Being a child is like being in heaven, everything is magical and pleasant. It is like living in a dream, where all the possibilities were much easier and where happiness only matter. Everybody has childhood memories and among them some are much more enjoyable and special.

It was a day of Christmas in two thousand and three. I remember, being a seven year old child, an only child. But I never felt the loneliness as we lived in a family yard, I had a bunch of companion to play with, cousins, uncle, aunt, we were all of the same age, maybe two years of difference but that doesn’t matter. As usual I woke up to play with my mates, but this day was a special one, it was Christmas. All the family was present in the yard, sharing their gifts and vows. Mum’s uncle gave me a puppy, a German shepherd, it was my first dog. I was delighted; it’s always a rapture to get your first pet, I felt like a mommy having her first kid. I was excited to take care of it. I name it Bucky. I spent all the day with him, playing and cuddling.  Everyone gave me a present on that day, I was a spoiled kid but the best gift was Bucky. It was a good day.

The second memories will be a day when my defunct great-grandmother made ‘Roti’. All the children were present in her house to help. I was the type of child present wherever there is food. We didn’t even know how to make them. So we were all here, trying to perform the exact movement of grandma, everyone had a piece of dough and rolling them on the table, I used household toy to cook like grandma. She though us the steps but we never followed the instructions, so we end up with flour all over our clothes. It was really funny how grandma could become angry at some time; she didn’t even want us in her house to finish the job. Her house was completely dirty, flour and oil was poured all over the table, and the ground was covered with a white layer of flour. She screamed in a way that we have to escape before we get scolded.  We were afraid but in the same time twisted of laugh.

I remember my two cousins spent their holidays at great-grand mother’s place. I was delighted; we were bored on that day. So we decided to play a game where my cousin who is seven year older than me, to dress up likes a girl and walked into the street. He accepted the challenge; my other cousin and I, put some make up on him, a dress from grandma’s dressing, a wig that my father use to put when he imitated Michael Jackson and finally the new pair of shoes of my cousins. He was ready. His name was Monette. We went in the street; at these hours we thought that the neighborhood will be deserted, we got it wrong. But it was a challenge so he made it. He walked in the street dress like a girl, but it’s not the appropriate word, he rather looked like a transvestite. The entire neighborhood died of laugh when they see him. This was incredible; everyone took a picture with him. He must be beholden that Facebook doesn’t exist at this time.

I think that the best part of my life was during my childhood. Why? Because everything that a child need is happiness and my family has brought me all the happiness that I needed. They thought me that welfare can be the greatest wealth that a human can own and I can say that I was the richest kid ever.

Nelle