As a child my most delightful evenings were spent around the fire built in front of my home. Thatch roof, walls made of lime stones, wooden windows pushed out held open by the branch cut from the fig tree. Closed at dusk to keep the mosquitos and sandflies out. We sat out doors to keep cool and gathered around the fire served several reasons.
The first, and most important was to keep the pesky mosquitos and sandflies at bay. Green leaves were placed on the fire creating smoke. The right leaves gave off a beautiful aroma shooing away the sandflies and mosquitos. I can close my eyes to this very day and time inhale deeply and be carried back to that time and that place. Second, it served as light for the adults (plaiting) interweaving straw to make baskets and hats for the tourist in Nassau. This paid for clothing, groceries and school supplies etc. Third, to roast crops from the field, corn, sweet potato, yams and cassava. The fourth and best of all, to tell old stories and rhymes. I would chase my friends around or try to catch lamplighters (fireflies) until I heard “Hush chile!” “Once upon a time, a merry old time, monkey chew tobacco and spit white lime.”
Every child would stop in their tracks. It seemed even the crickets heed that command and stopped chirping. IT’S TIME, IT’S TIME to hear the crafty tales of B’ Bouki an’ B’ Rabby. Hummmm! Would you like to experience some of my childhood adventures first hand?
Come visit Cat Island. Let smiling Pat Eco Tours take you on an adventure. Feel the warmth of the fire, smell the aroma of leaves on the fire, feel the warm ocean breeze flutter softly on your skin, see the fireflies twinkle in the distance. Hush! Listen! Smiling Pat is about to spin her tales of the how crafty B’ Rabby outwitted poor B’ Bouki yet again. Join in finish the story finish the adventure
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