Reminiscences

The detailed narration of my parents informing me about the recent visit they made to my birth place and the news they brought about my childhood friends made me feel nostalgic. I was very glad to learn that my parents walked through the lanes of that road where I had spent most of the evening hours after school. It was a small lane that consisted of 10 houses. I was always seen with my friends on that lane and never inside the house. It was all play and play for me and studies were considered so insignificant. I remember the names of all the friends with whom I played. I enquired about each one of them to my parents and they had accumulated data for me and supplied me with information about most of them. I was so happy to hear about them. I wonder if those friends of mine will ever remember me like how I remember them!

I vividly remember every single thing about the house I was born and lived in for almost 12 years. The number of that house was 1-D. It was a wonderful big villa. We were proud to have the biggest house in that lane. We had a huge portico that could easily accommodate 2 cars but unfortunately, we had none. I used to play all kinds of games in that huge porch. From cricket to badminton, my friends and I had played n number of games there.

There were 3 small steps to lead us to the house. Even those steps were not spared. We had played “In the pond, on the bank” game with the help of those little steps. The steps led to a small sitting area. That room is also filled with memories of several card games that I had played with my friends. Most of my friends have entered only up to that room. That room had few bamboo chairs and an ancient sofa to accommodate visitors. It had a table fan (we still have that table fan in my house) that produces more sound than breeze. If I think of that room, the smell of tortoise mosquito coil lingers in my mind since we had always burnt the mosquito coil in that room due to the intense attack of mosquitoes. Thanks to the Lord for not having introduced the disease called ‘Chickungunya’ at that time, else we would all have died due to that.

To the immediate right of that room, there was a bed room that my Mom and Dad used. It was a nice airy and spacious room that had an inbuilt cupboard and a bed. It also had a table and a chair for me and my sister to study and I also remember a physics master coming and taking tuition for my sister in that room.

The house had a big hall in which we had a sofa and a TV. As I visualize that room, I see my late Grand Mother, my late aunt, and my cousin Radhika watching TV. It was a period when we had no other channels other than Doordarshan. My Grand Mother never missed a single programme in the TV. Poor lady! She had no other means to spend her time! There was another bedroom by the side of the hall where my sister and I used to sleep.

We also had a dining room (believe me, we still have that dining table with us) that had a wash basin too. We had a kitchen and a puja room on either sides of the dining hall. I remember that kitchen very well. I began learning to cook in that kitchen. I also remember having visited the puja room – not quite often but certainly on occasions and during my exams and most importantly on those days when my results were to be announced. The dining room led to a passage where there was a bathroom and a toilet. There was a time when nearly 10 people stayed in that house and shared the same bathroom and toilet!! Absolutely unimaginable!

On the backyard, we had ancient grinding stones used to grind batter for our traditional breakfast - idli and dosa. We had a well that had sufficient water compared to our neighbours’. We also had a stone – somewhat higher in size that was used for washing clothes. On those days when our servant maid doesn’t turn up, my cousin used to hum songs as she washed the clothes. She was a good singer and she loved singing.

The servant maid we had was a beautiful lady in her early 20s. She used to try different hair styles with my hair to suit the modern day trend. She loved to talk about film stars and movies and she used to dress up pretty well. She can undoubtedly be fit to replace any of the contemporary actresses since she had excellent features and the desire to get dressed well. I cannot forget her at all!

That house of ours was a compounded house with trees on all the three sides. We had lots of flower bearing trees, fruit bearing trees and many small plants too. I had climbed the mango tree in our backyard and have jumped down from heights. The compound wall that separated ours from the next house was a narrow one and I still remember how quickly I used to show my acrobatics and run on that narrow wall! Gosh! I am scared to even think about it now!

My friends and I used to have chat sessions sometimes on the compound wall, sometimes on the road, sometimes on the terrace (we had an open terrace before we constructed a house) and sometimes near the gate. I used to enjoy those moonlit evenings that we spent with our friends during power cuts.

We had rented the first floor of our villa to a couple. They were such a lovable pair who used to join us in having fun. The man – ‘Anna’ as I used to call him was such a lively character who would crack jokes without laughing and we all would have a hearty laugh at all his jokes. I spoke to him a day back i.e., after nearly 13 years!! He sounded just the same and I was very happy to talk to him.

Wow! What a wonderful trouble free period were those! Everything I think about that place is associated with some people known to me. Friends create memories. Our hearts keep them alive. Mind rewinds them and give us a pleasurable experience worthy of a lifetime treasure!

I would say that I had always been fortunate in having a wide circle of quality friends around me. Friends had always been helpful and loving to me and I am highly thankful to the Almighty for having provided me with such a blessed life surrounded with nice people. This piece of writing is the result of a quick rewinding. I can write a chapter about each one of my friends and the place where I spent most of my childhood. I wish to do that before I lay to death.