Summer holidays

Summer holidays have begun for School children. If were a kid I would have got to enjoy next two months.

Summer holidays at Granny’s place meant lotsa fun and learning. I remember that during holidays I would wake up on my own, early in the morning. I used to take up the responsibility of drawing rangoli and plucking flowers for puja.Also watering the plants. Later I would help granny in kitchen. I would move around the house helping everyone to get ready. After everyone left the house, she would make me read Kannada newspaper and write down all the headlines in neat handwriting. This was her way of teaching me Kannada as I was very poor at it. This was something I hated doing during holidays-studying/reading/writing. I am pretty comfy with Kannada now and all thanks goes to granny. During summer she would make papad, pickles and balaka(chilli with masala stuffed into it). I would help her along with my aunt(s) to spread it for drying in the portico. It was my job to keep an eye on the papads and as I would sit shooing away crows and sparrows, one of my aunts would join me reading out Aesop’s fables or any story. I would fall sleepy half way and ask aunt to continue later after a nap.

Summer time also meant I would get access to the book-cupboard. Granny would open the lock and the cupboard would smell of DDT and naphthalene and there was a huge collection of books there…a treasure passed on for generations. It was a rule to take out only one book at a time and I had to keep it safely back. Initially I would take the books and ask any of the aunts to read it for me. What they would do is, they would read a bit pf the story and leave it unfinished. Out of curiosity I would make great effort to read out the story on my own. Granny and her tactics to make me a reading buff….:).I still consider that my affair with books started on those summer holidays at granny’s place.

Evening was meant for playing. Till late evenings we used to play all sorts of games. At nights granny would make us(me and my cousins or aunts) sit together and give us kai tuttu outside in the portico. Those are the days I will never forget.

I miss being a kid. I miss summer holidays. I miss granny. I miss those days.