My mother and her ten brothers and sisters were raised on a sugar cane plantation. I always wondered what it was like, growing up in a lush and remote environment. Hiking to the school bus in the early morning and being rocked to sleep by the astounding noise of nightly creatures. Playing hide and seek on a neverending playground.

Telling scary stories over a well that might lead to the core of the Earth….

Or making silly dares with red hot chili peppers.

My family might have been in Mauritius and not in India, but I sense it might have been a similar experience. Growing up on a plantation remains in my mind a daily adventure in nature.