I love kids, and there is no shortage at my In-laws house in Negril.
Me and the boys play with toy cars and toy trucks, little flying disc and other stuff I bring to Jamaica.
Then there is Renique. ARRRG, that girl.
She is my wife's niece. They live in Negril
Talk about energy, geez, this girl has a ton of it.
Every time she sees me coming, she charges!
"Oh lordy, here she comes, she's in a full out sprint!"
Ok, time to bend down (oh lord save my back).
Grab, swing, hug. I got you!
She is just a twig of a little girl, 5-6 years old,
but she is all over me every time I stop by the yard.
Sitting down is the worse, then she has me like a captive prisoner.
"Renique!! Grand ma yells, Mark is tired, he's on vacation, he came here to relax, not wrestle with you all day.
She will elbow the little guys out of her way to get to me,
"see here, see what I have" she says.
Some little trinket that she is proud of.
I make sure Grand ma gets all the nice goodies on day one.
For the kids, I only bring a few toys at a time.
I have a large black plastic bag I hang over my shoulder, I must look like a Santa to the wee ones.
I kind of parcel out the gifts for the kids so that they don't mash up everything all at once.
Reniques dad does not live with her.
I over heard Renique's mom tell grand ma:
"Mama, I heard Renique tell the other kids that Mark is her father".
Well, looks like I have another daughter, she just happens to live in Jamaica.
Renique's mom, just looks at us playing, smiles and shakes her head.
It's so nice, having a family in Jamaica.
Sure I spend a likkle money for grandma, mom, and the gang of wee ones, but I am rewarded 10 times over with TLC from my Jamaican family.
Ahhh, the good life.
Like Frank Sinatra once sang:
"I got the world on a string, sitting on a rainbow,
got the string around my finger,
what a world! Man this is the life,
Hey now, I'm in love!"
God is good.
