Years had passed. She wasn’t even sure if she could identify the correct one anymore. It was silly to believe that the chalk markings would be there anymore.. the rains that lashed the hamlet of Nelliampathi throughout the several monsoons that she was away would take away those markings for sure. It was kind of silly to even expect it to be there. When Ashwathy left Kerala, the village where her maternal familial home Valiyaveedu was, was no more than a run down village with half ruined buildings and lush greenery, a soothing sight with plantations of tea and ladies who would be working in those estates.
The passing scenery brought in a blast from the past, as Ashwathy tried to remember all she could from her younger days.
Remya had been a childhood friend who had a special place in her heart. Remya would be waiting beneath the giant banyan tree on the road leading to Valiyaveedu, just where the school van would drop Ashwathy off everyday without fail. Remya would eagerly side up to her and prod her to talk about her day at school and keep asking questions about the silliest and most obvious of things. Ashwathy would get exasperated trying to explain what a blackboard was, what a scale was and how could the world be shown on a piece of paper.
Somewhere along the line, they identified each other’s strengths and weaknesses, needs and desires and discovered how different they were. When Ashwathy went to the convent school in a van everyday, Remya would be at home cooking and cleaning before her mother Rajamma came back after her work in Valiyaveedu. The girls’ bond strengthened over time and during the summer holidays Remya was introduced to the world of letters and by the time Ashwathy was in class 8, Remya too could read. They spent hours reading books and novels during the evenings and school holidays. Remya had laughed till she had tears in her eyes while reading “Gee thanks George, you’re a brick.” She could never understand the whole concept of calling someone a brick! For her a brick had only two uses – firstly, for construction of buildings and walls and secondly to…
The bus had stopped at the bus shelter under the familiar banyan tree. She got down carrying her favourite tote bag which was the sole companion on her flight from Jaipur to Cochin and on the bus journey from Cochin to Nelliampathy.
Unsure of what awaited her at the end of this little journey she planned, Ashwathy moved confidently in the direction of that old wall, hopeful of finding the loose brick behind which as little girls they had collected various things that meant the world to them – pieces of broken glass bangles, comic strips, shiny bits of metal, earring for only one ear and many such things that were important to 8 year old girls. She was happy that the tree was still there standing regally in all its glory with its branches spread out wide.
Her gumption was that there would be no brick, maybe no wall even, leave alone the treasures she had collected over time during her childhood. The path ended near a small roughly built home surrounded by a small garden proudly displaying bright hibiscus and serene jasmine which lent a beautiful aura to the otherwise nondescript house, but there was no wall. Still undecided whether or not to knock at the house, she almost turned around to leave when someone hollered “Ashwathy ivide varuuu…” at a tiny human being that sped past her in a white petticoat and tinkling silver anklets towards the road.
Surprised, she turned around to look at a gorgeous lean woman in a saree propped up a bit on the left hip, a towel wrapped around her hair and a paste of sandal and kumkum smeared on her forehead. It took Ashwathy a few minutes to realize that this woman was her Remya.
Who cares about the small treasures behind the chalk marked loose brick on the dilapidated wall anymore, I have found my treasure chest!
PS: (i)Valiyaveedu in Malayalam means big house
(ii) ivide varuuu in Malayalam translates to please come here
Wow! How beautiful da Ishi. Some things may change, but others remain as priceless as before 🙂
Wow so good to find the person one is looking for even if there is little hope…very nicely written 🙂
nabanita’s latest…B is for feeling Blessed
Nostalgic! How beautiful when friends remain the same…. always.
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Beautifully written. I love how you had so much powerful imagery, even in a relatively short piece. For some reason “how could the world be shown on a piece of paper” struck me– it’s a joy to read a reminder of the simple questions of kids sometimes.
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Lovely imagery. Beautiful flow of words. Strong emotions. Somethings are priceless!
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Nostalgic !
I was carried back to my childhood 🙂
Love the way you’ve captured the beauty of the place, in beautiful words…
How we wish certain things always remain the same !!
Lovely story 🙂
Sreeja Praveen’s latest…B – Bingo , here he is !!! ( A to Z 2014 Random Post # 2 )
Richly described and beautifully expressed, even in such a short piece. Very well done!
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Nostalgic. That was a really lovely write up!!!!!
Very nice read and indeed nostalgic.
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wooowthat writing was very imagery… luved it!
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will be waiting for Veendum chela veetukaryangal(some more household talks)
Beautiful imagery..loved the expression. 🙂
PS:If possible increase your font size. It was a little difficult to read. May be I am getting old 🙂
Such a delightful read. I know how it exactly feels when one gets back childhood treasures. Feels like one of the episodes from my life with a little change! Loved it! 🙂
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Such a beautiful an well expressed friendship. I was tickled that they were reunited. What a great way to start the morning!
*~MAJK~*
A-to-Z Challenge 2014
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this made me so happy, thank you so much for this story….
I miss my childhood friend, who I have no connection with and don’t know where he lives after leaving my hometown with family…
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I wish I meet my best friend like this one day 🙂 beautiful narration
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What an incredible way you have with words. I hope you write for a living. If not, why don’t you??!!
Enjoying your A to Z journey very much indeed!
That’s the best feeling in the world – to find the person you love specially when there’s little hope. I love the way you crafted this story.
Obsessivemom’s latest…B is for Bronte
Beautifully expressed 🙂 makes me nostalgic thinking about my childhood friend!!
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Aaaahhh, what a lovely story to read… Made me think of my childhood friends back home now… You write so well… Will certainly be coming back for more:-)
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No words to explain how beautiful U said this story,but just want to say Im missing my friends!
will come later to read this.. but I like this concept of same word being used in stories by two bloggers… 😀
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Wow…loved your story…..a beautiful one..beautiful narration..I always had some secret love for Kerala and the fondness increased after I read “The God of small things”. Kamala Das is one of my fav authors. 🙂
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Well written 🙂
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Wow. Nothing like the joy of finding what you are looking for! I admire you for your story-writing skills, Bhavya!
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I have this faith that if you are destined for someone/thing, then nothing can stop you. Beautiful posts.
(P.S. would really advise you to increase the font size on the posts -Thanks!)
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Hope for friends. Don’t we love it when we meet up with old friends.
Can’t wait for more.
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I related so much with this as I found my friend from school after 40 years and now we meet once a year and have a girls weekend. A lovely, touching and memorial piece. Thank you
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It’s a lovely story. Looking forward to your next post. 🙂
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Debbie’s latest…#AtoZChallenge: “B” is for BALBOA PARK
Very well crafted story! Being reunited with an old friend after many years is truly a great experience.
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How beautiful. I think I liked this one better than the one you wrote for A. Now off to read the next one. Sorry, but I’m a day late because I couldn’t connect to many blogs last night. 🙂
Delightful – the treasure of old friends! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues’s latest…Back To Blogging Basics
Lovely post. So descriptive, touching and nostalgic. And so interesting for me as a Canadian to read about your childhood, so different from mine. And what a lovely friendship!
Cat
Beautifully written!