There is a part of the childhood that clings to us even when we grow up and we carry it within us unconsciously. For me it was “The Forbidden Woods” of my grandma's place. It was what that ruled our waking and even sleeping thoughts when we spent our holidays every year until one by one we were lost to the city life completely.
It was an enigma and a mystery for us children as the elders either refused to acknowledge the presence(strangely a huge presence) of this woods or went rather deaf when we became highly curious about the woods and they without fail sabotaged our many missions to explore the woods.
Even now after twenty years there is this part of me who still wants to go deep into the woods and explore it all alone.Though I am here on a mission this time,I am the only one here as the rest of them are so engrossed in their lives and success, I doubt whether they remember if such a place exists. In a way that is a blessing as this exotic and enigmatic beauty of twenty acres could very well be converted into a resort if any one of them gets a sudden flash of childhood reminiscence.
There is one thing that has to be dealt with. The great Barrier of our Childhood fantasies--the six feet high moss covered monster--the only thing that had the power to crush our many adventures-- the only thing that could quench the exuberant energy we had as kids to do all the forbidden things.
There it would be like a fort enclosing the woods--like a knight in green armour shining in all its glory, smirking at us kids; as even the most talented trekking experts among us could not conquer it, but there was a Sherlock Holmes among us who found the key to the woods - a small gate well hidden, as if it has grown into the wall. It was still a feather in our cap, be it the only one !
The discovery of the gate did nothing but increase our agony. We still could not see what was inside and the next problem was to find the key to open the gate. We could not turn to the elders and again we were back to Square One. The only solace were the few glimpses we had of the woods from the top of the wall -- the thick, luxurious, bushy green branches entwined with creeping wines, the sleeping bats hanging upside down, the hanging wines, the sound of birds and the mysterious sound of the flowing water-- which sparked our curiosity and also our imagination.There was no leaps and bounds to our imagination. And in our mind we build up an exotic garden, far better than “The Secret Garden"(incidently this was the book to which we turned for guidelines)
With flowers, birds, beautiful fountains, brooks and streams where we could go and drown
ourselves into a world of our own without the interference of anything--a great escape
for us city bred mortals. But sadly it remained our chilhood fantasy. Not any more. I am here to decipher the mystery.
But on second thoughts, why should I ruin the great garden of our fantasy-- the garden which was magical-- the garden which could solve all our problems, our only solace ?Even though I held the thing that could conquer the Mighty wall - the long, slender, rusty old key engraved with wines and leaves, something in me stopped me. I could not bring myself to open the gate.
And I stood there all alone. But there was in me a child who had nothing to cling on to except the garden of her fantasies. And she made me gaze at the wall.And strangely enough I could see the wall smirking at me!
It was an enigma and a mystery for us children as the elders either refused to acknowledge the presence(strangely a huge presence) of this woods or went rather deaf when we became highly curious about the woods and they without fail sabotaged our many missions to explore the woods.
Even now after twenty years there is this part of me who still wants to go deep into the woods and explore it all alone.Though I am here on a mission this time,I am the only one here as the rest of them are so engrossed in their lives and success, I doubt whether they remember if such a place exists. In a way that is a blessing as this exotic and enigmatic beauty of twenty acres could very well be converted into a resort if any one of them gets a sudden flash of childhood reminiscence.
There is one thing that has to be dealt with. The great Barrier of our Childhood fantasies--the six feet high moss covered monster--the only thing that had the power to crush our many adventures-- the only thing that could quench the exuberant energy we had as kids to do all the forbidden things.
There it would be like a fort enclosing the woods--like a knight in green armour shining in all its glory, smirking at us kids; as even the most talented trekking experts among us could not conquer it, but there was a Sherlock Holmes among us who found the key to the woods - a small gate well hidden, as if it has grown into the wall. It was still a feather in our cap, be it the only one !
The discovery of the gate did nothing but increase our agony. We still could not see what was inside and the next problem was to find the key to open the gate. We could not turn to the elders and again we were back to Square One. The only solace were the few glimpses we had of the woods from the top of the wall -- the thick, luxurious, bushy green branches entwined with creeping wines, the sleeping bats hanging upside down, the hanging wines, the sound of birds and the mysterious sound of the flowing water-- which sparked our curiosity and also our imagination.There was no leaps and bounds to our imagination. And in our mind we build up an exotic garden, far better than “The Secret Garden"(incidently this was the book to which we turned for guidelines)
With flowers, birds, beautiful fountains, brooks and streams where we could go and drown
ourselves into a world of our own without the interference of anything--a great escape
for us city bred mortals. But sadly it remained our chilhood fantasy. Not any more. I am here to decipher the mystery.
But on second thoughts, why should I ruin the great garden of our fantasy-- the garden which was magical-- the garden which could solve all our problems, our only solace ?Even though I held the thing that could conquer the Mighty wall - the long, slender, rusty old key engraved with wines and leaves, something in me stopped me. I could not bring myself to open the gate.
And I stood there all alone. But there was in me a child who had nothing to cling on to except the garden of her fantasies. And she made me gaze at the wall.And strangely enough I could see the wall smirking at me!
U possess this treasure - "THOUGHTS", which amply catalysis the flow of words. Y I like this piece is because I can give it my own meaning and anyone else can ornament it differently.
ReplyDeleteKeep writing.