We all say, “never take things for granted”, but we do! We must live life to its fullest and make today our best day!
I think back to growing up in Jamaica! Those were some good years; however, I didn’t know it then. I was eager to become an adult, as we all experienced, wanting my independence from my parents! I wanted to grow up, so I can live on my own and travel to anywhere, other than Jamaica. I didn’t travel the island to see all the quaintness around me; I wanted to leave this beautiful island to see the world!
Now, years later, I want to remember!
On summer breaks, my mom sends me to the country to be with my great grandma, grandma, aunts and cousins. Of course, that means my grandma watches over me as an eagle watches it prey.
I can hear the steady ripples of the river as it flows downstream by my grandmother’s home. If you hear the roar of the river, you know it's not the best time to go, especially after heavy rain. The river is known to swells its banks and is likely to be unsafe to enter. My aunts would go to the river to wash clothes and I would tag along, To get to the river, we walk a trail by a church that doubles as a cemetery! I made sure I was neither the first or last in line during this procession!
At the river, we arrive to see friends of my aunts/cousins; it’s more like a gathering place. The river carries the chatter and laughter along as it twists and turns cruising downstream. Depending on time of day, I know my first splash in the river might be a bit cold, being a city girl and all. I gingerly place one foot in the water to test the temp and how deep that section is. Once I’m comfortable in the water, then it’s time to have fun.
I trail behind my cousins as they hop from one rock to another; stopping at times to lift a rock to look for shrimp! Being a city girl, I have no clue how to and I'm too afraid to catch the shrimp, so I stand back, so as not to scare the poor shrimp away! Of course, you never leave the river without taking a bath. The boys go up or down stream and the girls hang together. The first time I see my aunts peeled off their clothes and bathed in the open air was different for this city girl! I soon learned that’s how it’s done.
I wish to go back and live freely...making every day, the best day!
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