Childhood where memories cherish

A childhood where memories cherish you over and over.

Childhood will never come back, but the childhood memories never fade away from our mind.

It was a cold morning, when we reached that landscape surrounded by mountains on the 3 sides.

If you look at the mountain, you can see many water streams.sometimes you can even see elephants. This was years ago. I don't think, we can even see any animal now over there.

Rivers were nearby. The overflowing river is now a nightmare for everyone. But back then, we were excited about the overflowing river.

It was a special feeling for all of us.

We used to jump to river from a rock. That place was called as swimming pool in our Village.

Always used to reach home wet inside , but one fine day mom caught me. Got beaten up nicely.

After coming from school, I used to go out to play, in search of wild forests and places. Anywhere or with anyone, I just wanted to play. Like today's children, there was no such thing as a single game for me. As long as I can play more, I was happy.My mother used to come searching for me and I used to get beaten up mostly daily.Slowly slowly beating got stopped, as she understood that I am not going to stop.

On scrubbing and washing the mud off my shirt and trousers, half of my mother's life got over I would say.

Being mountains, everything was steep over there.

One day I fell from the cliff and hit my head on a rock. Regained consciousness after twenty four hours.

Daily I have to get up in the early morning and drink black tea in which egg yolk could have been added.It was my father's special recipe. I still don't know why he insisted. After that, I had to go and run on the ground.

Some days I sleep with people, who used to sleep in the school near that ground .

When I come back after my run, I have to go and buy milk in a big bucket.After coming from the school, I have to go and buy groceries and vegetables.I had to go to the ration shop and buy kerosene, sugar and rice etc as well. Now I understood that all children should learn these all. Because today's kids don't know anything and don't care about what anyone says. Because we are putting them inside the walls and doing spoon feeding.

Dad bought a bicycle for the first time, it was a BSA black beauty and the first time I went on it to buy groceries. Shop was at the foothills. There wasn't much understanding of braking as I was new to the cycle. I went straight into a canal and fell.Someone picked me up and took me to the hospital.

My mother took the cycle away and sold when I went away to study. I was angry with my mother, when I saw that bicycle parked in the neighborhood house.

I used to play football. Many of those who played football on that hillside ground went on to play for Kerala and India.

Once it is Saturday and Sunday, the game will be a long way off. We used to dig and eat from the tapioca plantation. There were different fruit trees like berry,sitaphal etc. Then we used to throw stones at the mango tree.

A childhood where nothing was lacking. Everything was available in that mountain and surroundings.

Water for water.Fruit for fruit.All I needed was money to buy bubblegum. For eating bubblegum got many beatings , that pain is still there.

There used to be no school for two months due to flood and landslide ever year. The camp used to be set up at our school. Now even if there is a small flood or landslide, they show it as breaking news, live on TV.

Once the bridge connects to our village with other places broke. If big rocks flow and come during landslides, then the bridge will definitely break right. What was the use of sandbags, I understood that time.

While studying at school, there was hand writing competition.There were a lot of people who used to write beautifully. Every year they only used to win. How can we leave it like that? I also wrote well, full in round letters. Finally I got the prize.

Same way in school, there was shot put competition. There were senior kids who used to win every year. I also wish to win. I participated and threw maximum distance.I got a prize there too. That certificate is still preserved as a lifetime achievement in my shelf.

There used to be forest fires on top of the mountain. That's when I came to know about the secret of sankranthi. This was lightened up by electricity employees and wild castes since generations in the mountain. Even today, many people do not know about this because Faith is beyond everything.

It was a heaven. My childhood was completely on that hillside, until my teenage years began.

The memories keep calling me to go back that mountainside.

Childhood can never be forgotten. Childhood will never come back and even there is no going back.

Happy Belated Children's Day.