ARUBA - TIMELESS THANKSGIVINGS
From the air it looks like a broken crab claw. A bit reddish and a bit twisted as it floats in dark blue waters. People, who’s home it isn’t, stretch and look down out of rounded windows as they say “Home Sweet Home”.

They cannot see that there are two boys walking in the barren country landscape of the small island they call home – one is 10 and the other 11 at most. They are dressed in loin cloths and wear no shoes. In the heat, they are bare to the environment.


‘Buckle-up’ language has happened and the passengers stiffen slightly as the big tires leave another black and very straight stain on the runway. Perhaps this is the way that the arrival is announced. “Accept me and I will stain you”. A few travelers applaud and most others start to disobey orders and unbuckle. The cacophony of belt buckle sounds is almost the norm.

All the while, in the hot sun, two boys have reached a small shade tree and are now hunkered on the ground picking at the dust and thinking. One of them smiles a shy smile at the ground. It has been a long day.


Customs lines are long and the officials are as pleasant as they are tired. The “BOA” line of tired and hungry passengers talk at a pace that borders ranting. “Man, it’s nice to be home”- “Yeah – I know I’m home when I’m out of the plane and take that first breath” “I’m relaxed” says a lady off to the side and a few of her friends wholeheartedly agree with her.

The two boys have walked closer to the blue and angry shore and seem to be unwrapping a small pack.


Out on the sidewalk the many new arrivals start to feel really at home when the wind calls them to lean and as they barter with taxis and create a general sense of gentle panic. After all, they need to get to the hotel for the Thanksgiving dinner that was paid in advance. It was a part of their flight ticket and was a tremendous deal.

Kneeling on cutting coral surfaces the two boys open a small bundle. It has two fish, some pieces of corn, small wild cucumbers and spinach sort of a thing that is packed into a small ball.


The hotel restaurant has lines of humanity waiting to grab chunks of cranberry with lumps of stuffing and pre-sliced turkey. Children are placing more food on the plates than could fit in their entire bodies. Childhood obesity is not a topic for conversation this night.

The bodies of the two kneeling boys are tired beyond what they envisioned and now with their offerings lain out on a meager cloth they address an unseen and unknown god, they remain kneeling and stretch their hands to the sky – with heads back they start their prayers.


In the hotel restaurant there is a table with two kids and they sit and they pray. God is good – God is great – let us thank him for our turkey today and for bringing us back home to our home away from home on Aruba. Thank you god and happy Thanksgiving.

The two ARAWAK boys look at the sky gods and pray – Thank you for our bounty. Only two small goats died this year from lack of water, but we were able to eat them. The crops were dry but sustained life and enabled ZANAI to have her baby and give milk. Thank you for the ocean and the bounty of creatures you provide for us to eat.



Today in a hotel Thanksgiving was celebrated and the most sincere thanks from the mouths of children was spoken – Centuries ago, two boys knew that what they had discovered was better than their homeland dwelling and that they would forever cherish this place with no-name.
Timelessly it was Thanksgiving Day for these four children.
be well
charles

Thank you for another great link to the past.

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Eagle Beach Boy
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Hi there and thank you for your kind works

I have had some private mail on this one and want to clear up the following

The story is mostly from my imagination. Not factual or based on history or any thing besides my desire to tell a story - which is fierce when the topic is Aruba

be well
charles

YES..... but your stories do have some idea of the past. Which to me is a link to Aruba's history.

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Eagle Beach Boy
Burlington, Ontario, Canada