Last week Monday, my sister drove me to where i attended primary school, Chaguanas Government School. Some folk refer to the area as 'Boot Hill', but i still dont know if its the geographically correct name for the area. I never visited after writing The Common Entrance exam (1962) and securing a place to attend The San Juan Government Secondary School. I used to walk to my primary school and back home. "but lately" i said to my sister "i would dream i was walking (as an adult) looking for the school, but when i got to The Lion House (made famous by Vidia Naipaul in his novel A House For Mr Biswas) so anyway, when in my dream, i got to to Lion House i awakened out of my dream, and this happened several times". Well, since i was spending the day in Chaguanas for my mother's birthday, and it being also a holiday, i said to my sister, "Why not drive me" so together with my mother, and my sister Chris at the wheel, we were on our way
the cemetary -
opposite an empty lot
where the school was
--gillena cox
8 comments:
It is hard, but interesting, to find the changes that happens to us and the areas we lived including school and all those,
beautifully expressed, Gillena...And yes, 'A House For Mr Biswas' was one of Naipaul's best books as well :)
wishes,
devika
Places inevitabley change and yet this makes me sad. My own childhood home and school are still there and knowing this, being able to visit them, gives me a kind of comfort and secure sense of place. I enjoyed your haibun very much even so...peace,
Beki
Devika, Beki; thanks for stopping by
much love...
I still live in the town where i was born and raised. So i've seen all the changes taking place over the last 30 years. But they happen slowly and often almost unnoticed. Old photos remind me of the way things were. And haibuns like these!
Wishes,
Bouwe
wow that was quite an historical momentyou dreamed about, funny how it's sometimes a prediciton...
Oude, Lorraine; thanks for dropping in, much love...
"You can't go home again," certainly rings true.
Nicely written.
Adelaide
Thank you Adelaide; glad you stopped by; much love...
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