I moved to Australia a little over a month ago. When my landlady gave me the keys to my new place I spent days looking for the key chain that I had brought from home. I was sure I had brought it with me, and yet I looked everywhere and couldn’t found it. I gave it as a lost souvenir from a distant land, that’s now half the world away from me: Dominican Republic. A small island in the middle of the Caribbean, the place I call home.
Today, while picking my “improvised” clothes for the ABC party my room mates are throwing, I found it in my closet, safely put inside one of the pockets of my jewelry hanger. I smiled. Perhaps not only at the fact that like a flashback, a surge of memories came streaming into my mind’s eye, but also at the fact that the damn thing had always been right in front of me. “You little fucker”, I thought to myself.
I took it out and held it in my hands, staring at the simplicity of this object. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the little coffin that hung from it; a present from my once partner in crime, my dear Ms. Julie. She’s now married and living in Tampa. She gave me the coffin as a “hide-away spot”…to hide things that wouldn’t necessarily cause death, but sure as hell a lot of trouble.
The other object was a mini one-led flash light. I remember using this so many times before, while hiding in the car trying to light ourselves with something powerless and inconspicuous enough that it wouldn’t allow outsiders see what was happening inside.
The third object was a small solar powered rectangle with my name written on it. It was a present from someone very special, brought to DR from New York. Every time the sun’s rays shine upon it, my name blinks across the small rectangle, like the key chain is happy to call out my name.
None of this probably makes sense to you. I guess the point I’m trying to make is the following: Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as a once-thought-lost-and-then-found key chain, can bring back so many wonderful memories from wherever it is you call home?
Live by the Bucket 