Born in Madras,now Chennai,year after year sizzling hot summers were an inevitable part of our lives.To top it Madras being a coastal city is still showered with ample humidity to itz occupants.Schools close by first week of April and itz supposed to be fun in the sun until June turns.Well from 5 till 15 there was a joyous place to go and affectionate people to meet.My grandparents had a farm house flanked by farm lands in a far away village to nurture their passionate cultivation hobby.I had a handful of cousins to enjoy with.
What else?.Right away we would pack our bags to head there by a town bus right after the final exams.After a 6hour tiring journey in the sizzling sun,the aromas of madras city would fade not just from the sight but gradually from the mind too. The rustic smell fills the breath at once stepping out of the bus.It was much hotter there & the frequent power cuts added salt to the sizzling hot injury.But as kids we never bothered so much about that.The village name in Tamil(my mother tongue) is best translated as 'North side'.I have seen my grandfather in a much relaxed state in the village home than elsewhere.
Though the house was completely built with concrete unlike the other thatched houses around,there were more than 50 trees around the house.I could definitely list a few starting fromcoconut,papaya,mango,teakwood,pineapple,guava,eucalyptus,hibiscus,pumpkin& plantain.Food for the whole bunch was never a problem since i have seen the practise of barter system being alive there.A lady from the third house would come home with a sack full of spinach & green chilies to take away few pints of groundnut for exchange.There were freebies as well.Red & white melons along with fresh green canes reached home in bullock carts more out of love from people all over the village.There must have been close to 150 people in that village mostly innocent,loving & deeply affectionate.Even a honey comb would reach our home after few risky stints with the honey bees.Special fishes from near by lakes & ponds,rare vegetables,nutritious food for free were few of the things that we enjoyed in the name of love.Brown eggs,unadulterated milk with full of cream & some exotic greens everyday were abundantly available to us.
What else?.Right away we would pack our bags to head there by a town bus right after the final exams.After a 6hour tiring journey in the sizzling sun,the aromas of madras city would fade not just from the sight but gradually from the mind too. The rustic smell fills the breath at once stepping out of the bus.It was much hotter there & the frequent power cuts added salt to the sizzling hot injury.But as kids we never bothered so much about that.The village name in Tamil(my mother tongue) is best translated as 'North side'.I have seen my grandfather in a much relaxed state in the village home than elsewhere.
Though the house was completely built with concrete unlike the other thatched houses around,there were more than 50 trees around the house.I could definitely list a few starting fromcoconut,papaya,mango,teakwood,pineapple,guava,eucalyptus,hibiscus,pumpkin& plantain.Food for the whole bunch was never a problem since i have seen the practise of barter system being alive there.A lady from the third house would come home with a sack full of spinach & green chilies to take away few pints of groundnut for exchange.There were freebies as well.Red & white melons along with fresh green canes reached home in bullock carts more out of love from people all over the village.There must have been close to 150 people in that village mostly innocent,loving & deeply affectionate.Even a honey comb would reach our home after few risky stints with the honey bees.Special fishes from near by lakes & ponds,rare vegetables,nutritious food for free were few of the things that we enjoyed in the name of love.Brown eggs,unadulterated milk with full of cream & some exotic greens everyday were abundantly available to us.
The star studded skies,twinkling fire flies and the super clean well waters still stand sparkling in the mind.Honestly there were no complaints & no responsibilities.Life looked worth in the summers than during the rest of the year.Me and my cousins had soaked us in soils,played in waters,ran across fields,climbed trees,harvested grains,travelled by bullock carts,plucked figs,drank palm juice & planted crops as well.Years back when we toiled in those invaluable tasks,we didn't know the true value behind living in nature's lap.We have even witnessed the glowing orange sunset on one side while the silver moon rising on the other side of the globe from vast open fields on many days.
In the years rolled by after those treasured years, we only saw the mechanical side of life bound by responsibilities & ambitions to pull us through where we are today.In these intermediate years i unconsciously realised how much i paid for a papaya milkshake churned from the pesticide protected fruit,how much a single watermelon costed on the roadside,what quality of food,eggs & milk i ate & drank,how unadulterated really were the grains that i consumed,how often did i get to eat an exotic vegetable,fresh fish or a palm fruit ?.At the end the pillars of my family passed away leaving behind nothing but cherishable memories and a portion of good health in between the strands of our bones & mucles that we all nurtured in our childhood consuming those healthy food.
Today when i pick up a cart of eggs tagged 'Organic' from my super hyper market,I see millions of nutritive memories weaving across.
In the years rolled by after those treasured years, we only saw the mechanical side of life bound by responsibilities & ambitions to pull us through where we are today.In these intermediate years i unconsciously realised how much i paid for a papaya milkshake churned from the pesticide protected fruit,how much a single watermelon costed on the roadside,what quality of food,eggs & milk i ate & drank,how unadulterated really were the grains that i consumed,how often did i get to eat an exotic vegetable,fresh fish or a palm fruit ?.At the end the pillars of my family passed away leaving behind nothing but cherishable memories and a portion of good health in between the strands of our bones & mucles that we all nurtured in our childhood consuming those healthy food.
Today when i pick up a cart of eggs tagged 'Organic' from my super hyper market,I see millions of nutritive memories weaving across.
