Fireplace: A humble Christmas

My mind was struck with a familiar smell, that of burning wood; the smoke rising and settling on a hay roof.

Wood that had been collected by my `Banene` when she was out walking during the day. She woke up early and hastened herself to prepare for the day; digging in the field; collecting vegetables and finally sitting by the fireplace by nighttime.

Her strength amazed me; like a wrestler in an old lady costume; the way she carried the weight of buckets filled with water on her head, or the way she could plough an entire field by herself.

At the fireplace; I gazed at the flames; they mesmerized me; fire consumes everything you throw at it and never gets tired except for maybe water, they seem to be enemies.

The rain meant mushrooms to me, my sister and I would go deep into the forest to collect mushrooms, we only prayed they were not poisonous.

My sister and I would play all day, we only had each other; she was my guardian angel and I could see her wings.

At night we would gaze at the stars; they circumvented the sky and were mysteriously bright; they each shone a distinct beautiful light.

Sometimes my cousins would join us, they would walk from their farm all the way to ours; those little soldiers.

We had no cellphones, no TV, no internet, no electricity and no worries. The peace was refreshing, the feeling of sitting around the fireplace with my sister, cousins, aunt and my dear old `Banene` warmed my heart.

A humble happy Christmas around the fireplace is all can ask for.