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Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
The narrative conveys an octogenarian’s reflections as he reminisces about his childhood during warm summer days in a village. Surrounded by nature, he recalls the vibrant daily life, from feeding birds to playing with friends in mango orchards while enjoying the thrill of irrigation techniques like tube wells and Persian wheels. The arrival of the rainy season brings a nostalgic calm, prompting thoughts of returning to school. As he sips tea with his wife, he acknowledges the importance of memories over material possessions, expressing a deep emotional attachment to his past and the recorded experiences that might guide future generations.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- An octogenarian reflects on his childhood memories of summer days in a village, surrounded by nature and engaging in playful activities.
- He reminisces about the warmth of the sunny days, mango orchards, and irrigation techniques like tube wells and Persian wheels.
- The arrival of the rainy season evokes nostalgia, shifting his thoughts to school and the importance of memories over material possessions.
- He writes about his experiences in a diary, aiming to preserve memories for future generations while acknowledging the impermanence of physical possessions.
- Through his reflections, he finds joy in recording the past, emphasising that cherished memories serve as valuable lessons for his grandchildren.
Varied shades of nostalgia
An octogenarian was enjoying the cosy warmth of the winter forenoon sun, sitting in balconey of his house. The chirping of birds and occasional vehicular sounds of city traffic added background music which, was giving dimension to the surroundings but barely noticed. Being nearer and visible, the birds were his natural playthings, and he used to feed and talk to them.
Ostensibly, he looked calm, his mind stormed with different shades of thoughts. Caught in a vortex, the whirlpool of thoughts was churning. A little far away, a feeble sound of a song took him back in time and made him nostalgic. Diving deep in nostalgia, his journey down memory lane started. (Psychology Today)
Past reflections: childhood summers
The pictures of the past emerged. During the summer season, plumes of dust were a common sight in open spaces, especially in villages. After harvesting, the open countryside looked barren. The season also marked a recess for people in villages. As the fifth month of the year approached, the season would progressively become hot; the warm “loo” lash plains of the North. The roads would become deserted except for a few bullock carts and one or two horse-driven carts, “Ekka”, ferrying people.
Past reflections of rustic ambiance
One such warm forenoon, he aimlessly came out of the house and tramped towards a local Bazaar. Situated at the turn of a district road, there used to be a small conglomerate of shops. The district road was a dirt road, covered with pebbles dug out from local fields. The time was when infrastructure was shabby, and places seemed far off.
While walking past mango orchards, he saw a bullock cart pulling some goods. Bullock carts were a usual sight in villages, and they were in use even in cities. The bulls would raise their legs and place them in a manner of pulling the lug with considerable ease. Unconsciously, the scene registered in his mind and frequented his memory even after decades of that.
Reflections of past: The habitation
A few furlongs away was a habitation. It was part of the village community but with a difference. Amidst the field, there used to be a temple of Goddess Durga, a newly established degree college, a few makeshift shops, a post office and an RMP (Registered Medical Practitioner). The post office would serve the purpose of the postal hub of the whole village. It was a vital link connecting the near and far of villagers. Besides acting as a messenger, the post office also acted as a mini bank to keep small savings of the villagers. Post offices, with hanging insignia of red-coloured letter boxes, were important government offices that served various functions.
Nostalgia of Summer vacation
During summers, when the school closed for summer vacation, kids used to visit this place and spend his time roaming in a small mango orchard, watching people working in the fields and taking care of their cattle. Bullocks used to be an asset during that time when mechanised farming was a distant dream. Bullocks used in ploughing fields, dragging water from the well and lugging heavy loads in a cart.
The orchard and tubewell
Reminscing past takes a person to nostalgia. The days used to be lavish for kids who would enjoy the sweetness of mangoes in aplenty. The mango orchard, having a single “Mahua” (Butter tree, Madhuca longifolia) tree amidst varieties of mango trees, was their favourite place. Kids would enjoy the sight of hanging mangoes. Occasionally, they would climb the tree and feel a unique sensation looking down from the tree.
