Ticket To Freedom

My favorite spot was the guava tree behind our house, right at the edge of the rice field. It felt safe. I was free to be myself—alone, content. After every rain, especially after a thunderstorm, I couldn’t wait to climb it. Storms always brought ripe guavas. I would settle between branches strong enough to hold my weight, eating the juiciest fruit as the tree swayed gently in the wind.