posted by Jhon Cortés Dinetriz
Family trips are always to remember
“You are going to love the river, the farm and the animals in that place. You are going to get crazy jumping, and running all over there with the other kids. Also, you can help us to catch some chickens to make the soup. Sounds that good? ”
I could hardly sleep thinking about all the promises my mother told me after the bed-time. I couldn’t help but imagining how that marvelous place was going to be. Though we had been in a farm before, that place seemed to be very special to my mom; it was her aunt Sixta new farm. Sixta was my late grand-ma’ sister so she was my aunt too anyway. She was tall, extremely thin and her eyes were dark blue as grand-ma’s eyes. Her eyes were the reason why all the kids of my family were scared in front of her when she used to live with us. Every time I passed her by, I couldn’t avoid looking her eyes. I felt really scare too; especially when some of the kids did something wrong. She always came to me in the first place and asked me if I knew something about the damage caused. Her eyes obliged me to say anything to her, with the same will that a faithful dog would response to the whistle of its owner. I was weak in front of her eyes.
As all the family was invited, we had to rent a big bus for all of us to travel together. I wasn’t very pleased to meet aunt Sixta, but the lots-of-fun Image that mom created inside my head the night before, made me change my mind. The bus took its road at 8 am or so. It was a 3 hours trip, a long one for a 7 old like me. I took a place in the back side, next to a cousin my aged. The bus was full. More than 30 persons sharing the same overloaded atmosphere full of noise, smooth of cigarette, and vomit. When I was happy for having chose a sit in the back side, my cousin next to me puked on my pants. The strong smell made me feel sick; I was about to jump out of the window.
By the time the bus arrived to that place, I had already puked more than twice. The first thing I saw when I got out the dirty bus was aunt Sixta house. It was charming from the outside. I saw also some chickens craving their beaks on the mud. Aunt Sixta came out from the house hugging and kissing everybody outside. She was really happy to see us. She started to cry. My mom started to cry too and then they hugged. Meanwhile, all the kids run all over the place chasing the chickens. As I felt still sick I remained quiet and sat on an old log. From my place I could see everything. My mom and my uncles were making the fire to prepare the food, the kids were playing around, and aunt Sixta was cutting some staff into pieces. She looked at me from her place, and put a big smile on her face. I never had seen her so cheerful. All that she needed to be happy was a new farm, I thought. Everybody was happy I could see it. All of a sudden aunt Sixta came to me. I remember exactly what she said: do you feel still kind of dizzy don’t you? I said yes with my head looking straight to her blue eyes. So she gave me a lemon for me to eat it. You can have some sleep in my bed if you want. She added. I went inside the house and took a deep and tranquil nap on Aunt Sixta bed. When I woke up I felt better. I went to the outside willing to have as much fun as possible but I found that everybody had gone to the river that was half an hour far from the house by foot. She told me not to worry as she gave me a dish full of sweet grapes. The strong smell of burning wood of her dress made me feel as if I were in a safe place. I sat near to her and offered her some of the grapes. She put a big smile on her face and took some from my dish. In that moment I didn’t regret not being at the river with the others, or not having caught the chicken for making the food. I felt comfortable as to ask her something that I had in my mind since ever. Aunt Sixta! Why you got your eyes dark blue? I asked. Let me tell you a secret- she said- old black people like me, always got dark eyes before they die.
It was strange, but I think that she was right. Grand-ma got dark blue eyes too before she died
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