In my first blog on this theme I mentioned that when looking back at my life, I was grateful for the support and love from family and friends, but that those who taught me a valuable lesson or who inspired me were often ordinary people, just doing their jobs.
Apart from Mrs Miller who taught me to read and write, (which are skills that I am still perfecting today!) there are some other people that I remember from my childhood who made an impression on me.
That’s me on the right…troublemaker written all over me!
One such person was an old prickly pear farmer in Malta who tended his fields in the confines of my home there.
My father was office in charge of RNWT Rinella which was close to the Royal Naval Hospital of Bighi on the Island, close to the entrance to Valleta Harbour. We arrived here in 1959 and lived in naval quarters on a hill above the station. I remember that there were lots of steps down to the station and the surroundings which included a tennis court (where the summer ball was held) a stream that ran through the area and various fields where crops were grown in the dry and stony earth. These fields were bordered with a weed – prickly pear – a sharp hedge that would deter any animal from straying into the crops.
I was 6 years old going on 7 when we arrived and I went from the small Garrison school in Portsmouth, with barely 100 pupils to the massive Royal Naval School Verdala, with around 1000 pupils. I remember feeling totally lost and even the school bus ride was quite terrifying.
Anyway, I am afraid that apart from ballet lessons with a French Madame and learning to do the splits (still a viable feat but requires assistance to get back up) I rather forget most of the two years that I attended the school.
I do however; remember the days I played truant. It started very innocently on a Saturday morning when my parents, busy with my much younger brother would let me off the leash to explore the safe confines of the station. There was always someone on duty and I soon got to know some of the service men and women that I met on my jaunts. Provided I kept away from the working areas I was mainly unnoticed.
We had not been there long when I noticed that every Saturday morning a farmer and his cart would arrive at the fields in the general vicinity. It was actually the donkey that attracted me in the first place as I was mad about horses. Poor little thing barely looked strong enough to carry a bale of hay, but would valiantly pull the small cart and its driver over the rough ground around the field and then stand patiently all day with a rusty bucket of water and a nose bag of feed. I would sit on a pile of rocks and just watch the slow, painstaking activities of the old man as he cleared rocks and other debris from the dry, dusty earth.
This went on for a few weeks with the farmer apparently showing no awareness of this silent watcher for a couple of hours every Saturday. Until one week, he turned his weather – beaten face towards me and across the small field beckoned me to come over.
These were the days when children were not as restricted in their exchanges with adults as they are today. Of course we were told not to accept sweets from strangers and not to get into a car that we didn’t know the driver of, but nobody had mentioned donkey carts. I am afraid I was a bit of a devil as my mother used to say, and had at the age of 7 decided that if this farmer was allowed into the area then he must be classified as acceptable.
I went over and stood hesitantly by the side of the cart. By this time it was getting on for mid-morning and the sun was hot. The old man bent down and came back up with a battered tin cup in his hand. He held it out to me and after inspecting the contents I took a little sip. It was the sweetest water I had ever tasted. Even the slight metallic taste from the tin cup did not detract from that cool first sip. I handed the cup back and he smiled – showing just a couple of brown stained teeth in his upper gums.
He held out one of his hands and I noticed that they were almost black with earth and heavily veined. He gestured and I put my small hand in his. He led me over to the donkey, standing patiently with one back hoof tipped as he rested. As we approached the flies buzzed around the animal’s eyes and nostrils and he shook his head and turned to us.
The farmer gently took my hand and poured some of the water from the cup into it and held it under the donkey’s nose – the warm, rough lips clamped onto my little hand and sucked the moisture right out of it. It was the most amazing sensation I had ever felt.
The old man took my hand away and then helped me hold up a bucket of water under the donkey’s nose and let him drink his fill. I had seen the tin cup dipping into the same bucket and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to share this precious resource between ourselves.
I remember running home as it was getting towards lunchtime – I didn’t tell anyone about my adventure as far as I remember. However, it did lead to a relationship that lasted a long time in the relatively short life of a child.
Every Saturday morning I would catch a ride on the back of the cart as soon as it arrived in my territory and I would spend the morning helping! I would actually spend most of the morning, patting the dusty coat of the donkey and half-heartedly picking up small stones that littered the field. We barely spoke as he was not happy talking English and we communicated with hand signals. We spent silent hours, happily together, sharing coarse white, homemade bread and cheese for lunch, washed down with sweet water and with a dessert of prickly pear.
Opening these feral fruits is an art and whilst I admired his strategy with a machete shaped knife I was not allowed to practice myself! He did however show me how to gently peel back the skin to reveal the luscious, pip filled centre.
I did not get on at school – it was too big and I felt overwhelmed. Therefore occasionally I would take a sickie! I would arrive down by the guard post where I was supposed to catch the bus, leave my bag behind the building and when the farmer arrived hop on the cart and spend the whole morning until 2.00ish when the bus would reappear in the road at the normal drop off time. I would then race back and pick up my bag, dust myself off and return home as normal.
Unfortunately, this all came to a rather abrupt halt. One tea-time my mother casually told me that she and my father had been to a parent teacher meeting and that concerns had been raised about the state of my continued ill health. Busted!
I was escorted to and from the bus from that day forth. I did however manage to visit on a Saturday morning and learned that if I took an apple or a carrot, or even a piece of cake surreptitiously removed from the pantry, all three of us enjoyed our lunch even more!
