A Season For The Soul - Summer-y Memories!

 

Oh when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Ya - I'd always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life!

- Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams

Indeed summer seems to last forever now-a-days. The heat feels oppressive. The hot air around feels suffocating. 

But it was not always so. Some summers didn't last long enough! Some summers, I wish, would return.

Summers when the day would break out as soon as 5. I would wake up at daybreak. Freshen myself and would go to the building compound to pluck flowers from the numerous trees that adorned the building. Sometimes neighbours joined me too, and being the youngest one (I think I am writing about a time when I was about 10 years old), the elders would tell me to climb on the wall adjoining the tree and pluck flowers for them. It was exhilarating! It is strange how, as children, we were willing to take risks, to climb higher and to explore new avenues without any fear. 

By the time the flowers were plucked, it would be 6.30. My parents would scold me. "You are having vacation now. Why do you wake up so early? What are you going to do?" Oh, but there was always something to do. If my friends weren't up yet, then I would sit on a bench at the entrance of my building and watch over the road. I would see many people from my building leave for their offices. At other times, my entire team of friends would assemble at the gate and we would leave for a playground to play badminton. The ground was far. We had to walk for atleast 20 minutes, one way. It didn't matter. We ran on the road, teased each other, sometimes fought, did just about everything to make the walk feel comfortable and short. It is amazing how, being with friends, one never feels any tiredness!

You would feel that one would be tired after the above-said adventure. Nope. No tiredness when it comes to friends! On returning back, we would find our parents waiting at the building gate to drag us into our homes. A refreshing bath and delicious breakfast would follow. And then I would run out again to meet my friends.

Sometimes, we rented out cycles and rode them around the building compound. At other times, we played games. Kho-kho was a favourite. And the best part was, there were enough of us to play the game and the building had abundant space too. The noise and din we made! The people in the building banned us from playing in the afternoon. So noons were spent in my friends' house, playing cards or carrom. 

A short break would follow for tea and some snacks. And then we would meet at the terrace in the evening. Sometimes we all would walk around the terrace. Sometimes we played games, which we would stop when the people living in the floor beneath the terrace would start complaining about the noise that we were making. We would be together till it was time for dinner. Then all of us would return home with the unsaid promise of returning the next morning with renewed vigour.

Sometimes, fate worked in our favor. Power-cuts were very frequent then and when the power went off at night, all of us would again meet at the entrance of the building! In fact, many people would come out of their homes and assemble at the entrance, talking with each other, complaining about the 'system', teasing us about school re-openings and generally have fun. I actually used to look forward to power-cuts. 

The power-cuts don't happen frequently now. Even if they happen, there is the inventor. Except for the wi-fi, nothing changes. There is no need to leave the home, there is no one assembled at the entrance, waiting for a chance to catch up with friends and neighbours and talk to them. Most of all, the friends aren't here, neither are my parents, my sis and my cousins. 

So where are they? Physically, they all are scattered in different cities. In my memories, we are always together – the family as a whole assembled in one room during a power-cut, with just one candle lighting up the room and the kids huddled together; I and my friends are together too in memories, playing kho-kho and screaming our lungs out on a beautiful summer day! 

I am always conflicted about seasons. I do love the change that they bring. But then, they take me on a nostalgic journey.

To a time that I can visit only in my memories.

To a place that I have left far behind but where a part of me froze forever.

To people with whom I am now connected only through memories!