ONE DAY AT THE
VILLAGE.
You get
so used to the electronic alarms that at first its hard to get up at the
rooster call. The rooster call starts around 3 am and that loud call just makes
you feel at home. You wake up on the
fourth call of the rooster, open the wooden window with those cracking sound.
You look outside and find everything calm and tranquil. There is a soft breeze
greeting you good morning. The foggy atmosphere, the chirping of the bird, the
happy sunrise makes you realize that you are really alive. You go outside on the bamboo balcony and
wash yourself with the fresh chilling mountain water. After that you go to the
kitchen. You see the hearth with little puff of smoke and a charcoal pot on it which
tells you that your breakfast is ready.
Your
grandma is sitting near the hearth chanting om mani pelmi hung and she greets you with a wrinkled smile. You sit
near her and at times that seems like the coziest and safest place on the
universe. Then slowly, you start telling grandma about the dreams that you had
and she with her wisdom tries to interpret it.
With
the full filled bucket of milk you witness the milk forming curd and cheese through
the process called churning. As your aunt prepares the lunch you have nothing
to do so you just play with your sibling. Not with toys and barbies but with
stones. You just find out that your sister exceeds you in ek dro pa ek. After that you accompany your aunt who is going to
the paddy taking your uncle’s lunch. The
nature’s beauties just mesmerize you; the newly sown paddies smiling up to the
hot summer sun, the sound of the river blending with the wind, the smell of the
soil and the chirping of the birds. As you near the paddy, you hear your uncle
singing as he ploughs. On seeing you and your aunt, your uncle waves at you and
stops ploughing. As he sits down he wipes his face with his shirt and he takes
out the leaves cap he has made to protect himself from the harmful UV rays. A
lunch of red rice and red chilies leaves you all sweating but nevertheless you won’t
be able to deny that it was wonderful.
When you return home, your sister and angay
are drying the wheat in the sun and once again you are asked to guard it from
crows and pigs. Knowing that it’s easy, you lay down on the ground and without
knowing you doze off under the hot scorching sun. Suddenly you wake up with
your face full of sweats. It’s almost sunset so you and your brother go the
forest to bring back the cows.
In the evening, all of the family member sit around the fire
and for dinner you are having bones with pumpkin. Though pumpkins are not your
favorite you cannot help but have two plates of rice with the pumpkin curry.
After dinner, your uncle retires to bed as he is bit tired. Your aunt weaves
with a song playing from the radio beside her. Grandmother is busy with the
children narrating her fascinating folk tales. The atmosphere is warm and cozy;
dim fire in the hearth, murmuring of grandma, humming of aunt and snoring of
your uncle and amazing exclamation from your cousins, The best music of your
life. That will end your one day stay at your village. A day well spent.
