tell me what you think about this story... …A young boy grew up on his family estate, while getting to know and feel a long time family tradition in schooling, life turns make for him becoming the boy across town. Purvis school, was a lovely school in warwick Bermuda, and many families sent their kids to its schooling grounds to learn and develop. Opening lunch cans and hearing kids chump down on what was prepared by loving hands, was over shadowed by the look and steers of a few who came with brown paper bag sacks for hands who just as sooner do without the extra mouths to feed. On the odd occasion, a kid would see something being pulled out of a brown paper bag sack and with racing eyes plead and bag for an exchange that dazzled the eyes of the two who while making the change, would horror the thought of the mother who went through the fuss of fixing such a delightful morsel for her bundle of joy, while the aunt of the bag pusher would wonder how she could have made such a mistake indeed. Well it didn’t take long before things change especially when kids are involved, and soon came on time for the aunt who somehow ran out of paper bags it seemed, and the boy and his sister had to find else where to call home. Life makes way for changes, and time fits us all in its grip as this little boy and his sister found a boat on the water’s edge a fitting place as any to rest for the night. A large thermos jug of hot water both for bathing and brewing, till this day, I still cant see how my dad made it work, but it did. Riddles bay founders would pitch a fit if they knew some father had kids sleeping side the riddles bay dock, so we kids were told to og easy on the noise. Yes day, was the routine, but just as soon as the dentine was far out of site, us kids would have a blast on the sea, as the boat rolled back and forth and the salt savoured a smell that sent us off to sleep. Somehow the news got back to my dad that people started noticing kids at the dock and he felt that he may need another spot for our camp. I don’t know, maybe because we were jumping of the boat when he was away and swimming to other boats and helping folks bail out their boats, who then felt the need to say thank you to our day instead of keeping it on the down low, I don’t know. In any event, my dad broke camp like the dock had leopercy. Before you knew it, we where sitting in my great Auncle’s house with colourful smells, waiting for the sun to go hiding so my dad could wing his way through some trees and end up in a box in the bush. We didn’t mind, although I knew I needed to be with my dad instead of my Mom, cause this was proof that he needed looking after. No more Purvis, now it was Northlands school, and yup, me and my sister was going to school from a box in the bush. School life was easy enough, you went they gave you books and you wrote in them and you got stars if you done well and looks and x’s if you didn’t. Lunch time was a hassle, cause we had no frige in the box or stove come to think of it, so taking lunch would be out of the question. Often my dad being a taxi driver would buy us lunch but be in St.Georges when the bang first rung, which was a major problem for both us and the school. Kids need to eat if they are going to be alive during the second half of the school day, but my dad, bless his heart had to fend and make a living even if we weren’t paying rent. So you could imagine going back to class kicking stones and thinking what happen this time. But without fail, lunch did come, cause my dad had a way with words, and before long big pie juice filtered throughout the class room as I set in the back licking the folk and my lips to the horror of the other kids. As an older kid, I found playing with the younger kids much more fun, for we loved playing cowboys and Indians. We had the Indians up the top part of the hill and the cowboys at the bottom of the hill, cause they had guns and pearl pearl was no match for shouting arrows that some how little kids never seemed to get quite right. All in all the dirt on shirts and pants drove mothers crazy and my teacher just shock her head cause she knew each and ever stain cause I was sure to show up to continue the mayhem for a washer and dryer was not where to be found in a box in the bush. It was not long before the dirt on my clothes could not pass even my dad eyes, and washing was not in the plans, so we went shopping. As a youngster, even I knew that white shoes for school was not cool. But from the box to pull from, my dad tried to convince me that white was right, and all I could think of was white in the bush, and from my vantage point I was thinking busted for sure. I won when the store keeping saw my face and remembered that black or brown for school was standard, even though the sail was on his mind, my face cried help. The store keep was a hero, and told my dad he didn’t have my size. I know it was an out right lie cause I saw the tears in his eyes. Thank you sir. My dad took a turn for the worst when he put his hand on a pair of short pants with five zippers on each side. I would have fainted if I wasn’t too hungry. The store keeper was like little boy, you are wearing these pants. Two against one, I was cowboyed up and coming down hill in full charge. Then it dawned on me, the kids loved my pants and was wandering where their parents could grab a pair. If it wasn’t for the fact that my dad proberly didn’t know or remember how we came across that store or its owner, I could have giving them the 409. With my new pants and the fame they brought me, I was feeling frisky, when I made an eye move on a damsel name Deltanel. But she took one look at me and told me get a grip. Still dizzy from her look I did take her advise although secretively kept hope alive. A boys first crush is an awesome thing, for it brings about feeling and senses that deepen colours and broadens smells. It was around this time when my dad brought us his kids two coffee rolls and coffee. Tuna on one coffee roll and chopped egg on the other. And my crush made me fall in love with them too. To the point that still to this day, I love me some tuna and chopped egg on coffee rolls, thanks Deltanel. Difficult changes came when we gut busted for living camp style in the bush. Yup! They nabbed us and threw my dad in the slammer, and us in Sunshine league home for kids. Funny part about all this, we were the first to live on controversy lane, now those people have rights. Hey what about us, just a flash back. Now all of a sudden we my sister, brother, and I was travelling across town to school from sunshine league. We had to drop brother off at that special school, cause he took learning to another level. Long story, lets move on. The walk was worth the time away from both home and school, and the talks we as kids had being one again was more then worth it all. I look back on the walks across town, and still a boy with his brother and sister, and know life worked its self out. The value of truth still holds true for me still too till this day. When I first arrived in sunshine league the kids would ask my brother and sister why they had to come to sunshine league to begin with. They came to me to ask what they should say. I thought about it and said let me handle this. I went to the kids and told them we were living in a box in the bush and the police came and got us and brought us here. The kids never brought that story and left us alone and still never knew the truth even if it was in their face the whole time. From that day and moment I learnt the true value of the truth. Its easy to remember, hard to believe and safer then any alternative. The best of all times ever, was the time spent with my father looking for gulf balls. Somewhere in Northlands, I got sick, and went to hospital, after my stitches, I was released and given back to my dad. The doctor said I was not well enough to go back to school, but didn’t tell my dad that meant going through the jungle looking for gulf balls too. But me and my dad had a blast. He would see that white shiny coated ball seeping from under a rock and say, ‘Im sighting”…that meant he’s found one. Then out from my mouth came the words “im sighting” but my find had a slash across the ball like someone cut it with a knife, to which my dad would say nice try. Somehow that didn’t comfort me, but I kept it up as if wanting to be as good or better them dad. Poison ivy was a thing in those days, but I didn’t know what it looked like, and my dad watched me go into the bush of poison ivy and come out untouched. I saw him go into the bush I thought was poison ivy and he came out untouched. Until later when I found out what it really looked like and marvelled at the wisdom of my dad. No I do not go head long into poison ivy know, cause I know what it looks like and my mind has made me susceptible to its juices. I have learned many things in my life as a boy from across town, now I learning to be a man from across the pound.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 13:30:47 +0000