Random Childhood Story

Have I ever told you about my childhood fascination with ducks? It started on one of the first trips to the local market that I was allowed to make when we got to Kharkov. I was with my mom at the time, and we walked up the long, dusty road about 45 minutes to the nearest outdoor bazaar to buy food. At first, my parents went to the market by themselves and left us kinds at home. They were worried about getting lost, the locals, etc. But eventually they got braver and would take one or two of us along. I think now, it was to help carry the groceries back more than anything... those bags could be so heavy!

Well, that day, as we were slowly meandering up and down the twisting aisles of booths, I spotted a stack of crates. More like pallets, actually, only a few inches high. The pallets were staked a dozen or so up, and peeking out was enough yellow and black fluff to float a ship! The tiny peeps and rustles from inside fascinated me and I went over to see. Squished in-between the pallets were hundreds of little baby ducklings!

They were so so tiny and so so cute, all jammed together and imprisoned in the hot sun. A few of the were dead, even. I wanted to "Free Willy" and take a few home where they could run around, and I could feed them bread crusts, and we could start a barnyard of animal pets! But... my mom was not so sympathetic. (Or maybe she was, but also more pragmatic!) And she said no.

But the next few times I went to the market, I would run to that back corner where they were selling ducklings (and occasionally chicks) and stand and look and sometimes, when the grouchy old babushka wasn't looking, I would sneak my fingers in and stroke their little wings.

I'm not that found of ducks now that I am grown, outside of seeing them in the wild at lakes or such. But I found this picture and it took me back to a time long, long ago =) and I wanted to take you there with me for a minute. =)

I love you!!