A Walk to Remember...

Childhood
Was there a better time we ever had, other than those blissful days of childhood?.
The innocent blabbering, the little discoveries, silly fights, those misty mornings and enchanting sunsets still remain the most cherished memories till date.

I remember many of those cheerful images fondly, though time has diminished their clarity. Their undiminished charm enthrals me.

Visiting my village last summer and travelling through those very lanes and fields which held many of those sweet memories was cathartic and in a sense rejuvenating.

My state is known as God's Own Country and is renown for its geographic and biological diversity. My village is a quaint little coastal one with its vast paddy fields and undulating landscapes with rivers and streams meandering lazily in between them.
It is green most of the time and mid-May brings in the summer rains which lasts sometimes until August.

When I decided to set out on an evening walk along the narrow bunds in the paddy fields, my niece and nephew along with my son were excited to join me. Though my niece and nephew lived there and quite often took these kinds of walks, my son was thrilled to be walking along the serene paddy fields, after the hustle and bustle of the city he was used to.

The view which greeted us was this.
A walk through the paddy fieldsMy son enjoyed the trip the most as he had a roller coaster ride, cozily perched on my hip. He would squeal and laugh whenever I slipped in the slush and splashed mud all over my skirt. Twice my slippers got stuck in the mud. We somehow managed to reach the coconut and palm grove which bordered the field and from where a pukka concrete road led towards our house.


Coconut and palm groveThe whole trip was reminiscent of my childhood days. Walking through the muddy fields merely for the pleasure of it, chasing each other , mistaking the depths of the waterlogged fields and almost falling. Ah... How badly I wish those days were back again.
The fields mostly remained the same but the wide bunds which used to serve as walkways through the fields are gone now. With concrete roads going around the fields to every nook and corner of the village, everyone avoided the short cut through the fields. But alas,it lacked the charm of the walk through the green fields crisscrossed with small streams, meant to drain out the excess water.
Technology has deprived the kids of the joys of nature these days. Especially the city kids. My son had preferred to sit on the bridge and play a mobile game much to my disappointment, while his cousins had enjoyed catching fishes and splashing each other in the village stream.  I sat amid the greenery and meditated for a few minutes. I removed my slippers and enjoyed the cool  caressing breeze and tranquil atmosphere. I think I need to seek out such pleasures every now and then.

Sunset The sun had already begun to set by this time and we began our return journey. The kids triumphant as they had managed to catch a few nano-sized fishes.We returned after our adventure,  tired and muddy but with a rejuvenated mind and soul.