Memories of Childhood

Early childhood is a life of enthusiasm, excitement and is care and anxiety free. it is a period of life when we are blessed with unmixed innocent and simple pleasures, unsullied by experience, knowledge and hardship of worldly life. No body can deny that such life is the best of life that a human being can live on earth. Then, we are most pliable and vulnerable to outside influence and impressions. Childhood reminiscences are our deep impressions. They are more importantly some of the stuff a child is born with and some of them reveal materials that go to the formation of his character and attitudes. W. Wordsworth, a romantic peot, recollected in ‘The prelude’ his childhood memories amidst nature developing his mind and self. They also provide some explanations why a matured individual has been behaving in some manners thought his life.

We enjoy getting lost in childhood recollections as childhood years are the golden time of our life. The joy of the period is incomparable because we enjoy pure and unmixed happiness and pleasures. We are innocent, simple, lively, sportive and easily excitable. I still rejoice in the panorama I recollect. In front of our house there were diverse fruit bearing trees often made charming by the calls & cries of birds. Their greenness is matched with the green from crops, plants and grasses in the lower land of our dwelling. Some portions of the land are, in fact, a bank of a bill size tank. The is mainly clean and little wavy and diversified with some floating mass of hyacinth and the growth of masses of reeds and grass near all the sides of the tank, except some open spaces for bathing, washing, etc. of the dwellers. The variety of the scene is made more fascinating by two or three kingfishers hunting and a good number of white herons standing in deep silence for hunts.

In Jaistha, I remember, how brothers, sisters, cousins and we passed sleepless nights in a stomy night in particular as we were anxious to get up early in the morning & gather mangoes. The sunny, moderately cold, a little misty winter morning was memorable. We, dressed in colourful warm clothes, ate diverse kinds of cake, laughing and gossiping. I recall with excitement and joy how different was the breakfast table of our children in the city and the difference when I plucked delicious plums before noon. Some of us were under the tree some, on the branches throwing down plums but the hilarity, loud laughter and shoutings and calls, were common to all of us. Amidst our primary school mates and friends our jollity, fun, frolic and enthusiasm reached the peak. Whether we were on the field after school hours or in the common room at leisure or tiffin time. School time over, we moved in a procession crying in chorus “Include Jindabad”. When I was near my house my younger brother taking my books in his breast welcomed me with delight and happiness that matched with my own.

Reminiscences would not be complete if I do not mention two events of great significance in my life. At a mosque of a Dargah on a Thursday night I standing chanted loudly and repeatedly ‘Allah’ and ‘Allahu’ in chorus of 30 & 40 persons from 10 pm to 1 am. I went to bed much exhausted, fell asleep instantly. I dreamt of an individual walking to and fro in an agitated manner. I asked who he was. Somebody told me he was Socrates. Socrates looked at me asking, it seemed, if I wanted any thing. I said “I am like you, I do not need anything”. 18 years after when I was thirty I realized that I was similar in my philosophic bent of mind, emotional nature and in a self-denying strain. Those are some of traits I am born with.

Another impression that I, often, remember is that of my grand father, a staunch votary of prayers, religious work and service. His passion was to say prayers five times a day on time and in the mosque and to recite the Holy Quoran for some time after Fazar prayer. Thought I resided in the city, sometimes, I visited my home in the village. It was usual with my grand father to ask every one of us get up for prayer. After responding to the ‘call’ of nature in the intervals of brushing his teeth performing ablution and fressing, he continued to call us. He would not leave for Azan and Namaz till he made us about 15 to 17 dwellers including the house assistants, male and female, get up.

Religiosity and early rising had been my second nature although rarely like my grand father. He did not support, also, songs on religious grounds, he even did not tolerate music in the marriage ceremony of my elder sister, Fatema in 1950. However, he failed to influence or change my love for music. I understood in my maturity that when something was innate in you, no influence, however deep, could cut ice with you.

Childhood recollection, to a great extent, cannot but be autobiographical. They are ingredients or food for our happy and delightful hours or they render our sorrowful moods happily forgetful. Some of them control and guide us. They are a good means to self-examination and self understanding. Many of us do not realize the significance how invaluable in our life are the reminiscences of our childhood.