Page 39 - BoringStoriesPolyKidswArtwork_Neat

and playing. The side of the hill below us sloped gently down to the
“Guanajibo River” which flowed from east to west and snaked its way
across the broad valley until it was barely a kilometer below us. A long
bridge spanned the river below and led to the east end of our town. Extending
from the bridge in the other direction were tree-canopied roads that
connected our town to those high up in the mountains. It was a truly an awe-
inspiring view.

Directly to the side of our house was a large, level, gravel area that served as
a circle drive. In the center of the circle drive stood a magnificent “flamboyán”
tree that blossomed out in bright red flowers in season and produced two-
foot long, black, sword-shaped pods. We did everything on the flamboyán
tree. We played a game of "gallitos" when the tree was budding. We would
open the buds and take the little crooked pistils to play a game in which we
tried to knock the little head off the other's pistil. Two of us would each take
one of those pistils; we would hook one around the other and see who could
pull the other's little head off. Later, when the flowers had become long
beans, we would use the long beans as swords. We would sit in the tree and
read. Or, we would use it as a jungle gym. Or we would just sit in the tree and
hang out with friends, talking. Under the tree, our father had hung swings
from a very high tubular structure and erected a set of barbells on which we
practiced gymnastics. Once, Elaine lost her grip from the swing structure
and fell to the ground. She climbed up the tree, across a branch, onto the bar
of the swing set, and across the bar. When she reached the other end, she
fell. The impact made her lose consciousness. Our housemaid, came
running when she heard Edda screaming and doused Elaine with a bucket of
cold water. Later, our cook proudly would tell anyone who would listen that
Elaine had died, and she had brought her back to life!

Since almost no cars ever came to our house, the circle drive area was
primarily our own private playground. We gathered there with our friends to
play marbles, ride our tricycles and later our bikes, pull our wagons, play
with our tops, spin our yo-yos or just hang out. The tops were heavy
wooden affairs with a metal spike that protruded at the apex of the toy. You
would wind your cord around the top, and then fling it with great energy
towards the ground. You could, then, reach down while the top was spinning
and coax it into your hand, where it would continue to spin until its kinetic
energy was expended. Some of the more adept could coax the top back onto
their cords, make it “walk” along the cord, and then do other fancy tricks. We
even invented a game in which we could “win” each other’s top! You would
place your top on the ground within a circle scratched out in the dirt.

33