MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD

This picture speaks volume. Looking at it takes my mind down the memory lane. It reminds me of my childhood. Though lots of details have escaped my mind and remain too remote to be recalled one thing keeps on beating my imagination….how I survived with all the risky adventures I was engaged in.The twin hill standing tallest was my highest mountain in the world.With my associates we will ascend and descend tens of times a day aimlessly in excitement.We just spent hours chasing tiny little insects called grasshoppers.Most of the times the hunting was fruitless but we never seized to continue in same unyielding exercise may be because we hadn’t other sources of distraction…no toys to play with ,no internet to browse, no television to watch.From the top of this hill one could have a telescopic view of the whole village….the undulating hills encircling a vast valley….that was our world, our heaven and earth.


The plantain and banana trees were our hide and seek ground when we returned from the hill.
The coffee farm around our family home was the biggest plantation one had ever set eyes on.Just like the little girl starring we used to wonder what the world beyond could be offering and it never occurred in our wildest imagination that there was any place on earth more beautiful than our neighborhood… True None Is!!!.The narrow stretch of untarred road which served concomitantly as our football field was the only street known to us as our parents limited our perimeter of freedom not beyond this .

In the evenings we will gather by the three-stone-fire-side in one of the houses to listen to the mind moving stories recounted to us by the aged. Stories of the history of our land, Stories about heroes, stories about mysticism and black magic. All these sank down our minds and as as niave as we were left us in bewilderment.

One never thought of ever leaving this beautiful creation of God untill curiosity and the quest for the knowledge finally took one out of this garden.

Looking at this picture again reminds of my parted friends with whom we shared this common childhood…May their souls R.I.P.

Looking at this picture reminds me of how much I owe this little hamlet that gave me all I needed to realize my dreams.
 I hope I will be able to give back one day.