Thursday, January 19, 2012

Home

I had forgotten.

The blue green hills. The warm damp air, not humid exactly, but rather soft and enfolding, making joints supple, hearts light.

The schoolchildren in the early morning, crisp in their school uniforms, khakis and ties for the boys, tunics and white blouses for the girls, waiting at bus stops along the main roads for the day to start.

The smell of the place. Salty. Green. The houses I remember, the ones I dreamed in, the shops with shutters in bright colors, hand painted signs.

The sea sounds along the airport road, the cars careening, never colliding, the new mall where the supermarket used to be, my old school building.

My mother, peering down the hallway excitedly, a tiny stooped figure with guileless anticipation, waiting for the first glimpse of me.

My niece and nephew, 10 and 8, faces fresh as the day, in bright green shirts and blue shorts, sitting straight backed at the breakfast table, greeting me politely, even formally, yet the smile in my nephew's eyes says he's ready to play.

My brother stirring condensed milk into bold black coffee. Ackee and saltfish warming. My mother's thin arms reaching up to surround me.

The place where one is made will always be home.

How could I have forgotten?



22 comments:

  1. Good memories are there for our heart and soul to replenish the thirst for sweet times.

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  2. Oh, how wonderful are the pictures you make with your words! Really the next best thing to experiencing it myself!

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  3. I think what I can learn from this is home can be more than one place. :-)
    Enjoy your time!

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  4. This makes me so happy. I can see it, feel it, smell it.
    I can see you being held.
    Ah.

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  5. wonderful . all the images,
    the feeling
    sigh....

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  6. what wonderful images and feelings you have penned here. beautiful image of your mother, waiting for her child. i love it all.

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  7. Great memories Angella - I can relate! I haven't had condensed milk in coffee for decades - it's the best! My mom used to make me condensed milk sandwiches too... mmmm mmm mmm

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  8. Oh, how beautiful, how wonderful.

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  9. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. As is your heart, my friend.
    Sending love ~

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  10. So happy for you. Breathe it in: your mother, your brother, your nephews, the hills, everything. It sounds wonderful, and how great for your mother to have her two children with her. Yes, truly happy for you indeed!

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  11. Waiting for that first glimpse....that says it all. Made me cry.

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  12. You are so lucky to have home still be there to go to.

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  13. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
    Love you.

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  14. Thank you, each of you, for the good wishes and thoughts!

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  15. We always forget, but then it's such a joy to remember!

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  16. Thank you for writing so eloquently about that home feeling and reminding me of the place where I was made. As you wrote, "How could I have forgotten?"

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