My Box

I really do not remember how it popped into my mind.  But now that I remembered, I got really excited about it. 

I remember I had this tin biscuit box – without the biscuits inside, of course.  It was squarish in shape and I think the overall colour was red.  And when I was in primary school, my world was in this box.  The box was my secret world.  And I used to put all the things close to heart which could fit in it.  Although this may sound strange to those who know me well, I used to organise and reorganise it.  I remember sitting on the floor, opening my box and looking at the items inside.

You may be wondering what was inside this box… I wish I still remember!  I am sure I had all these small figures, favourite origami, sometimes sweets, small statues of baby Jesus, a blue plastic ring (o I remember that!), toys you find inside cereal boxes and kinder sorpresa… anything small that fitted.  My papa had once found an exoskeleton of a snake but I am not sure I placed it inside – no I am almost definite I did not.  It was placed in a shoe box.  Where has it ended up, I wonder… I do not recall seeing it again.  Perhaps it was stealthily disposed of just before decomposing!

One of the figures I had was Crackle, a yellow hooded creature with curly hair.  I had been playing with the baby bees that had just hatched while my papa was processing the honey.  And one of these bees was not a baby at all and I realised so when it was too late.  It must have been a Thursday as my grandma was at our house.  And seeing me cry after being stung, of course, opened her handbag and took out my little Crackle which she had “found”.  And this ended up in the box… that is to say, only when it was not in one of my pockets, below the pillow, underneath my school desk etc.  It also ended up being my favourite lucky charm which NEVER failed!  Its service was used for all my exams... primary school exams, junior lyceum entry exams and even some of the secondary school exams, I am sure… I hope I still have him (it deserves a "him" rather than "it")!  This August, when I am home again, I will look for him.  I hope he still exists.  I have lately found by coincidence that Crackle is one of the three characters in the Rice Krispies.  It  does not matter though… no matter what his origin is, my Crackle  will never lose his charm!

It will take me such a long time to write all these memories related to my box.  But I will not take more of your time.  I just don’t know what had happened to it.  It is certain, I’m afraid, it has been emptied one day because I still have some of the items which were inside.  But the box?  My box?  Only God knows where it is now… whether it is being reused… or whether it has been recycled and was destined to be remoulded into a beautiful biscuit box, and is perhaps the world of another little child!!!  As I have said, only God knows!