CHAPTER 6: THE BRITISH SOLDIERS PART 2

 

What we did not know was that Mahaica was also the World Headquarters for Sand Flies and Mosquitoes. The moment the train pulled out of the Mahaica station, colonies of sand flies and mosquitoes descended on us with the most vicious insect attack of on man ever. Sand flies will attack you in swarms on every exposed part of your body. They will find their way through your hair down to your skull and the bite every exposed part unprotected by hair and leave your head full of bumps; they are bad. The mosquitoes there will bite and drink every drop of blood you own by the time you reach Rossignol, you will have no blood and become pale.

 So, there we were facing imminent death when the two English soldiers produced the most complete defense in the form of a bottle of Citronella oil. They offered to share some with us.  We graciously accepted their offer. We rubbed that oil on our body from head to toe. We literally took off our yachting boots and rubbed the oil between our toes and of course on our heads, under our shirt and pants. It just takes one sand fly to get under your shirt and pants to have you scratching and itching.

My brother and I will always be grateful to those two English soldiers. Once upon an Easter. 

Attached painting ALIVE now on sale for $800.00. You may in box me for any other art shown on previous blogs.