On The Bright Side of Things

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Some childhood memories stay with you, forever. I had taken my happy, carefree life  for granted. I never knew my happiness was the outcome of my good fortune, good fortune of having parents who had no financial problems. My school life was fun.

“Happy summer vacation” was a topic given to us in school for writing an essay. The best essay carried a prize and all of us were vying to make our stories the most interesting.  I was bubbling with a lot of ideas.

 I had been to my grand parents’ place for the vacation. The place was a small village. We spent a lovely time feasting, travelling and enjoying. I wrote all my experience in the most colourful way. Everyone had narrated how they had the most enjoyable, exciting time. When the prize winner was announced, we were all puzzled.

The girl who had written this superior essay was the one who was so quiet, as to be nonexistent in class. She never cared about having fun with us. She was not so good in studies, either. So we never bothered to do anything with her. How could she, of all the people!

She was asked to read her story.

All of us were grumbling a bit as she started. When the story proceeded, we became silent. Silent,- not because the story was thrilling or adventurous.

It was the simple story of the young girl working as a farm hand. As far as I can remember it went thus:

“My summer holidays are really exciting every year. It is because I get to stay with my parents, brothers and uncles, aunts and cousins longer.

Every day we all start for the farm very early.  My mother gets up first and makes Ragi kali (finger millet flour is boiled with water to make a dough like dish generally consumed by poor farmers. It has good nutritional value). All of us drink Ragi porridge with buttermilk. The kali is packed for our lunch along with raw onions and green chillies. It is a mouth-watering combination.

The walk to the government farm takes us an hour and a half. On either side of the path, there is lush growth of trees and shrubs. The morning breeze and the fresh vegetation are so appealing that you just want to go on walking.  The sun appears in all its glory, red, majestically transforming into gold.

As we go for daily wages, we do not know if everyone will get work. But my aunts make sure that I get work even at the cost of their own. It is my holidays and my work will earn money for my family. Other days I have school and cannot go for work. It is very kind of them.

Ploughing is done by men folk. It is good to watch my father, uncles and brothers do the ploughing. We make the bunds; tie the paddy in sacks for germination. We sing songs which is fun. When the paddy sprouts we throw the seeds in the soil for planting. It is a great experience. The legs go deep into the soil. You must learn the knack of walking in it.

Noon brings with it tremendous appetite. When the lunch is opened the smell of onions and chillies knocks you off. The shade of the margosa tree, the twittering of the birds, the noise of the motors watering the fields with their great pipes – oh, I wish I could take all of you there.”

We had been thinking summer vacation carried only enjoyment and thrill with it. Well, she also enjoyed what she did. We wondered whether we would have enjoyed all those things she said with the same passion. We seemed to understand the phrase, “looking at the brighter side of things,” better.

I hear great people say, “Happiness is only a state of the mind.” I do not know whether they have truly experienced such happiness.