Memories from my childhood
How I wish I was eight years old again. Some people might remember lockdown as boring or lonely. But me? My memory of that slow, sunny summer is one of endless days spent with my family in the best treehouse in the world!
Imagine looking from your bedroom window at a vast wilderness beyond your garden. We were so lucky to live in the countryside. We had our own secret garden to explore during lockdown. No school, no clubs, no work. Every day we put on our wellies and climbed over the dodgy fence and go explore.
First, we meandered through the field swooshing the long grass out of our way, our boots squelching in the boggy ground. The grass was so tall our little brother could get lost in it. It was like a game of hide and seek. Beyond the field were rows and rows of apple trees. The smell of the sweet fruit wafted down the field. At the end of the summer, we picked hundreds and hundreds of delicious apples, and I loved when my kitchen smelled of apple pie.
However, the highlight of our summer hid behind the orchard. Our treehouse. It started as a small clearing surrounded by trees, but weeks of work moulded it into a castle. We built, we climbed, we played. We fashioned crowns out of soft twigs. We made a pretend bonfire and toasted imaginary marshmallows. I constructed a hammock to lie in and read my books. We had competitions to see who could climb the highest. It was as cosy as a den, our special secret place.
The summer got even better when our parents surprised us with the newest member of our family. MAX! A little playful puppy to chase us through the field. He was as cute as a button, but full of mischief. He drove my mum crazy by chewing everything in sight, including our apples. No one could stay mad at him though his big brown eyes would melt your heart.
Those long lazy days my family and I were cut off from the rest of the world. Of course, I missed my friends and relatives, but the magic of the treehouse made that summer the best in my memory.
Daniel Delap 8Z