Peace Love and Meaningful Moments

Two.
I start my morning walk to work with my 3 point check. Sunglasses, keys and a spiderman backpack. I hit the road with my feet in flip flops. These walks to work have left permanent flip flop tan lines across my feet, its one of my favorite new parts of my body, one that reminds me of sun and the sometimes endless feeling walk. I open my gate and close it with the lock straddling it back into place. I walk over a sand pile, through a puddle or two, and already my clean legs are tainted. Not worried though, as a smile and good mawning from a curly haired woman greets me first thing. I respond with a smile just as big and a “mawning”. I walk by the food stand that is going to be used later in they day to sell. Two men are sitting there with their whistling birds, sometimes smoking a cigarette. They stare awkwardly; I say goodmorning…usually without a smile quite as big. I walk about 10 yards before another man on a bike rides by and shouts “ay a blessed day to yuh miss!” and waves his right hand ferociously, every morning, without fail, he makes me happy. I continue on, normally saying hi to atleast 4 people before I meet with the food stand that is actually selling( drink that will make your back strong, dahl purri, pholourie, channa, pine tarts) I say gudmawning and depending on who is there I either get an “Alright” or a “ya lookin beautiful dis mawnin” then I wave to the left of me where Ken is with his shop. 10 more yards I wave to Fairy in her shop and then my feet meet the beginning of the cemetery. The cemetery is serene, the graves are above ground. One of my students fathers works in it, maintaining it. He always waves hello along with the other 2 men that sit there early in the morning. Their eyes are on me for the entire passing. There is usually a herd of goats or 3 cows during this stretch. The cows always have a white bird friend crane at their side.
I get to a road called “hybridge” and cross it as cars wait at all 4 stops in the road. Cars honk honk honk..to get my attention, just to honk, to tell me that they are there. It’s LOUD. I wave to the boys in the game room to my right and then to Ms Jack at her little feel good shop. I pass Nevil about 5 mins later, loading water into a truck and then greet two older women who are selling the morning paper. I pass a car washing zone, a bakery, I wave hello to Joyce the security guard at the Doctors living quarters and then pass M. Alis grocery. This is the time that I usually have a kid start walking next to me. We continue past the building that is being built up and pitt street and the barber shop. I always stop and say hi to Krishna at his fruit stand and promise to stop by in the afternoon to get a pine. I walk by the shoe repair man, as well as the man that has about 1000 pairs of shoes in his trunk. I turn down trinity street after signing good morning to Sammy. I yell into the internet café to Charlie…tell him to have a great day. I say hello to the old couple on their veranda, the kids at Tiaras Academy school, Neron yells through her window of New Amsterdam Primary to greet me, and I say hi to Ms. Collins and all her girls before crossing the backdam road towards my work side of town. I yell good morning to Cheryl and usually step in another puddle by now. Dogs are everywhere, horses are sometimes too. I round the corner and stop to chat with Violet, another security guard, and the woman who claims to be my Guyanese mother. We chat for approx 3 mins about the weather, family, the week. I then continue on my walk, only 10 mins left. I greet my “Happy Friday” kids with a Happy ________-- depending on the day. They only tell me Happy Friday..which I love to hear everyday of the week. I turn the corners and most rainy season days this is my least favorite turn. Sometimes water is up to my thighs…sometimes its not there at all. I walk through and continue on, saying hi to random people all the way till my last turn. This is my favorite turn to make, because its when all my students can start seeing me. I hear them call “ Ms. Juiliannnn” and 3, sometimes 5, sometimes 12 kids run to the gate to wait for me. Smiling, with conviction in their eyes. Usually a few of them sneak past the gate and come greet me with pulling of my hands and hugs. This is the moment. This is the moment when everything else in the whole world doesn’t exist to me. Just these kids, their smiles, and their small voices shouting to be recognized. Recognized by me. I make eye contact and they continue to smile and lead me up to the school entrance, hand in hand. It’s the closest one can truly feel to love, I believe. And it all started with a morning walk.