It was an amazing thing to view the forest after a fire, when the underbrush was gone and you could see all around. This excited us so much that we occasionally ventured into the now dusty, burnt-up forest before the ground had cooled completely. Since we always traveled without shoes, we sometimes got burned. This might deter normal kids, but not us. We ran back home hopping and hollering, looking for our sneakers so we could reenter the forest. Running through the open forest was an experience of incredible freedom. We did not have to be afraid of snakes or other wild animals; they were all gone. But we knew that this space wouldn't be open for long, so while it lasted we ventured into the forest every day.
By the time the rainy season was well under way, around September, we'd had our fill of mango adventures. If we still felt like eating them, we would simply wait for a heavy rainfall, which knocked the fruits straight out of the trees. Mango season drew to an end almost without our noticing. But then the year rolled around and miraculously, as the new season approached, we would find ourselves ravenous again for mangoes fresh from the branch. Once again we'd begin peering up at those towering trees, ready, with the enthusiasm and the faith of youth, to let them give shape to our lives for yet another season.
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