Part-4....that never returns....

                   

The schools were located two-three kilometres away from the residence. Children from the neighbourhood converged at a convenient point before setting out for the school. The onward and downward journey on our two-wheelers (two legs) was much more interesting than any other fun. The sceneries and greeneries on the way, the tales from the fellow trekkers, the petty eatables packed in paper bits, and the such smoothed our movement to school through stony roads. The children carried their books as bundles tied with a broad rubber band. The boys took the support of the shoulder whereas the girls that of the left loin, just like, village-women carry their kids on journeys. School bags with the children were rare rather seldom, unlike today when even the playschool-goers must exhibit a desert-camel-like show.  

Fairs and festivals were indeed marvellous, as they provided mind-blowing curiosity to both of them, the little ones and grownups. These fairs and festivals, the siblings, cousins, friends, the other kinfolks and neighbours celebrated in unison with good spirit. Pond dip, new apparel, palatable plantain-leaf-feast, and the like were some of the main features. The tang of the Payasam (a post-meal sweet-dessert) used to linger on the tongue of those participants, who had their festivity feast till the next meal. 

A warm feeling of love a bond bound the children during celebrations. Onam being a distinct fair was attributed to numerous activities for the kids and kiddies. Floral decorations added magnificence to the festival, Onam. Girls moved round in search of flowers in the village, swinging flower-baskets in their hands. The very thought of flower gathering filled them with rousing cheer to come out of the bed with a bright countenance, even if lazy they were for an early rise. The swing area was another point of charm.  The heroic events of standing and touching high branches of the swing-supporting bough, exhibited by some expert male ones, during swinging, were lucidly adventurous. The girls, shedding their fret, also tried their level best to relish various methods of swinging like standing, leaving one hand, sitting in double or triple numbers on the same swing etc. 

 Coming to the cultivation mission-sowing seeds, harvesting, bundling, arranging, threshing, winnowing, etc. of paddy crops enthused the children much. Songs and tunes hummed by reapers turned the atmosphere admirably lovely and lively. The little ones spent all their might on troubling the workers, as their little limbs fell in every work and everywhere they came across.

 Besides all these, sleeping together on mats, spread on the floor of the loggia, beside the inside-quadrangle and falling during sound slumber on its sandy ground had their significance in our babyhood. A community-lunch type of action took place during the meal sessions. Some clever guys snatched the fish piece kept for the end part of the meal by some of the children, literally threw the latter into wetting their eyes. The rebukes from elders brought smiles to the tearing eyes and settled the matter.

 Sure, the children at that time had a joyous multi-hued childhood of lengthy duration, whereas now the children of today have the adulthood of a stretched extent, right from their childhood itself. The parents stuff their brains with academics to fulfil their unfulfilled aspirations and ambitions. The heavy load of books and works weakens the brawns of children. They might be loading much of academics and allied activities in their memory;  therefore, I suspect whether they can recall this much amount of infancy with this much cheer and pleasure. ,

Anyway, sights and scenes as currents of incidents from my reminiscences flow to the computer's monitor, in the form of words and sentences. If I continue like this, the conclusion will be difficult because the then village-young-ones had copious opportunities for recreation with burdenless study lessons. We can tap letters and letters on the keyboard if we want filling pages and pages, about our young age days. Nevertheless, now I seek rowing to the closure-shore and conclude and so, 'goodbye' for the time being.

 May the Almighty be showering the flowers of His blessings on all the readers.                         

                                                                                          [The end]