first trip to the ocean

A lovely older lady was reminiscing to me about her childhood days. She was telling me about her first trip to the ocean.

She was 15. The lady has lived in Alice all her life, one of 12 children and is of Afghan/Aboriginal descent.

An Anglican mission used to take “the outback kids”, as they were referred to, for a trip to the beach  

She was frightened, when she first saw it and then said “these people will never die”- she had never seen so much water and assumed that the people had all of it to drink :-). She decided she’d take a big drink, so bent down and scooped it up into her mouth with both hands, which of course, overcome by the saltiness spat it straight back out and exclaimed “they’re all gonna die”…

I was with her and her sister about 40 minutes and I heard the most amazing stories, I could’ve listened all day… but we all had places to be…The last thing she told me was about her list… “you know, the bucket one”(with a glint in her eye)… she has never been to Sydney- she’d like to see the opera house. Her sister said she better get onto it, being so old already :-). I would love to see her face when she does.

I could’ve talked to her all day… she had a wealth of stories… I do hope to come across her path again… if you could only see the glint in her eye as she spoke.