BRITE Colours Kids Magazine

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The Long Way Home

By LaShanda Henry S. J. Elementary School is just a 5-minute walk from home, but when momma picks me up we like to take our time and roam. We talk about my day at school or momma’s day at work. She giggles when I act a fool and pretend I’m Captain Kirk. “Beam me up Scotty,” I say. “Let’s boldly go where no man has gone today!”

The minute momma takes my hand; the minutes begin to zoom by. When momma says, “Let’s take the long way home,” I just smile. I never ask why. Most days we just talk or quietly walk around our town for hours. We window shop, play I-Spy a lot or get lost within the flowers. Ms. Bee runs the Flower Emporium; she has hundreds of flowers and knows everyone. Orchids are my favorite kind. Momma thinks lilies are simply sublime.

Sal's Bodega is usually our first stop. I always get a bag of chips and a soda pop. Sal shares the neighborhood news of the day, while his cat Mouse runs through the aisles to play.

Once she jumped on my back and said, "Mouse not today!"

Just beyond the Bodega is Prospect Park where the older kids like to play. I like to watch the one they call, Crazy 4

Skater Jay. He skates on, over and under things. He makes it look like a breeze. I know it's hard because I dare not count how often he falls on his elbows, hands and knees. Good or bad luck, he keeps getting up until he masters each trick with ease. When he gets it right, I scream with delight then I visit my friends in the trees.

There is a family of squirrels living in the big oak tree. I like to visit them with treats and they like to play with me. At lunchtime, I try to save a little bread, a few crackers or some nuts here and there. I always visit with a treat. Momma thinks that’s sweet, but it’s so my furry friends know how much I care. Plus momma always says it’s important to share.

When the breeze blows and the smell of current rolls hits my nose, I know the Trinidadian Rose Bakery is near. There is nothing like the sweet smell of warm bread, pastries and cinnamon in the air. If I could I would eat pastries every day of every week, every month of every year.

From there most days we take a left and roam until we hit home. But sometimes we hear beating drums in the air and walk towards the Culture Zone. We take a right at the light every Friday night to watch the Africa House Dance troupe get down. The ground moves when they move. The earth shakes when they shake. I fall into the rhythms and get lost in the sounds. I get down in the music. Momma and I get down.

S. J. Elementary School is just a 5-minute walk from home, but when momma picks me up we like to take our time and roam. With so many friends to visit and sights to see, the long way home is the only way home for me. And when I’m walking with my momma, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

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Become a contributor: BRITE Colours invites you to submit your best work for inclusion in our magazine. Submissions from children, parents, teachers and professional writers are welcome. We want to share your short stories, riddles, brain teasers, comics, poems, photos, artwork, craft activities and kidfriendly recipes. You can also include original article submissions that highlight kidpreneurs and teenpreneurs as well as learning pieces on culture, history and current events.

Send your submissions to britecolours@gmail.com. Kids should ask a parent or guardian for permission and help; plus include their age and grade with submissions. Professional writers and artists should include their website URL and related products (books, comics, teaching aids).

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