My Africa

It was the best times of my life, and it was the worst times. Father said, justice is in the afterlife, in this life, there is none. My name is Joseph. In my family there were seven children, four boys and three girls. I am the second born and the second son. I was fond of my brothers and sisters, and they were fond of me. Mother Nature did her work very well, even in my small village. In the spring the rains fell, and the crops grew, and in the summer the wind and sand blinded and covered us well. High over the village the clouds passed - dark ones, light ones, some like popcorn, some in the shapes of rabbits, snakes, sheep, fish, and even whales. At times, hail as large as an egg fell from the sky high above, and often, after the rain fell, a colorful rainbow stretched above our heads. Mother said to thank God Almighty for taking the time to color the sky so well for us. At night the moon shone and the stars appeared. My father would say that every star is much larger than our Earth, but as light as Cotton Candy. That is why it is able to float in the heavens, and does not fall on our heads. But how could a star be larger than our Earth but has the lightness of Cotton Candy? It was all a great mystery to me. Truly there are in life some wondrous things, most especially in Africa.