Changing times

[018] ... [Life]

When I was six or seven my father once sent me to his friend's house, two roads away to get a book. Roads were invariably empty those days with very few vehicles and it wasn't difficult to find the place. Somehow the first impression of that house has remained etched till date. The tiled roof, the little garden and narrow stone pathway set in grass, the glow of morning eastern sun, the rear side of a large temple opposite, the partially enclosed verandah with cane furniture, the spic-and-span atmosphere, faint music on the radio from somewhere inside all seemed so inviting, specially since we at that time lived in a kind of group housing on a large plot and hadn't experienced living in an independent house. It became a routine then onwards to handover a book, a message or a letter, or get another book since both the friends were voracious readers, and I always enjoyed the job.

Many years later, after having moved out of that place, later to another city and then back, there was an occasion to visit the old area of childhood, and like anyone else I was all excited to go back in time. Of course things had changed, so much in fact, vehicles had taken over the roads, making it difficult to cross-over. Most of the old had given way for the not too appealing new that seemed to follow its own logic in making use of land than any thought for culture or aesthetics. Half the area seemed to have gone commercial with signboards, the goods spilled over to the shopfronts, hawkers on the sidewalks, litter and such. I was hoping for a better scene at the friend's place, but couldn't quite make out which of those later lined up had replaced the earlier.

Let's be frank, change is the essence of life which always evolves, for the good or bad. The good old house which no doubt had children going to school or college at that time must obviously have grown larger and unable to hold or appeal to the next and later generations. Like in most cases, helpless, it obviously submitted to make way for the new, so the same land can hold more of the kin. We can't and shouldn't complain. But the yesteryear's memories become more enjoyable when not comparing with the present, and only wish a bit of character had got retained...