(original photo: my sister and I)

Mostly, I was outdoors. That was my childhood. I climbed trees, explored storm water drains, walked to my friend, roller-skated and cycled. The avocado trees lined one side of the long steep road we lived in. The mango trees were in the bush. I still love avocados and mangoes, but now I have to pay an unfortunate fortune for them!

Speed wobbles and scars

The road we lived on was very steep. My friend, sister an I used to go up as high as we dared and either cycle or roller-skate down to the bottom, with our speed carrying us far up the road where it sloped upwards again. The trick was to go up as high as we dared without developing a disastrous speed wobble. We would painstakingly draw lines to measure our starting point, inching higher each time. After one fall I scraped all the skin on one side of my leg, from the ankle to the knee. I wore the scars for years.

Storm water drains were disgusting and fulled with litter, but also fascinating. I discovered later that children had died in them, when water from high lying areas unexpectedly rushed through them.

Monkeys and strange bugs

(image: pixabay - vervet monkey) 

The monkeys used to sit on the washing line and I always felt a little threatened by them. My mom would bang a broom against the wall of the balcony and they would disperse. We lived in a house on a steeply sloping property overlooking a densely bushy ravine which a large troop of monkeys called home. I used to go into the bush, climb the trees and pick mangoes when they were in season. Somehow I found the jungle-like bush at the bottom of our garden unwelcoming and never had a good feeling exploring it. We didn't have daytime TV in those days, so we had to keep ourselves amused. Every now and then, when bored with other activities, I would venture back into the bush despite my feelings. One day, upon returning home after being in the bush, I found black worm like things burrowed completely under the skin of my leg. I dug them out with a pin myself, after experiencing a disgust induced panic attack.

Meerkats and cat pooh

(image: pixabay - meerkats)

Meerkats used favour the property next door, and we would always see rows of them looking out over the bush below. The people who lived in that property never cleaned their house and it was disgusting. They would occasionally pay my sister and I to do their dishes, but only after every imaginable surface was covered in unwashed crockery. They had about a million cats, and one day when they were away we had to feed them. I found a pooh on the dining room table. Ugh.

A tree swing and a tarantula

I often used to walk to my friend. It was a long walk, but there was a scary shortcut that I sometimes used through the bush. Vagrants would use the area to drink and I wasn't allowed to go that way. But it was a lot shorter! My friend had a massive tyre swing hanging from a tall tree in her yard. We used to both sit on it and her brother would twist and twist the rope it hung from until it could not be twisted any longer, and then let it go. It would spin crazily and it was the most thrilling fun ever. The same brother had a pet tarantula and he fed it mice. I was beyond petrified.

Melmoth and Donkey Kong

(original photo: Melmoth)

(original photo: Melmoth)

During those times my dad had a sideline business where he supplied jukeboxes and arcade games to cafes in the rural area of Melmoth. He would have to collect the takings and service the machines that were not working. Often I went with him. On rainy days I would go to our garage and play donkey kong and other games on these repaired machines.

I look at my children today, and am amazed at the different world they find themselves in. I can't really say that it was better in my time. I was happy in my environment, and my children look happy in theirs. I know that their memories will last a lifetime.

(image: pixabay - avocado tree)

(image: pixabay - mango tree)

         Thank you for taking this trip down memory lane with me!                    

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