Once I lived in a house at the bottom of a very windy, dusty hill. The house had a tin roof, and large cracks ran dangerously across its concrete walls. During the time that I lived there, women ran the house, typically ranging from 1-7 people. At certain points it has housed over 12 in one night, even though it’s rooms were small and the kitchen had no space for more than two. Every kind of person imaginable gathered under its roof. People from all over the world with various backgrounds, skin tones, ages, and stories. The house was often overcrowded for game nights, movie showings, and drinking tea. Other nights it would be completely silent, with only crickets outside the barred windows to keep you company. I cannot recall how many languages I have heard under its roof, or how many times I have cried or laughed in its quarters. Our living room, which is still painted multiple shades and tones of peach and pink, had two couches with sheets thrown over them to cover the torn plaid material underneath. The cushions were held up by wooden planks underneath. By no means was it fancy, but it was beautiful. I was good at stretching it's limits to accommodate. Tucked behind the back door of the house was a small enclosed yard packed with every fruit imaginable. Mangoes, guavas, oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruit, passion fruit, and who knows what else. The back fence was our clothes line. During the summer, both of the dutch doors were open to let a breeze through the dusty house. The front porch usually was covered in the hot sun, and three large diamond tiles covered it's floor. A number 7 was plastered next to the blue-dyed front door.
Today I am getting ready to leave this house. I’m packing my things to move somewhere with much better utilities, and no cracks in its white plastered walls. Still I will miss the memories from this house. Sometimes being such a sentimental person can be hard. I like change, but as soon as it begins it’s hard to imagine having fun with it. To be honest, I will still probably sneak down to this house and steal some of its fruit, especially since the mangoes weren’t very good last year. But I’m excited to live in a place that will easily hold more people, where I can host and give them good food and memorable times with great pride. Here’s to bigger, not necessarily better things. To change. To home-making. To cleaning out and starting fresh. To new memories made in House 6. After all, it is only a few meters away. How difficult could it be?
Today I am getting ready to leave this house. I’m packing my things to move somewhere with much better utilities, and no cracks in its white plastered walls. Still I will miss the memories from this house. Sometimes being such a sentimental person can be hard. I like change, but as soon as it begins it’s hard to imagine having fun with it. To be honest, I will still probably sneak down to this house and steal some of its fruit, especially since the mangoes weren’t very good last year. But I’m excited to live in a place that will easily hold more people, where I can host and give them good food and memorable times with great pride. Here’s to bigger, not necessarily better things. To change. To home-making. To cleaning out and starting fresh. To new memories made in House 6. After all, it is only a few meters away. How difficult could it be?
A Few Memories:
1. Painting on the front porch.
2. Patchi taking me to the emergency room when I almost cut my toe off. Where would I be without her? She's the order to my chaotic lifestyle.
3. Karaoke singing & dancing with the Aspire girls.
4. Trying to keep my puppy contained in the back yard.
5. Being roommates with Ari in a very tiny room on our huge loft beds. Praying together every night.
6. Making Marula Beer.
7. Watching Chuck, Harry Potter, & Star Wars (pausing frequently to ask for background info.) with Laura.
8. Trying to decorate on a budget of R0.
9. Having Aspire, the Interns, & the Staff under one roof. Fun, interesting, & hard.
10. Hosting Midweek.
11. Finally getting to show Rachel & Jesse where I've been living the past 2 years.
12. Trying to cook on a 2 burner counter-top stove alongside 5 other people.
13. Cramming an entire team into my room to hang out so we wouldn't wake anyone up.
14. Sleepovers in neighboring rooms.
15. Move nights.
16. Hosting volunteers from all over the world.
17. My mom cooking in my kitchen while my dad read from my stack of magazines in the living room.
18. Watching stars & Embon lights on the back stairs.
1. Painting on the front porch.
2. Patchi taking me to the emergency room when I almost cut my toe off. Where would I be without her? She's the order to my chaotic lifestyle.
3. Karaoke singing & dancing with the Aspire girls.
4. Trying to keep my puppy contained in the back yard.
5. Being roommates with Ari in a very tiny room on our huge loft beds. Praying together every night.
6. Making Marula Beer.
7. Watching Chuck, Harry Potter, & Star Wars (pausing frequently to ask for background info.) with Laura.
8. Trying to decorate on a budget of R0.
9. Having Aspire, the Interns, & the Staff under one roof. Fun, interesting, & hard.
10. Hosting Midweek.
11. Finally getting to show Rachel & Jesse where I've been living the past 2 years.
12. Trying to cook on a 2 burner counter-top stove alongside 5 other people.
13. Cramming an entire team into my room to hang out so we wouldn't wake anyone up.
14. Sleepovers in neighboring rooms.
15. Move nights.
16. Hosting volunteers from all over the world.
17. My mom cooking in my kitchen while my dad read from my stack of magazines in the living room.
18. Watching stars & Embon lights on the back stairs.