With a greater clarity
of the knowledge of the area,
we walked from the church
a little farther inland
to what used to be
the post office and
the school that our mother attended,
the skeletal shells of
which were still standing precariously.
From there, stopping periodically
to eat some edible berries,
we struggled behind our cousins
through the heavily brush and
shrub covered footpaths to
Black Duck Cove to visit
the cemetery where our grandmother,
whom we never knew, was buried.
This sacred ground was
in very bad condition,
with many badly corroded gravestones
buried under brush and long grass.
After searching for a few minutes
in the midst of tangled vegetation,
we found our grandmothers
resting place beside which
we paid our respects.
It was a good thing that
our cousins stayed with us,
as the footpaths that traversed
the island, were overgrown with brush.
It would have been
virtually impossible for my brother
and me, to walk to
the other communities on the island.
We made our way back
to the church on the hill
and descended to the boat
for a half hour boat ride
to the other side of the island.
Sailing through a number of islets,
we arrived at what
remains of the small village
of Traytown, where our grandparents
had lived. There, we met
some more long lost relatives
at a small cottage.
One, a bit of an eccentric,
who now lives in Toronto
but takes summer refuge in Traytown,
showed us the remnants of what
had once been our grandparentshouse.
Beside these ruins, was
the still flourishing cluster
of wild rose bushes, planted
there many years ago
by our step grandmother.
A lot of people, many whom
were more lost cousins,
continually dropped in or
gathered on the porch outside.
After a cup of tea and
some more chitchat
and some comic relief,
we made our departure
for the mainland. On the way,
we passed other inlets with
ghost communities on Irelands Eye.
To add to the excitement
of that special day,
my brother spotted a humpback
whale quite close, between
the boat and the island.
Our visit to Irelands Eye
was a bittersweet experience for us.
On the one hand, there was
a sense of being at
the very place where our relatives
and ancestors had lived,
worked and played.
On the other hand, there was
a sense of agonizing loss
of what were once thriving
communities on the island.
It was difficult to reconcile
the past with the present,
after a gap of fifty years
of chronic degeneration of
the communities. Today, the area
is notorious for smuggling.
However, our mission was invaluable
in that we were able to
find out more about ourselves.
The entire expedition to
Newfoundland was a major highlight
in each of our lives.
It tugged at our emotions
at every turn. The people
of Newfoundland, especially those
of genetic connection, couldnt do
enough for us. It was
really like coming home,
but then, that has always been
the nature of Newfoundland courtesy,
even to non-Newfoundlanders.
It was reassuring to see that
the Newfoundland charm has
transcended time. It has
endured so many changes
since Confederation in 1949.
My brother and I, eternally,
will be Newfoundlanders and hope
to go down home more often
in the years to come.
上一篇: 看电影记六级词汇08Excerpt
下一篇: 看电影记六级词汇03Ethnics
国内英语资讯:World air route development forum opens in Guangzhou
去经历去体验 做最好最真实的自己
体坛英语资讯:Wimbledon champion Kerber survives toughest Larsson to move on at US Open
好莱坞最美女神为女性发声,说的太对了!
双语阅读:我国准备起草一项有关学前教育的法律
国际英语资讯:S.Korea, DPRK to hold Pyongyang summit as agreed upon in Panmunjom summit
国际英语资讯:Burundi Senate urges enforcement of ethnic, gender requirements for foreign NGO staffing
国内英语资讯:China lays out timetable for SOE deleveraging
国际英语资讯:Hurricane Florence likely to affect southeast U.S. energy infrastructure: EIA
研究:早餐晚吃晚餐早吃,更有助减肥!
川普取消爱尔兰行程!只因当地人都不待见他!
国内英语资讯:Spotlight: Chinas reform and opening up efforts highly valued in Britain
My View on Man-made Beauty 我对人造美的看法
双语阅读:这些方法有助于缓解孩子的上学焦虑
国内英语资讯:China, Vietnam vow to promote practical cooperation for more fruitful outcomes
国内英语资讯:China extends condolences to Philippine typhoon victims
双语阅读:研究显示 全球14亿人缺乏运动面临健康风险
哪所大学的毕业生最好找工作?国际排名表告诉你
体坛英语资讯:Chinas Wang/Sun crowned in Asiad table tennis mixed doubles (updated)
国内英语资讯:China solicits public opinions on draft civil code
亨利卡维尔不再出演超人?那拿什么拯救DC
国际英语资讯:UNGA President: Climate change, SDGs to remain hot topics at upcoming UN General Debate
The Advantage Of Cell Phone 关于手机的好处
国内英语资讯:Super Typhoon Mangkhut lands on south China coast
苹果新机支持双卡、史上最贵 一个肾可能都不够
体坛英语资讯:German Zverev into U.S. Open third round for first time
No More Iron Rice Bowls 不再有铁饭碗
国内英语资讯:HK to issue special stamps to commemorate launch of high-speed railway
国际英语资讯:German Chancellor to visit Algeria on Monday to strengthen ties
Should Science and arts Education be Separated? 该分文科理科班么?