Childhood Adventures-1
My father served in Indian Air Force. We grew up in a lot of places. The five years in Assam were one of the most adventurous days of all. Full of nature everywhere. In the semi-forest campus we lived in, one would routinely spot snakes, mongoose and the likes especially on rainy days. And what rainy days they were! Water would pour all day from the dark clouds in big drops, making a sharp sound when colliding with the ground. Earth hurriedly gulping them up, and we watching all this through our big window for hours. Because, what else to do on a rainy day when the electricity is gone? That's the thing about a life that is less happening; You can stick your nose on the window and watch outside for hours. Soak up the scene in your eyes, the way dry earth soaks the rainwater.
Quite frequently, one would spot a snake in their balcony or while walking on the roads. Once a woman in our neighbourhood, while hanging her clothes in the balcony, spotted a snake lying on the rope basking in the heat. She fainted, the children in the house started shouting. Next moment half of the campus was in the house trying to fend the uninvited intruder off. Fifteen minutes later, A local Assamese guy puts that snake around his neck, and leaves the scene while patting him gently! To an outsider, this might seem so dangerous. But then again, if you don’t know which kind of snakes bite and which don’t, all of them are equally dangerous to you. I can't make out one from the other, so I generally stayed away.
Have you seen those people riding on an elephant, walking around in the city? There used to be one who would come to our campus once a week, with his rider of course who supposedly didn’t have much to feed him. Everyone would get so excited to see them. Some people would give him money, others would just feed the elephant fruits or raw vegetables.
Once when they came, I got a crazy idea. I asked mom what do elephants like to eat. She told me they like cucumber. I insisted on taking one with me and feeding the elephant. After ten minutes of insisting and crocodile tears, I was allowed with the strict instruction that I should give the cucumber to the elephant-rider (Who is walking beside him) from a distance and let him feed the elephant. I was not so sure but agreed. I vaguely remember me standing outside with the cucumber and the elephant spotting it from a distance and immediately starting to walk towards. Mom was spot on; it really was his favourite. His eyes were fixed on my hand as he walked here. For a moment I thought of feeding him from my hand. But then got scared as he got closer. I Just left the cucumber there on the ground and stepped a farther back while looking at him. I watched him munch it from a distance. I wish I got the opportunity to touch his trunk or sit over him. Maybe someday later :)
