Childhood Recalled

-Bishnu P. Sharma Parajuli

My grandfather (mother side) who was 86 years old, slowly pulled my right hand and put something like paper in my palm. I looked and found it was one rupee note. I looked at wrinkled face, there was deep love flowing for me from his eyes. He walked about three hundred meter from house at a point to farewell me from where he could see for long time.

This was an event took place before 12 years when I had been at mother's birth place to visit grandparents. This time when I visited, memories of the past came like the rising waves of Kali Gandaki river in the month of August. At Janai Purnima this year, I visited Mama Ghar which should be first during Purnima. It was really exciting, memorable and lovely though I could only remember grandfather and grandmother around the corners of the region. Both of them have passed away many years ago. Now, I can only recall my parents too, who also put away their burden many years ago.

   

Mama Ghar is always a very lovely and interesting place to visit especially at childhood. Though far, I remember, I visited Mama Ghar every Dashain sometime with my mother and sometime with other relatives until I completed my high school in the village. Dashain most interesting for me was to collect coins from grandmother, mama, grandfather and other relatives. I remember, once at around B.S. 2027, I had collected rupees 13 which was much at the time and I always remember my excitement and attachment with the coins given by grandmother and grandfather. For me, rupees thirteen was enough for a year.

 The past memories surpassed in my mind one after another like the white could crossed rapidly the deep green hills, valleys and streams. I looked and looked for a long time where I had said good bye to my grandfather and grandmother.

This year too became similarly memorable. My grandfather had ten brothers. Two of them are still living in Kalungkhola, Baglung. This time, at Janai Purnima, I had an opportunity to meet and talk with them. Grandfathers I met this time are at the age of 94 and other  83 living with grandmothers who are relatively younger than them and able to take care. We all had tears and laugh together when we were fully engaged in wearing holy thread. I recalled those days, when I was with my mother at my childhood, where she used to talk about her life at my birth place at Bihadi, Parbat. Within the happiest moment, I also thought that will I be able to see them again. I am not sure, though I love to go there. I asked myself- why I was there after 12 years and not at least at two years intervals. The life is so terrible, too difficult to manage when you get involved with life-world.

This year's Purnima became really memorable. After completing five day's Journalism Training at my home district, I ran away to my mother's birth place-Mama Ghar to Kalungkhola, Baglung and solely recalled my childhood. The luring deep greenery all around the corner, waterfalls, gurgling river Kali Gandaki, Modi Khola and many other streams had welcomed us opening their soul.

Surprising, most interesting and historical part of the trip was that we four generations my elder sister's youngest son, I myself, my Mama, and my mama's Mama were together during this purnima. Keeping lovely memory in the mind and saying  good bye to grandfathers, grandmothers and Mamas, Maijus, brothers and sisters, river Kali Gandaki, Modi Khola and deep green valley, we entered in the valley of human being-the Kathmandu Valley. In three-half-day time, we had trekked about 17 hours, crossed suspension bridge over Kali Gandaki for four times from three different places and passed several hills, rice fields and the lovely villages and relatives.