Memoirs of My Childhood – Part 1 (1971 – 1976)

I do not remember 1971 or 1972. My pre 1976 memories include dancing grass, moving shadows, a little sandpiper, coral masonry without doors, a twinkling red light and endless sea.

Some days I simply squat in this dancing grass. It is when the morning light is soft and low. I hide there quietly motionless until I feel the warmth of the glowing afternoon. I see my shadow dance with the tall thin grass of many greens. This wind that comes to me, no one sees but my closed eyes. Pass beyond me it goes chasing the grass and the grass runs to hide.

Some days I sit under the portia tree at the entrance of our home. Then, it was not the tree which interests me, but now I admire and collect the timber of it. I remember staring at the shadows under the tree. I see slow moving groups of many circles in varying neutral tones. Overlay into one another making deeper shades of intersections. And little orange ladybugs with black dots on its back move around it.

One day I remember we had a little sandpiper bird. It was very quick in moving around the house. It went into a hole in the coral masonry and never came back.

These walls had no doors for some time. Only a light cotton curtain covered the entrance. I remember the nights when we sleep. This curtain rise when that wind which no one sees pass through. That is when I see a twinkling red light from a distant dark sky. Later I knew that it was a signal light at the top of the television station tower.

In front of our home is the ring road, then called the marine drive, of the capital and beyond is the endless sea. A light blue green is all I see for a far distance. My elder brother takes me to the sea without telling mother. He is always too active unlike me. I remember the sea was fun. There is a very deep certain area on the left side in a distance. The people of the town call that location Amelia Depths. Amelia was a famous dancer who lived during that time. And later I came to know why people named that deep area by her name. It seems that she gave birth to her child in the depths of that lagoon. I was fascinated with the colourful fishes and the corals and seashells that we find plenty. But the interesting part is the return home after the enjoyment from the sea. From returning we quietly go to the bathroom for a shower. The bathroom is a large detached outdoor place with coconut thatched walls. At one side is a large well surrounded by a circular cement floor. There is a cylindrical tin a foot in diameter and to it is fixed a long round stick. We call it “dhaani”, and it is used to take water out from the well and we pour on our head for a great shower.

Everyday on our return from the sea we get caught by our mother. This was really frightening for me but still I join him the next day.