a charming fellow of my generation, charges over with rake in hand to help me clean the yard. Next thing I know, Noah comes running out of the house, embarrassed after hearing two old men cleaning the leaves away. Jeff (a neighbor) says to Noah, “No worries, at my age I got to keep moving.”
One morning Squeak (Jeff likes to be known as) asks me If I would mind giving him a ride to the corner store… “hop in,” I say. I pull up front of the local convenience store and wait while he gets a quart of milk. To my surprise, no juice of the cow in his hand, but rather a can of beer he cracked open on the sidewalk…what a satisfying quaff he had. As he sat back in the car, he pulled a small bottle of whiskey from a brown bag and took a nice swig of that. Nope, this was not what I expected. I dare say, he knew what he wanted and he got what he wanted…you have to respect a fellow for that.
Squeak continues to show his joyous style and neighborliness. He always welcomes us when we come by my son’s. He told Noah, “If you get a lawn mower, I’ll mow your yard, if I can use it to mow mine.” And that is the way it goes.
How industrious the Kenwood residents must think of Noah working on the gutters and replacing the outside lights that would illuminate at any slight movement…even a nocturnal mouse. Not to be left out, while Noah and his friend were repairing the chimney thirty feet high in the sky, Noah to his surprise finds Squeak hopping around the roof like an eighteen year old, analyzing the problem. I imagine Noah thinking to himself, “This guy is amazing…a bit crazy…but amazing.”
One afternoon, I was again raking out front and a fellow confidently walked up and introduced himself as “The Governor.” He went on to say, “Everyone knows me as The Governor, but my given name is Marco.” He runs the garden and greenhouse around the corner from Noah’s, next to Bee’s BBQ. He walked me down to his greenhouse for a tour, all the while sipping on a self-made concoction of leaves he had picked. Marco was so full of pride and joy regarding his greenhouse and all the knowledge he has built up researching and studying plants, vegetables and fruits. What he has done is impressive and his willingness to share his knowledge was most welcome. I always look for him when driving into the neighborhood.
On the other side of Noah’s house lives Yasmin, a woman attending nursing school. Her mother passed away not too long before Noah arrived. On another occasion of raking leaves, she and her brother (I believe) informed me that to dispose of yard waste we needed to use specific yard refuse bags and of which they offered me one. In the course of our conversation, I learned that her son was awarded a full college football scholarship. He was home for the holidays and just by chance he was outside, where upon I took the opportunity to introduced myself, and he walked over and introduced himself. How nice was that!?
One morning recently, I was driving down Chandler Street on my way to my son’s. I noticed a fellow sitting atop a large mound of wood chips in front of the greenhouse. Perched on top was the Governor, Marco. We greeted each other with big smiles. It was as if he was sitting on his throne. I can’t tell you how magnificent he looked regally looking over his domain while enjoying some leaves and an apple, soaking up the morning sun. What joy emanated from him. I felt it envelop me as well.
Madisonville may have walked in the shadow, but as the song goes, it crossed over “to the sunny side of the street,” for me, my family, and the Madisonville community.
Howard Yasgur
Cincinnati, OH
