Thursday, June 05, 2008

Rain, a memory

I do not remember when or how I became so obsessed with rain. May be some summer vacation trip to Kerala. Yes, I had summer vacations here when its monsoon rain in Kerala.

I am just trying to re collect those moments when I have secretly enjoyed rain. Now why I call it ‘secret’ is because small girls always play with other children and don’t sit alone on the steps and watch rain for long hours.

My ancestral home is a small one. An old one. Really old I must say when everybody else has modified his or her ancestral home my dad never did it. The roof would leak when it rained and I would keep shifting my bed from one place to another in middle of the night. That was when for the first time in my life I saw a choriyan puzhu. A worm, which was black in color and was said, will give an itching sensation if it crawls on your skin. I still don’t know the English name of this cute worm. Not cute by nature, it just looked cute to me.

The mornings would be as beautiful as it could be. The smell was the best I can think of. A mixture of smells; of the dry leaves burning under the coconut trees; of the tired wet earth; of the damp bed sheet clothe; of the first smoke of the day from the traditional stove and of the few jasmines and roses in the front garden. I would lazily walk towards the kitchen and sit on the verandah to brush my teeth. I would go to the pond for a shower after that but would end up sitting on the huge stone fixed on the bank of it, which mema (aunt) uses for washing the clothes. And how could I forget the smell of the freshly extracted, thick coconut oil. Ah! The smell of our culture, I could say proudly. I would carelessly rub them into my hair.

Then the rain follows. I would comb my wet hair in hurry, pat some ponds powder on my face, put a round black color pottu, strike a small line of sandalwood paste above it and rush to the front sitting area of the house. The raindrops falling from the red clay roof tiles by then had made a dotted line on the mud. Birds could be seen sheltering on trees under leaves and quivering away to keep themselves warm and dry. These also include crows that stopped crying when it rained. Everything then remains still in memories. Only the rain and my secrets joys lived.

Maybe it was one of these like days that I first fell in love with rain. Since then I have never been to Kerala during the rainy season, but this year I will be. Hopefully the coming month. I know it has already started pouring there. I can wait no longer. Not any longer.

11 comments:

Sands | കരിങ്കല്ല് said...

Yeah, sweet memories..

I'll miss the rain! :(

Sands | കരിങ്കല്ല് said...

:)

You know what? I loved this post so much that... I took this post as my homework for my German class.

Just now I finished translating the post to German (not very good at it) and would be submitting it today. :)

Nitin said...

Good one again...I really wonder, how one can imagaine so much ....

Well don't fear, In kerala rain won't stop so soon ..u have sufficient time...

I found one thing missing in the post...U didn't mentioned about getting wet in rain.. U don't like getting drenched completley in rain ???

Rià said...

Oh wow!i wud love to go to Kerala sumday...for tht matter mumbai got its first monsoon showers today...and tht gives me relief from the humid summer! :)

Anonymous said...

kerala rains wow!!!!! D goes nostalgic......D are you okay ? :P

A Liberated Soul said...

Sands, so you have homework to do in German. Are u learning this language?

Nitin, I haven't lived in Kerala for too long. Only vacations. And to be honest I have never got wet in the rain. I plan to try it this time though I still prefer watching the rain.

Ria, Kerala is one place u should visit once in life time. Especially the back waters I must say.

Ashu, I am perfectly fine sweetheart. How have you been?

Sands | കരിങ്കല്ല് said...

LOL!!!

If I am not wrong, this was the first post I read in this blog.

Never came after you put that comment at the end.

Yes, as you'd have learned by now, I am learning German.

I just read (almost) all of your posts.

I was just a bit curious about you. Don't know why! But just some bit of curiosity.! :)

And fortunately or unfortunately, I still am! ;)

Sands | കരിങ്കല്ല് said...

Back to the first post again...

This time, I am a bit more curious to know who you are.

But I am not yet asking you! :) [durabhimaanam ennnu malayaalathil parayum] ;)

Sitting in office at 4 in the morning... for a night out... might make almost anyone a little crazy. Right?

Athaa ippo ivide vannu commentiyathu! :)

- Njan.

A Liberated Soul said...

Sands, I am happy you are reading my posts. But dont you think 4 am is too early a time for this??? :)

Sands | കരിങ്കല്ല് said...

Hmm.....

Rathri urangaathirikkumbo oru time pass okke vende? :) ;)

Sands | കരിങ്കല്ല് said...

Again here...

"First impression is the best impression" -- Well, I don't know how true it really is. But I do believe in it a little...

As I have told you earlier, this very post is the one I read first from you. Perhaps that's why I got impressed so much ;)

{not that your other posts are bad} ;)

But.. this is THE BEST.

It was raining outside and I tried to go out.. (Amma didn't let me go with my crutches and all..) And finally when I got the permission and all, the light rain had stopped.

Came back here and read this post. :)

Good one.. Really.

I just can see that pond and a (little) girl sitting on that washing stone! :) ;)

Well.. it is raining again.. let me go out.

Sorry undutto... just couldn;t help writing... :)

- Njan