“The tube well is on”, someone announced. It used to be a moment of joy for children. With some elders, he enthusiastically visited the tube well to enjoy a bath in the gushing water coming out of a pump. That used to be a thrill, as the tank of the tube well was deep and slippery for small children; hence, they would prefer to enjoy the dip in the outgoing canals that came out of the reservoir.
Enjoyment
Besides tubewells, there used to be other modes of irrigation, serving small irrigation purposes at the local level. These minor irrigation points were also points of happiness for children. They would squeal when a gush of water would come out of the well. Children would watch with curiosity the way water fell from the small cans attached to a chain. It was the “Rahat” (Persian wheel or Water wheel) that was in the form of a large, wheeled structure garlanded with a long-looped chain affixed with cans at small intervals. Driven by oxen, the wheel would turn the chain of buckets upside down, dipping into the water below and coming up containing water in them to empty into a shallow pond-like structure that drove the water to fields through a canal. It was a full-time job, engaging a person or two people to run it.
He would enjoy bathing in yet another type of irrigation mode. It was a large container consisting primarily of leather affixed with wooden cross bars acting as a handle to tie it to a long rope. In vernacular language, it was called “Mot”. The leather bucket would be lowered in a well to fill it with water and the filled container was pulled by bullocks moving on a ramp.
The “Mot” would empty onto a low-bordered bevelled platform. The water used to irrigate the field simultaneously pleased children. As water would gush from the large, water-filled “Mot” coming out of the well, children on the platform would squeal with joy. Situated between twin trees of Mango and Azadirechta, the well used to be a good pastime.
Petrichor
After the spell of summer, the hot “loo” begins to die down gradually. The sweet cooing of “Koel” (Cuckoo) becomes less frequent. A cool breeze replaced the cool easterlies. The scorching heat considerably mellowed. The atmosphere starts becoming humid. The specks of clouds were replaced by dark, patchy clouds. Large birds like kites and vultures were seen soaring high in the sky in a circular motion. Occasionally, a few drops would fall, emitting petrichor. Even today nostalgia caught him when petrichor hits his olfactory senses.
The inebriating petrichor soon became prominent. Lo and behold! The drops became frequent, and it was raining. The first rain after a long dry spell of heat and dust had changed the scenario. It relieved every organism from the scorching heat. The torrential rain had started, and water from all sides was entering the fields, brimming ditches and the pond. Loud croaks of frogs and the chirping of crickets were heard, making the atmosphere romantic.
Schools reopen
At the end of the romantic stay, it was time for the children to start school. The summer vacation was now over, and schools reopened. It was time for him to return to his routine, leaving behind the quiet and pleasant rural atmosphere for the city.
Evening tea
His train of thoughts halted by the call of his spouse. It was time for evening tea. In nostalgia, he was thinking about his past. Living with his wife, he has nothing material to call his prized possessions except for his fond memories of childhood. His cherished possessions have accumulated to tell his story to the younger generation and grandchildren.
Recording past reflections
He later started writing his feelings and experiences in a diary to paint vivid pictures meticulously about nostalgia. Some of his accounts, nevertheless, were destroyed by natural causes. A few of them remained and are tucked in somewhere in the almirah along with some of his collection of old books. He did it for self-satisfaction, but it gave him a good start for introspection and finding out the reasons why he was where he was. It had no substantial use, but it could guide his grandchildren to take a cue to avoid similar unpalatable situations or learn a lesson from his failures.
The physical possessions are momentary and perishable. Nostalgia gives him relief and upto some extent happiness, despite difficulties of childhood and youth time. Being an emotional person, he feels attached to past happenings and is used to preserving every bit of paper, possessions, toys, stone figurines, old currency notes and similar materials. Though most of them have either been misplaced or destroyed, some are with him. Occasionally, he opens his box, fondly caresses them and slips into his past.
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Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
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