None of them had clarified yet, so they woke up early, at the break of dawn, as always. They would all become a very happy bunch the next day, but not this morning. Our little shack held eleven people: mama, papa, grandma, grandpa, uncle Stephan, aunt Sophie, my older sister Luba, my younger sister Marie, my cousin Lisi, my friend Suzanne and myself. Not one of us dawdled. We were all ready to start a hard day’s work, even grandma and grandpa. Especially grandma and grandpa.
Later it would not be so.
Clarification would turn all of them into lazy bums, at least at first. They were given almost no time to bask in their whiteness before realizing that they still had to work for a living, albeit in less undignified conditions.
I’m not saying that they were unhappy, sad or bitter. Yet I wouldn’t describe our lives as blissful either. We managed with the hand that was given us, even though there was nothing to do with it, it was clear to us and to all that it was a bad hand. No discussion about it.
Would you believe me if I told you that I miss those days? Well, I do. And why not? I do miss living with my family in such close quarters. EXAMPLES OF LIVING IN SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS WITH HER FAMILY. Cuddling between mama and papa etc.
Needless to say, I do not speak for either of my sisters, my cousin nor my friend. Speak only for myself.