Life Lessons
In retrospect, the life lessons passed on by the old man were profound. I learned that conversation is not necessary to communicate. That dirty hands can be gentle and represent a lifetime of hard and honest work. That donkeys have very soft mouths, that water can be sweet and the complex art of opening and eating the very prickly pears. And how to spit out the pips as far as possible.
Funny that my time at the Royal Naval School, Verdala has not stayed in my memory – teachers, pupils, lessons, but I do remember as if yesterday an old man, a donkey and prickly pears.
Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you have enjoyed this nostalgic step back in time… please share your memories of people who have made a difference in your life.. Sally
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This is perhaps one of the best stories you have written. Life Lessons!
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Thanks very much Jennie… certainly a memorable one…hugsx♥
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You are very welcome, Sally! Hugs!!
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Such a wonderful story, Sally – and loved those old photos. Prickly pear is a big scourge in Australia, with various eradication programs especially in Queensland. Toni x
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I am sure as it does take over and takes quite a bit of moisture to thrive. It would be great if they could find some way to utilise the fruit before they destroy as it is very nutritional.. Glad you enjoyed the memory Toni.. a different time…♥
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Wow …a childhood to be envious of and the splits..photo please 🙂 xx
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Lol no way missus.. those days are long gone and it would take a hoist to get me back up again..♥
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I keep learning amazing things about you, Sally Cronin! This tale of the farmer, his donkey and the sweet water was captivating but I also confess to being awestruck that you can still do the splits…! xx
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Thanks Alex.. glad you enjoyed the story.. I could still do them but getting back up again.. well not sure about that lol..♥
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I really enjoyed reading this story.
my mum has been telling a few of hers… she really needs to write them down.
Our memories are so important. Loved this story
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Thanks Sue glad you enjoyed. When my father was 76 we got him to write down his memories about growing up his time in the Royal Navy which was 35 years etc. This was 1994 before it was so much easier to publish so we created a pdf with pictures and a cover and had a local printer run off 25 copies for family and friends. Unless your mother wants to go the Kindle route, this is an easy way to make sure her memories are passed down the family. xx
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Thanks Sally.
My mum has indeed written a lovely artice on my grandfather and his war record.
He wrote a war diary .
she wrote it and it is i the library but yes i also have a copy.
she has also written about each of her sister.
she ws the youngest of 5 survving girls nd 8 years yunge than my aunt Rose.
Rose has always been tiny and frail but my mum is fit, computer literate and an active gardener.
She has so much history to write down so we hope she does.
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Sounds like you already have a great start on getting that together… a wonderful life to celebrate..x
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I think you have found your new calling as a storyteller about your life. I enjoyed this story very much, particularly the way you summed it up with your life lessons. This is the kind of thing I like to write in many of my posts, Sally. It is a very similar style.
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Thanks very much Pete.. always easier to write about others than yourself, but some influencers I would like to pay homage to…xx
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What a wonderful story, Sally. I love the lessons these encounters taught you. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks very much Jan.. most people we meet who are around for a period of time teach us something however inconsequential it might appear at the time…♥
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I enjoyed this life lesson a great deal. The fact that you remembered what you learned from your time with the farmer and his donkey and not your school lessons speaks volumes about the nature of education. So much of it does not occur in the classroom.
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Thanks Liz.. I loved learning new things but was repeating much of what I had already learnt in the previous 3 years as they started school later than in the UK. I was bored so got into mischief.. I have the same problem still lol! xx
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You’re welcome, Sally. You’re right that boredom leads to mischief in children. For grownups, boredom, particularly on the job, leads to snark.
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lol… that can lead to all sorts of mischief..x
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Very cute troublemaker, Sally! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Christa… you got the troublemaker part right lol..xx
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Loved this story, Sally! Those lessons are the ones who make us who we are today. ❤️❤️❤️
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They are Colleen and it is amazing what we absorb from those we meet.. Children today have a much more restricted contact with adults for obvious reasons and it is sad in many ways that it also restricts the life lessons they learn…♥♥
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I agree! I grew up around adults, few children. That experience gives you a difference perspective when you become an adult. I can certainly relate to your experiences. ❤️
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♥
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Sal, I love your stories of your life. In fact, I remembered this one with the man and the donkey. I’m knowing you too well, lol. And yes of course you had the devil in your eye. Your spunk jumps out in every photo. ❤ xox
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Thanks Debby.. yes David said I look particularly eager to get up to something in that photo lol.. ♥♥
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LOLLLLLLLLLLL ❤
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♥♥
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Thank you for sharing this wonderful story, Sally! Amazing experiences! xx Michael
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Thank you Michael…hugsx
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Reblogged this on NEW OPENED BLOG > https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for sharing Michael..hugs
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Always with a great pleasure, Sally! You had so many wonderful experiences. This also declares your profund writings.
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hugs xxx
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Great story, Sally. The one and only time I tried a prickly pear I was picking barbs out of my hand for a week. 😁
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Lol… sorry not be there to lend my expertise hugsxx
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Yes. I still look at them longing for a taste.
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Sally, this is one of the most wonderful stories of yours I’ve read.
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Thanks Robbie… I can still remember that donkey’s soft mouth 63 years later.. hugsx
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A wonderful example of the innocence we are gifted with as children.
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It was a different time Denise.. and has stayed with me always as you can tell.. hugsx
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Profound and wonderful
Would that all children were gifted with such.
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Tough in our modern world I am afraid we have created a fear culture..the few again creating distrust by their actions. x
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