Humans are a nostalgic kind of creature. We think about good times in the past and reminisce about our memories. I love to think about the times when I felt carefree and content. Our childhood is when we are the most adventurous and do things that, as we grow up, we either shy away from or do not get the time to do. When I think of a moment when I felt the happiest, untroubled and relaxed, I think of my summer vacations as a child.
Every year during the May vacation, I would go out with my family for one or two weeks. One would think this would make me feel the best, but the best times of my young life would be the few other weeks I would be at home and spend all day with my friends. Even doing the most basic activities would be much more fun because I did them with all my building friends. Every day was very varied, but there was always 1 constant: fun.
I would wake up every morning at 9:30 and call all my friends on the landline. We would fix a time when we would all come down to the play area. After a time was decided, I would take a shower, stuff my face with breakfast and run down. My society had a huge open space and many amenities, so children from other buildings would come over to mine. We would all play together.
Raj, a boy in my neighbourhood, would always bring his cricket bats and balls. He had the best equipment when it came to cricket. If we decided to play basketball, my neighbour, George, would get his basketball and attachable hoop. I was always the youngest in this group, so I was not as good as everyone else. It made me want to be better. It made me the competitive person I am today.
After playing till early afternoon, we went to the shop nearby to buy ice lollies or snacks. We would sit on the staircase and munch on our goodies. Then we would all play some more. Usually, we would all be pretty tired, so we would throw stones at the mango tree in the park and try to make a mango fall off. Whoever was successful would take it home and get to decide what game we played the next day. We would go home, eat lunch and then come back down and play till 8 p.m.
Three years ago, one of my best friends had to move away. Her mother got a job transfer to Delhi. It was so sudden and absolutely heart-shattering for all of us. Maya was the most cheerful person in the group. She was the one that bound us all together. She told us she was moving and less than two months later, she was gone forever. None of us ever got to see her again. When she left, she took a part of our group with her because we were never the same. For the first few months, we kept in contact but soon, life got ahead of us. Some of the children from the neighbourhood stopped coming gradually because she was the reason they came by. Once they stopped coming, all the other children got older and started classes and tuition and did not have the time to come down and play anymore; not even during the summer. Eventually, we stopped playing together entirely. We would only meet on Saturday nights and sit on the swings. We talked about how much we missed Maya and how things just were not the same without her. Now, most of us have moved to other buildings and a new group of much younger children has started playing in the park. Every time I look at them, it reminds me of all the wonderful times I spent with my friends.
I never realised it back then, but those were the best days of my life. I know I will never be able to do any of that again but simply reliving those memories fills me with glee and joy. That period will always hold a special place in my heart because I know I will never truly get to spend three weeks of my life just playing and enjoying it.
Comments