I must be growing old as I have been reminiscing over my childhood!
I grew up on the small island of Malta in the Mediterranean. Then it was a British Colony. Schooling was in British English, followed the British curriculum, which was quite tough, but we did learn French and Italian and pretty well too.

But before I was school age we had to live through World War II. As a British colony we were automatically involved in the war but the Island was woefully unequipped for battle, no standing Army, just British forces on a tour of duty, no battleships but we did have three rickety planes,aptly named, Faith, Hope and Charity! We also boasted of a large natural harbor which, of course was invaluable for the British Navy.

With Italy, our neighbor, siding with the Axis, the harbor became a favorite place for bombings. Stray bombs were frequent and we had many civilian casualties as well as major destruction of housing. At the peak of it all, my parents decided to evacuate to the sister Island of Gozo, a very rural place and relatively out of the battle zone. There we settled in rather primitive conditions. I remember our toilet was a cement seat with a hole in it. Bathing had to be done in a zinc tub amidst much splashing and stinging soap.

I was old enough to sort of realise what was happening around me but young enough to enjoy the liberty I had, to run and play in the village square with a host of new friends. I learnt so many intriguing things I would never have had in the city. I learnt to choose the right small branch with the right shape to form a catapult. To load it and aim it at some poor unsuspecting bird. When, by sheer luck I did hit one I was in tears! So I learnt to fashion a new toy. This was a type of pan pipe. It was made from a cut out of a fresh bamboo rod, stacks of which grew near a natural spring. You had to cut a section between the "knuckles" of the bamboo making sure not to tear the thin membrane on both ends. Then slitting a mouth hole and you were supposed to be able to play a simple tune.

By 1942, the US had entered the War and the first thing they did in our part of the world was to build a landing strip for planes. Things then really heated up. Some US naval personnel also arrived on the Island and ships, planes and artillery made for a mighty racket, day and night. I was used to the British naval uniform but the first time I saw a US seaman in uniform I thought their hat was quite funny! I was playing in the public gardens along with my younger brother and two US seamen were sitting on a bench watching us play. They beckoned to my brother and one of them dandled him on his knee. He told me he left a little boy back home and was hoping to see him again once the war was over. He then put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll and offered a candy to my brother. My brother just stared at it then looked inquiringly at me. Being older, I dimly remembered what that roll was and stretching out my hand I grabbed it and said: " He has never eaten or seen candy but I have! " It was a roll of candy that had a hole in the center. They were so good!

A short while later as the battleground moved up north we returned to Malta and to a semblance of ordinary life. Our house was still standing, so that was one great blessing and soon I had to start attending school. But that is another story.