Renewed Feelings (Streams 5) -- part v

Over the years, Waterways would receive writing by students who had their lives changed by events in the news. “The Invasion of Grenada” related the experience from Karen’s first person point of view:

“I was born in the Virgin Island and I lived in Grenada since I was about two months old. From the time I remember knowing myself, everyone around me was very kind, thoughtful and caring. In Grenada everyone in the neighborhood is like a Great Big Family. I thought Grenada was the world’s best island.

One morning my aunt came running down the alley screaming, “Mama, mama there’s a fire in the port.” I turned the radio on and it was all over the radio. I thought it was only a fire and it would pass.

Less than two hours later I went to feed my goat and an American soldier came right out of the sand and said to me, ‘Miss this area is restricted.’ My heart dropped right out of place. I wondered what was happening. Before I knew it, troops, helicopters, and tanks were all over, and gun shots were coming from everywhere.

All the neighbors, men and women were screaming at their children. ‘Get into the house and don’t come out.’ My grandmother was terrified. She was mostly worried about me going outside and getting hurt. From my bedroom window looking out, I could see the children running, people falling and blood from the people who got shot. My aunt’s husband, who was a soldier in the army in Grenada, came home with his finger dislodged by a bullet. As days went by, all you heard was yelling, screaming and gun shots.

All you heard for five days were trucks moving about, as they picked up the dad bodies in the streets. The American Soldiers took over a bank near by, and stayed there. The government passed a curfew that no one should be seen outside after 6 p.m. or they would be shot down on sight.

I had never seen anything like it in all my life. I never did learn the purpose of the invasion. People lost their homes and some of their families in the invasion, but today Grenada is pulling itself back together as the little beautiful island it used to be.”

Streams 5