Katana Smith
ENG 100 Assignment #1: Hiraeth Narrative I wake up to the comforting sound of my mother’s voice saying “Tana, time to wake up”. The birds are chirping outside my window and the sun is shining into my already yellow painted room. I can smell the lovely aroma of eggs, bacon, grits, and potatoes. I hop out of bed and run down the stairs. My grandparents, whom I call Granny and Poppa, have already started their day. Poppa is sitting in his rocking chair, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. There is soft jazz music playing on the radio. Granny is setting the table for breakfast. She asks me to help bring the different jellies and jams over to the table for our toast. I’m almost 6 years old and my mother and I are living with my grandparents. I feel happy, safe, comfortable, and content here. My mom comes downstairs after she gets her shower. We sit down and enjoy breakfast together, talking about our plans for the day. After we finish eating, Poppa lets me read the funnies; my favorite part of the newspaper. Now it’s time to get dressed, brush my teeth, and get ready for the rest of the day. I love the toothpaste my Granny uses, it’s gentle and has a slight orangey flavor. I make my bed just like my mother taught me. I decide I’m going to play outside today. I walk out the front door and look at the bright blue sky. It’s a beautiful, warm, and sunny summer day with just the right amount of wind. The chipmunk that lives under the steps is scurrying around in the flowerbed. The squirrels are climbing around in the trees. I wave to our neighbor, whom I call Miss Betty. I love to play at her house when her grandchildren are visiting. My best friend Ashton lives across the street. She comes over and we ride our bikes together. Then we play on my swing set in the backyard. We swing so high we feel like we are flying. It’s getting hot out so we decide to go for a swim. The pool is set up on the deck. We splash around for a while. Granny comes out with a picnic lunch for us. She must know we’re starving by now. I help her set up the blanket on the grass. Ashton and I enjoy our sandwiches and carrot sticks. We wash it down with my favorite juice. Now it’s time to color. I have tons of sidewalk chalk. I begin to draw on the sidewalk, a picture of my comfort zone. In this moment, I am completely carefree, not a worry in the world. It’s mid afternoon now and I’m getting a little tired. I say goodbye to Ashton and head inside. I walk up the two steps into my grandmothers house. It smells like a mix between herbs and flowers. Poppa is outside watering his garden. Mom has gone out to run some errands. It’s just Granny and I. We decide to watch some TV in the basement. The Big Comfy Couch is on; we love that show. Granny brings down some celery with peanut butter and raisins on top and a glass of milk. We relax and watch the show. When the show is over I run out the back door to see what Poppa is up to in the garden. The row of raspberries catches my eye. Poppa hands me a basket and tells me I can pick some raspberries. I start picking them one by one, occasionally sneaking one into my mouth, to make sure they are good. Poppa says we are going to put them on our vanilla ice cream later. I remember this day like it was yesterday. Oh, how I long to go back to this place. Life was so much simpler. There was no stress, anxiety or worry. I was always happy. I still had my innocence. I wasn’t aware of any of the negative things going on in the world. I just knew I loved my family and that my life was great. I’m older now and my life is a lot different. There are bills, responsibilities and obligations. My grandparents have retired and they now live in Alabama. We visit them once a year. When we visit them, memories from the past flood my mind. Their new house has a similar homey feeling to it. However, nothing will ever compare to the way things were back then.
3 Comments
Susan Dragone (Granny)
2/10/2017 04:35:42 pm
I love this - and you. We sure made some wonderful memories. I'm wondering if this picture of you and Ashton is from the day we taught her to put her face in the water and then she went home and jumped in the pool! LOL
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Katana
2/13/2017 08:01:12 am
Thanks Grandma!! I love you too! It definitely could have been that day! lol
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Aleea
2/16/2017 12:56:10 pm
I really enjoy reading your hiraeth narrative. Your story gave me a lot of understanding on your home in the past that you wish you could go back to. Also,putting the picture from your childhood made me feel like I was there. Great job :)
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