My sweet cottage

My sweet and beautiful cottage. Four generations of my family you saw us living within your big belly and I and my brothers and cousins were the last generation you taken in. I’m glad that I could meet you. All of us, even those members aren’t with us today are glad. You saw us growing, you saw our first steps, our first words, our first quarrels and you still carried on giving us shelter, anyway. You lived with us all of our happiness and sadness. Christmas will be always my favourite memories.  I will always remember myself knee down grilled chestnuts in your fireplace, watching my grandmother dancing around lifting her short arms and prancing hither and thither, going out and coming in. My grandfather bringing us one or two chickens or rabbits for our Christmas dinner and waiting for the rest of the family while we were singing Christmas carols.  My cheeks were always alight because of the fireplace. Joy.

My sweet and wonderful cottage surrounded by tall trees. How many delicious meals you gave us under your lush trees and pines in Summertime. From your trees, we ate figs, jujubes, peaches, pears and apples and from the ground, we harvested beans, potatoes, peppers, lettuces, tomatoes, onions and I can’t remember all of them. One day I fetched my guitar and I played for you under your trees. We enjoyed together while you gave me a nice shade I was giving you my voice. “Praise to the Lord from creation” I loved walking in the orchard eating horse beans until one day my grandpa scolded me because I was leaving the shells behind. It’s not a bad remember for me, afterwards.  I love my grandpa, he’s always complaining that I’m the only granddaughter he has that is always clinging of his arm. Definitely, that scold was for something good.  

My sweet and changeable cottage. You were at the beginning so simple but comfortable, however, you changed throughout your life and your shapes were every time better and better. You changed in and out but your spirit was the same as always. My grandpa gave you different shapes throughout the years, the family was growing up and you couldn’t be behind.

My sweet and flowery cottage. Anyone who wants to reach you first had to pass by two enormous pines through the main road, then straight to the cottage, that main road had too many flowers both right-aligned and left-aligned. I remember roses, palm trees, chamomiles, daises, and about roses there were white ones, my favourite kind of roses. There were lampposts, too with a warm light if you would like to walk beholding the sunset or after dinner on summer nights. Make sure you carry a good insect repellent if you do it.

My utmost favourite place in the wide whole world is my sweet cottage. I enjoyed having you, taking rest in the porch swing beside the pool in silent, best time ever to listen to the wind and other insects. There’re people who don’t know how God’s creation speaks. How my grandma enjoyed decorating you outdoor with eccentric decorations but at the same time beautiful ones. You were always surrounded not always by people but animals, remember? You had pigs, peacocks, pigeons, rabbits, chickens, dogs and cats. Sleep at nights was always extremely difficult sometimes listen to some animals, the grandfather clock every hour and my grandparent’s snoring, that memory is so funny.

I thought that someday, my children would meet you but it’s not going to happen. You will save our memories whether our laughs or our tears. You will conceal from the next hands our memories the good ones and the bad ones but I’m going just to keep the good ones. I will never see you anymore between us and you will never be our property. I will never sing for you anymore and you will never give me your food or your shelter. Your shape and everything you once were will remain in my dreams and there we can play again, grilled chestnuts at Christmas, run on the main road and celebrate birthdays. My grandmother will dance again filled with happiness seeing her family gathered around her table eating and laughing. My grandfather will show up singing those unique songs just he can come off with. Everything will be so perfect while I’m dreaming because I will still be here thinking that you were my favourite place once. Daydreaming corner...

Oh, my cottage. My sweet cottage. I cry because of the happiness I maintain with you and because I couldn't say to you "goodbye" in person.

I will love you more than another house and in my heart, you will always have a special room.