.
Now I am
66 and when I go back in memory lane to my childhood days I feel so
happy. I read an article in ‘The Hindu’ and that made me to do some
writing. I was born in Salem district, Tamilnadu. My father built a
house at Swarnapuri, a colony near 5 roads. Now it is the center, with
the New Bus stand.In the year 1951, we shifted to the new house. Salem dt is famous for its water scarcity and so along with my mother I used to carry a small bucket to the public water tank. A big water tank was there at the back yard of the house and we had to fill it up. Our next door neighbour's had a big family with seven children. We would go to the next house not through the main entrance. We used to jump over the compound wall only. Evenings were fun filled with games like kilithattu, Gilliththandy, Marble-Goli aattam, Pambaram, Pandy, Kannamoochchi, Catching game, kambuththalli and others. One more game I remember. We used to sit in circle and the person who was out will hold a kerchief in hand and run around singing, ''குலை குலையா முந்திரிக்கா, நிரைய,நிரைய சுத்தி வா,கொள்ளையடிச்சவன் எங்கிருக்கான், கூட்டத்திலிருக்கான் கண்டுபிடி.'' Then he will drop the cloth behind someone and the game will go on.
Whenever there was current cut we used to be very happy and run out to play. One day my father brought a petromax Lamp and we cursed the man who found out that light. No more play at nights. Summer holidays were great fun. We used to enjoy day in and day out playing indoor games like Pallanguzhi, seven stones, one, two or empty, Thaayakkattam and Anthaakshari will go on till the evening.
My paternal grandmother used to tell stories. I was her letter writer. Everytime I wrote a letter she would give me a quarter anna. I used to escort her to the temple, Bhajans and Upanyaasams in our colony. She used to sing some old country songs on how the train introduced by the Britishers were a wonder.
We had a beautiful garden at home with Gova, sappota trees, a vegetable garden and flowering plants. Gardening was a great hobby which made me one with nature. The stick ice brought in big thermass flask had its own wonderfull smell and taste.
Playing, singing, wandering without any thought of future and studies we really had a wonderful childhood. Life’s problems, worries, pains and expectations are there always in every ones lives. We crossed the bridges whenever necessary and lived our lives as and how it came. I studied in St.Mary’s School which was a kilometer away from home.It was a pleasure to hang the bag with very few books on the head and walk along the green fields under the shades of Tamarind trees. Collecting tender tamarinds and that which were about to ripe with a light green colour were our favourite play.
There was a burial ground on my way to school and I have seen the dead bodies being brought there. It never frightened me and took it as part and parcel of life.
The school was another place of happiness. They gave importance to reading, hand writing and recitation.Once a child becomes thorough with the Alphabets of the Mother tongue and the ability to read and write fluently self confidence instills itself in the child. I remember a small incident when I was in std 1.One day our teacher asked all of us to bring one rupee for the orphanage children as donation. My father gave me a beautiful one Rupee coin and gave me a quarter anna which was known as(காலணா) in those days for me to buy a”’ mittayi’. I loved the (கம்மர் கட்டு மிட்டாய்) made out of coconut and jaggary. When the Head mistress came to collect the money I gave her the one Rupee and the’ kalana’ to her and told her that I want her to buy a mittay for the orphanage. She was so happy to hear my words and patted me.To give is a great thing in life. I have seen the orphanage attached to the school and used to feel very sad on seeing those children. I studied in the school upto my 7th std.
My mother wanted me to learn music and so they found out a teacher who was also teaching our neighbour's daughters. It was a pain to see him at 8 o’ clock in the morning disturbing me getting ready to school. If I start singing the previous days song he will raise his voice and his eyebrows and that was the end of music. I regretted for not learning the art later on in my life.
It was a joy to go to my maternal grandparents house at Ottappalam, in Kerala. The small house was surrounded by Jackfruit, Mango and coconut trees and the Pineapple shrubs surround the house like a compound wall.It was like today’s holiday resort. Woodpecker’s accompany the music of the koeils, and Fire flys at the dark nights made us spellbound. There was no electricity. My grandma used to make us sit around her with a pot full of curd rice and would tell us stories while placing the rice in our palms. The story and the food made us sleep and dream about the characters of the story.
Thinking about my childhood days I feel so happy that I was like a butterfly free and all those elders and friends made it worthy of treasuring it in my memory till today.
