Last Sunday, I thought of cleaning up my wardrobe and shelves to arrange the stuff that I had dumped into my new home, after we moved in here some time back.
As I was going through my old albums, note books, slam books etc., my gaze went upon a box - a sort of a wooden box. I thought it had some carom coins or pegs of my old games in it and I eagerly took it. I opened it with great struggle and to my surprise, it was none of them. It was those beautiful red seeds, I exclaimed, “Ah, there it is!”. The box was full of Manjadikuru ( Sircassian seeds) which I had collected (a lot of them actually!) from Kerala when I was in 2nd or 3rd standard during my vacation there, I suppose. I was happy, too happy! I was overwhelmed. Well, that was quite weird.
Just like the Malayalam movie “Manjadikuru” that talks about nostalgia, I too was taken aback, looking at the handful of manjadikuru and my eyes welled up with tears. A series of my childhood vacation days in Kerala unwounded before my eyes just like the roll of a film unwounds.
May was the most awaited month for me because it was the time I got to flew to Kerala to enjoy my summer vacations every year. I recall the train journeys I had every year. It gave me a new friends and new experience each year. I was always impatient during the journey to Kerala, to meet my grandparents, cousins and relatives. I kept looking outside the window, eagerly waiting for our station. The boundless happiness and excitement that creeps in after meeting my cousins, the hugs and kisses and giggles and laughs are just unexplainable.
And well, how can I forget those Kuttiperas, (Playhouse, I guess, I don’t have a proper translation for the word!) we made using long sticks, long banana leaves and coconut leaves! The unforgettable little moments we spent inside it playing cards and marbles, eating food, talking and fighting too. And oh! those rainy days ! How we used struggle to convince our parents to get out of the house and play in the rain, making small boats and yelling and dancing. Also, we used fill the Nadumuttam (an open inner courtyard) of our Tharavad (house) with the rain water and play in it making paper boats and jumping and splashing. And the tasty time used to be when we go and find the raw mangoes and chambakka(rose apple) and have it with salt and pepper( my mouth is watering as I type down these!) And yes of course, the late night chit chats and quarrels to sleep together are some of the memories still lingering. And they will keep lingering forever.
I know, I have a wonderful treasure of priceless memories to cherish forever ! :)
As I was going through my old albums, note books, slam books etc., my gaze went upon a box - a sort of a wooden box. I thought it had some carom coins or pegs of my old games in it and I eagerly took it. I opened it with great struggle and to my surprise, it was none of them. It was those beautiful red seeds, I exclaimed, “Ah, there it is!”. The box was full of Manjadikuru ( Sircassian seeds) which I had collected (a lot of them actually!) from Kerala when I was in 2nd or 3rd standard during my vacation there, I suppose. I was happy, too happy! I was overwhelmed. Well, that was quite weird.
Just like the Malayalam movie “Manjadikuru” that talks about nostalgia, I too was taken aback, looking at the handful of manjadikuru and my eyes welled up with tears. A series of my childhood vacation days in Kerala unwounded before my eyes just like the roll of a film unwounds.
May was the most awaited month for me because it was the time I got to flew to Kerala to enjoy my summer vacations every year. I recall the train journeys I had every year. It gave me a new friends and new experience each year. I was always impatient during the journey to Kerala, to meet my grandparents, cousins and relatives. I kept looking outside the window, eagerly waiting for our station. The boundless happiness and excitement that creeps in after meeting my cousins, the hugs and kisses and giggles and laughs are just unexplainable.
The best part of the vacation used to be the morning bath in the river. I still remember how we all used to walk to the river, early morning with our parents. We used to start running half way to reach there before our parents, and plunge in to the chilled water, playing, and splashing and shouting and pulling each other’s legs. I don’t remember the count of the efforts my parents took to teach me swimming every year and I swear, I still don’t know how to swim! Ah, I remember those several failed attempts made by us to catch fish using our towels. We were never done with our playing and bathing even after 1-2 hours. Our moms used to yell at us. Well, who cared to listen to them?! And then, we used to take a stroll to the temple along the fields and finally reached home, tired and ready to attack the breakfast plates!
And well, how can I forget those Kuttiperas, (Playhouse, I guess, I don’t have a proper translation for the word!) we made using long sticks, long banana leaves and coconut leaves! The unforgettable little moments we spent inside it playing cards and marbles, eating food, talking and fighting too. And oh! those rainy days ! How we used struggle to convince our parents to get out of the house and play in the rain, making small boats and yelling and dancing. Also, we used fill the Nadumuttam (an open inner courtyard) of our Tharavad (house) with the rain water and play in it making paper boats and jumping and splashing. And the tasty time used to be when we go and find the raw mangoes and chambakka(rose apple) and have it with salt and pepper( my mouth is watering as I type down these!) And yes of course, the late night chit chats and quarrels to sleep together are some of the memories still lingering. And they will keep lingering forever.
I know, I have a wonderful treasure of priceless memories to cherish forever ! :)
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