04/07/2025
*BACK THEN, IN FREETOWN*
I grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone during a time when everyone treated each other like Family. (neighbour or blood relative). We called each other's parents Mr. and Mrs./ aunty & uncle and or individuals grand Ma & grand Pa.
We went outside to play, we got dirty and we ate whatever Mom cooked; we ate sandwiches, (fula man bread & blue band margarine or RedLion bakery bread.
We played “Simon Says"
“Hide and Go Seek", tag, Accra, Ar Die, Ludo en Snakes & Ladder, “play cook" kickball, football, or basketball with area teams/Club, Boat-kide aka golf in modern-day thoughts, catch lightning bugs, and “race against each other on the streets. “We hung out at a street corner or a friend’s house.
Sometimes we watched the movies: Western, Cowboy, Indian and you name it. Remember the Odeon, Strand, Starco, and Roxy theatres for a very low price of tickets at less than Le1.00.
We travelled in packs and never went to the store alone. When it’s hot we still stay out in the sun, we played in the rain and got wet from top to bottom.
We had the best hills to go sledging on. Why? Lots of hills & valleys: Sierra Lyons- Lion Mountains. There was no bottled water, Grafton or Deer Park; we drank from the water hose or directly from the running water - the tap/pump. Suburban homes: i.e. Kissy, Wellington, Regent or Waterloo; Huge Clay pots kept the drinking water cool, before the days of refrigerators. We ran through the water sprinkler to cool off on hot summer days in the Dry season and had the "baddest" backyard parties. We weren't afraid of anything but stray dogs we called “craise dog” (and most of them knew us, and left us alone).
If someone had a fight, that's what it was...a fist fight. Kids didn't have guns where I grew up. Arms were for hugging. No drugs and even if you smoke Ma*****na that was Top secret and that's what most folks knew and used.
Courtesy to an unknown Author