Simply Africa

Spices In Souq (Sudan)

Imagine a neighborhood of brick houses surrounded by lush green gardens, small waterways to irrigate the gardens all over the lawn, a unicorn coming down from the sky ( Oops getting a bit carried away here). Anyway until the unicorn bit its true, imagine being able to navigate the whole neighborhood consisting of more than 100 houses through the bushes. Imagine spending your summer holidays playing

• Hide and seek,
• Cambalete( a game where two players stand at each side and their goal is to hit you with a socks ball handmade by an older family member) 
• Volley ball all day with the neighbor's kids
• Following paper boats along the waterways 
• Hunting for fruits from the neighbor's houses ( detective work which house has the best fruits list !!)

As for food, eating fresh organic food (at that time I didn't have a clue how healthy I was eating). My favorites were mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, clementines and guavas(from my own tree), aromatic spices, fresh fish and meat meat meat !!

As soon as the evening would come you it would be time to take a bath, and go outside to water the plants (over hundred pots), wet the brick yard with water to cool down the area, enjoying the fresh scent of wet bricks, earth and mud mixed with a cool gentle breeze while enjoying the sun go down. The sound of your mum preparing the evening tea and biscuits (or cake) and sitting outside in the fresh air to enjoy your tea time which would be pleasantly interrupted by neighbors dropping in and chit chatting which eventually end up in hide and seek game or cops and robbers since at night they are much more fun, since you would be very hard to spot !!!

When I look back at the life I had in Africa, I can easily say it was the best time of my life. I had a childhood which I would have to work very very hard to provide it for my kids (if I ever could). Something that came natural to me or I had it naturally my kids would never have the ability to enjoy a simple relaxed and full of joy childhood, I feel sorry for them !!! But I guess we all do what we can do and they don't know what they are missing !! I am sure they would think of me as some freak of nature if I told them this is how I grew up and they would brush me off and say winningly " BUT you didn't have IPAD'S what a boring life you must have had !!! " and go on with their thing.

First Love

I have seen a scene on TV that has reminded me of my first love, ooooh what a feeling. The innocence, the butterflies, anticipation, excitement and not able to catch a breath. The ability to feel someone's presence and start turning your head like a table fan cause you have a strong feeling that he is around, and the euphoria of spotting him from a distance coming towards you. He was my best friend and I could not get myself to tell him how I felt, there were several reason why I could not do that, first my best girlfriend has a serious crush on him and when she was over it, he fell in love with another girl, what were the chances of that, we kept on being best friends and I put on a brave face and convinced myself that as long as he is happy then I am happy (uuuuugh) what was I thinking??? ;-)  Anyway it didn't last very long and they broke up. I was supposed to be ecstatic but I wasn't on the contrary I was feeling his pain as if it was my own.

 I could read him like a book, he wasn't flawless but I loved him anyway, I could not bear to see him sad or angry or even worried, that would be the end of my day I would be devestated as if I have lost a loved puppy. I waited patiently and tried to help him through those times as much as I could and I got what I deserved I almost failed that year (that was close).

He didn't pass and decided to leave the Uni, better yet the country altogether, yippie I got to have his post box as a going away present since at that time only buisness and uni would get post delivered. I got the post box so that he can send me letters and tell me how he was doing.

He left, I left too since I was like a ghost all I could do was think of him, day and night and hoping that he would be ok. We did everything together, everywhere I went he was there with me, so I had to do something I had to get it out of my chest and get some closure. I wrote a letter, and a few days I got a phone call, I couldn't speak, all I could hear was him saying "Why didn't you tell me before ?" I put down the phone and was in cloud seven. After that I got a letter telling me he went swimming in a heated swimming pool like I was his penpal. Then later a phone call which I had a sense that it was coming he said that what we have is much more special that anything else and he would like to keep it that way and not ruin it by getting into a long distance relationship as he could not bear the thought of hurting me or causing me any pain. And that was it !!! Over, Over.

I went on with my life and at that point in time thought that it was over for me that I can't go on, but then convinced myself it was his loss and got on with my life ;-) We are still in contact. Years went by and now I am married with kids and he is married with kids.

Moral of the story I took the good side out of it, and survived through the heartbreak of my life but if it didn't kill you it only makes you stronger. What's meant to be is what's meant to be and I only have to thank him for making me experience the innocent, pure and selfless love and strong feelings. Phew I can happily say been there done that.