MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES…

I would like to share the most cherished moments of my childhood. Every summer in my childhood was very special to me. The mango tree in my garden made it special. I lived in a joint family then. I, my sister and my cousins would always compete to get the mango that would ripen in the tree and fall to the ground. The one who laid his hand on the fruit first would get the chance to relish the tasty fruit. My summer even now doesn’t end without remembering the mango tree. Now the mango tree no more stays in my garden as we had to cut down the tree to construct the apartments we live in now.
Let me tell you about my childhood… the house we lived in then and the mango tree in that house. That tree will always remain special for me though the mango tree had many companions along with it the lemon, the pomegranate, the guava and many others. But I never could connect with the others as I had bonded with the mango tree then. The tree lay expanded till my terrace and the fruits would fall on the terrace. We would run up the stairs to get the fruit at the sound of the rattling of the dried leaves when the fruit would fall. I was one of the luckiest then because I was always rather most of the times the first person to lay the hand on the mango that would fall and had the opportunity of relishing the tasty mangoes of my garden. Mostly during the afternoons when everyone would be asleep I only had to get it because I would never sleep in the afternoons. The mango tree had shared along with me all my sorrows and pleasures as a child. I don’t know how old it was but had always been my best friend then and it will always remain in my heart. My arms were so small that I could never completely hold the trunk of the tree. My hands would never meet around. It would patiently listen to all the silly things I kept telling and never complained. May be that’s why I told everything to it, the things which no one else knows, the tree knew them all. The secrets I don’t even remember now lay buried along with the tree. That was the place where I had my childhood spent, the beautiful moments of my life. I am falling short of words to explain the feelings I share with that place but will surely tell when I find words to explain my feelings. Everyone has sweet memories of their childhood. Even I had a very special childhood and my friend the mango tree made it even more special. Those are the sweet memories I always cherish and even today every summer I just can’t stop speaking about the tree. Those were the beautiful moments that would never come back in life but will always remain special to have and will always have a special place in my heart.
This is a tribute to the mango tree the dearest one to me and will always remain my favourite pal and the best pal in my life…..

SNEHA NAIK