Moving Day

Today is our very last day in our home on the West Coast of Barbados.  5 Queen's Fort was ours for two years and try as I might to minimize its impact, its importance, this place was quite special for us all.  Last night, with boxes all around, only the girls' room relatively in tact, we slept here for the last night.  The power went out, which was fitting, as that often happens in Barbados and I was in bed with the girls, also happens.  Every night.  The humming of the ceiling fan gave way to the sounds of the night--toads, crickets, scurrying yucky things, and then it got hot.  Hot enough for me to remove the sheets, but not so hot that I was sweating.  There was no sweat on the noses of the girlies, but they did wriggle out of their covers and away from the warmth of my body.

I woke up first this morning, with no alarm.  I had the last day blues, no matter that I have dreamed of this moment for months and months.  This house was way too hot.  It was not particularly elegant.  I hated the finish of the walls and the do-it-yourself quality of most of the accessories.  But it was our house.  The first house for the Penn-Virot clan.  And in this house, Lily had a long hallway to walk down on her way to the TV or our bedroom after waking up.  In this house, Virginie stood up at eight and 1/2 months and then walked at ten.  We looked out the windows at screeching monkeys, playing monkeys, cheeky monkeys stealing mangoes.  We ran inside when the rain was too much and snuggled up in the guest room to watch videos when we wanted a change.  We never did make it to the guesthouse for a night, but we did spend some afternoons watching the garden from a new perspective.

The pool, with its fence lovingly and tirelessly put up by a caring Didier looked peaceful this morning, super clean after a new pump was put in for the next guests.  The water looked refreshing, though I know it to be nearing 80 degrees.  Even the monkeys peeking at me through the windows of the guesthouse seem to know something is changing.  They just watched in disbelief.

The goldfish died.  This afternoon, right before the packers took their break.  She didn't want to leave the house.  It was the only place, other than the fish tank at Brighton Market, that she ever knew.  Didier tossed her, lovingly of course, on the burial site of Salty the cat whom we also loved endlessly, along with his sister Sweety.  We had our first pets here.  Myself included.  I'd never done cat food, worm meds, petting at my own house.  I was a pet owner here.

I am writing from the guesthouse, where Virginie is hopefully finishing up her nap, as the packers and movers go to it.  I doubted them.  I admit it.  From all of my experience in Barbados, there would never be a team who could get the place packed up as I liked, but they seem to be handling it over there.  We will go and check soon as I do not like to leave people with my things too long without seeing what the heck they are doing!  I managed to let go in New York on the way here and have taken to it here as well.  We are moving.  Today.  And change starts right now.  Behind us will be Barbados and in Barbados, 5 Queen's Fort, our home, our house for the last two years.  Lily and Virginie will have fleeting memories of this place and I hope in their dreams they see corners, secret hiding places from this house, the place where they discovered themselves and we discovered that we were a family.

Though we are off to a condo for the next ten days and then to a hotel for a final staycation/vacation, we are already leaving a part of Barbados behind because we are moving out of our home.  Onward...


(c)  Copyright 2011.  City Mom in the Jungle.