Memories

                              MEMORIES.


  The Other day, I remembered a certain tree in my home-town. This tree I would never forget because of it's outstanding and astonishing features and location. As a child, growing up with siblings and occasionally visiting the village, this tree was always  one of the landmarks I looked out for in order to ascertain how close to my compound we were. Whenever I  beheld the tree, then, only then would I be sure that we were home.
   The tree had a way of making me scared and then leaving me in awe as a child. We called the tree ''Apu'', I do not know even now if it has an English name.
     Apu is (as it still stands) a very huge tree, it's roots run deep and spread out wide above the ground, spanning quite a distance, it's trunk  and stem are humongous.
     I remember Apu and with it comes flooding in all my childhood days spent in my home-town. We usually travelled at Christmas, Easter and any other occasion that would require going to the village. Christmas! Such a wonderful time. Whenever the last month of the year drew close and Christmas day approached, there was a certain kind of excitement that rent the air in my household.
    I always felt so happy at the prospect of travelling to the village. There was the excitement of having the extended family members around: cousins, aunts and uncles. There was the pure joy of looking forward to freedom. Freedom!  (chuckles) Freedom, yes, because back then as a child growing up in the city with siblings, our parents never let us go outside to play, we were mostly confined to the rooms, balconies and any other space upstairs.
    So you can imagine the sheer joy of a child who could now roam the vast grounds of a compound, play games that were otherwise impossible  for her, outside! There was also the freedom to go out and visit(even though my siblings and I had to sneak out sometimes)   You have no idea how overwhelmingly exciting it was to finally get to visit friends in the village who by the way reside in the same city as you but who you never get to see until Christmas.
       I remember also the early morning cold that had us all shivering and covered up in sweaters, it also had us shying away from doing the dishes as the water was always too cold for such venture. There was also the breakfast "ceremonies"where we sat on any available space to eat and talk about any matter that arose .The early mornings were my favourite time of the day.
     Those times, dear times, times that would always be remembered and cherished. The "Apu"tree still stands tall, I wonder sometimes if it would ever fall. One day, I am sure, when it's cycle closes.