Have you ever been alone in a quiet and distant place. I do not mean a dream or your imagination but a real experience. If you have experienced it, I can bet you would have cringed and shivered at the thought and chills still travel down your spine.
As a kid and the eldest of the siblings, I would usually accompany my parents to the vegetable farm especially during weekends or school holidays. It was my duty as the eldest to help out in the family chores. I was quite timid and naïve then.
One such place was a plot of land on top of a low hill.where the trees and bushes were cleared It was planted with chilli plants. This hill was a short distance from the actual farm where my parents planted the other stuff like spinach, cucumbers, long beans and lady’s fingers. My dad, mum and the other siblings (girls) were there to help pluck and pack the vegetables into the baskets.
As a boy, I was asked to carry out my task alone. I had to carry a four-gallon container to collect or pluck the ripe and red chillies from the hill. I dreaded the chore not because of having to do it alone but for another reason. Let me explain in detail.
As I have mentioned earlier, the hill was a short distance from the actual farm. If you had shouted the sound of your shout would not be able to reach the others. Furthermore, from the top of the hill, I could see the Chinese graveyard. I could even see the tombstones sticking out of the ground. Can you imagine the situation?
With the container, I walked reluctantly to the hill. I opened the wooden gate and climbed the hill. I tried to make some noise by beating or hitting the container. I also used a stick to beat the tall grasses in case a snake should be hiding there.
I moved from one chilli plant to another to pluck the red and ripe chillies. The chilli plants were planted in rows so I had to move from one row to another. I kept my ears pricked to pick out any unusual sound. The chirping of birds were distant and it gave me a sense of comfort. Sometimes, strange sounds could be heard. Maybe it was imagination or my fear that I thought I heard footsteps of something. I could even hear whispers and other strange sounds.
Whenever I heard a strange sound my heart started to beat faster and my breathing became heavier. I assured myself that it was my own breathing and nothing else. I stopped and looked around. When I was sure there was nothing, I moved faster and collected the chillies. I did not dare to stare at the tombstones that were located a short distance away. I feared that I would see the things associated with the dead.
I could see my parents every now and then but to shout at them was useless. They would not be able to see me. Still I had to complete the little task. So on and on I moved from row to row of the chilli plants. I plucked them as swift as I could. When I reached the last row, my heart beat faster and I became even more excited. I knew that the end of the fearful task was to end soon.
I plucked the last of the chillies and carried the container and walked down the hill. After closing the flimsy wooden gate, I walked quickly from the dreadful place. I reached the farm and showed my parents the collection. They smiled and asked me to have a snack before I help in other chores.
I shall never be able to remove the scene from my memory. It was a blessing in disguise because I have learnt to braver and my parents believe that it was a part of training to face the future and to be independent
As a kid and the eldest of the siblings, I would usually accompany my parents to the vegetable farm especially during weekends or school holidays. It was my duty as the eldest to help out in the family chores. I was quite timid and naïve then.
One such place was a plot of land on top of a low hill.where the trees and bushes were cleared It was planted with chilli plants. This hill was a short distance from the actual farm where my parents planted the other stuff like spinach, cucumbers, long beans and lady’s fingers. My dad, mum and the other siblings (girls) were there to help pluck and pack the vegetables into the baskets.
As a boy, I was asked to carry out my task alone. I had to carry a four-gallon container to collect or pluck the ripe and red chillies from the hill. I dreaded the chore not because of having to do it alone but for another reason. Let me explain in detail.
As I have mentioned earlier, the hill was a short distance from the actual farm. If you had shouted the sound of your shout would not be able to reach the others. Furthermore, from the top of the hill, I could see the Chinese graveyard. I could even see the tombstones sticking out of the ground. Can you imagine the situation?
With the container, I walked reluctantly to the hill. I opened the wooden gate and climbed the hill. I tried to make some noise by beating or hitting the container. I also used a stick to beat the tall grasses in case a snake should be hiding there.
I moved from one chilli plant to another to pluck the red and ripe chillies. The chilli plants were planted in rows so I had to move from one row to another. I kept my ears pricked to pick out any unusual sound. The chirping of birds were distant and it gave me a sense of comfort. Sometimes, strange sounds could be heard. Maybe it was imagination or my fear that I thought I heard footsteps of something. I could even hear whispers and other strange sounds.
Whenever I heard a strange sound my heart started to beat faster and my breathing became heavier. I assured myself that it was my own breathing and nothing else. I stopped and looked around. When I was sure there was nothing, I moved faster and collected the chillies. I did not dare to stare at the tombstones that were located a short distance away. I feared that I would see the things associated with the dead.
I could see my parents every now and then but to shout at them was useless. They would not be able to see me. Still I had to complete the little task. So on and on I moved from row to row of the chilli plants. I plucked them as swift as I could. When I reached the last row, my heart beat faster and I became even more excited. I knew that the end of the fearful task was to end soon.
I plucked the last of the chillies and carried the container and walked down the hill. After closing the flimsy wooden gate, I walked quickly from the dreadful place. I reached the farm and showed my parents the collection. They smiled and asked me to have a snack before I help in other chores.
I shall never be able to remove the scene from my memory. It was a blessing in disguise because I have learnt to braver and my parents believe that it was a part of training to face the future and to be independent
