September 12, 2011

Good old Kwaj days


If you were a kid on kwaj in the 90's, you know what I'm talking about.  The door was always open, Dad was always cooking something and on the weekends, you had to be there. We were know as "Schilling Kids"  But after 39 years, 6 kids and moving though 5 houses, Dad is finally leaving Kwaj.  And I still cant wrap my head around it.

I'm trying to convince myself that the memories are enough.  Playing manhunt in new housing.  Us island kids scaling the palm trees so the new kids would never find us.  The parties at the Rodrigues house were always full of fun and the best music and food.  Lunchtime at the Yuk Club.  I remember riding though the alleys as fast as we could so we could be the firs in line.  All for a greasy cheeseburger and fries.  Almost as good as the chicken sandwiches and cheese fries Betty would make for us at the Beach Snack Bar.   Christmas time growing up was one of a kind.  I remember waiting for Santa to get off the plane and walking behind the firetruck as he threw us candy.  The tree lighting ceremony was beyond magical.  Summer fun was FUN! Days spent at Aunt Vi and Uncle Hals.  Tubing with the Whites and having Tim take my bottoms with him when he fell off and not realize it until after I waved all proudly to the 20 some people waving at me from the pier.  The school dances back in the day were fun to crash.  The Teen Center was cool, but the Gazebo was cooler.  And almost as cool as the Cheese!  Oh and the superswim.  Am I the only one that remembers this?  I think we were raising money for Somalia.  But spending the night at the pool and swimming for 2 days and nights was so much fun.  Then there were sports.  Mr Sherril was the most awesome coach ever.  Bigej trips.  I'm talking about school ones.  Dad making us the 5 foot subs that became a must have.  Musubi too.  Then there were the other boat trips.  Like the one where I got pushed off the boat in Bigej pass. Thought I was going to die for sure.  The girls will remember our Superbowl party.  Best one ever.  Or dancing to dads 50's music.  The summer we caddied at the Golf course was way to much fun.  Having chili dogs afterwards in the country club.  Smoking under the tree behind the gear locker.  Storm Zelda and setting up class rooms in the CRC.  Boogie boarding in the ditches by bunker hill. Field days.  Shaving cream socials and the haunted house.  Fishing with Dad and watching him reel in the biggest marlin I have ever seen to this day.  Making lures at the boathouse at Uncle Tonys Shack.  The laser disk club in the old teen center by the family pool. Collecting gecko eggs and hatching them in jars at home.  The countless Sunday BBQ's at the beach.  Snorkeling on Saturdays in Marine Bio.  The fort in the tree by the last street in new housing.  Secret Beach.  The hideout in the Jungle by DCCB.  And the bushes by glass beach. The turtle pond and the lifeguard shack.  The Emu and fish frys at the Pacific club. Going to the bakery to see our moms and get donuts.  And then they brought baskin robbins out and that blue ice cream.

I could go on and on. As much as I complained growing up, I could give anything just to lay on the beach one more time.  Or to go on one more boat trip.  I miss the crystal clear water the most.  So peaceful.  Sometimes I used to go out to the end of the jetty in the middle of the night and just sit.  Once I swam out the the ski dock and was to freaked out by the phosphorescence that were glowing in my trail behind me to swim back till sunrise when I could see again.  Like I said, so many memories.  Who knew such a small place could make such a big impression.  I would love to take the boys back one day.  I guess I should have  found a way to do it before now.  

OK enough of this.  Back to the present.  Dad and Sandy will be going to San Diego.  And Im looking forward to having him on the same timezone as me.  And hopefully being able to see him more than once a year for a few days.  Now we will be able to Skype since it didn't work on Kwaj.  And they can stream videos of the boys with out having to buffer for a whole day.  See Kwaj has its cons too!  It will always be home.  How am I more sad about Dad leaving than I was when I left?  

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