Ghost from the past ( by Sanghamitra Nath)

 

My association with my grandparents was for a very brief period of time as they left this world before I could grow up to tell  ALL of their stories. All I remember about those days is specifically about my grandfather who was very gentle, humble and used to give us his childhood books to read. He was very quiet almost in a mystical way. Since we lived far away from both our grandparents, we used to visit them only once a year that too for a few days and all that came to an end very quickly as they passed away too soon. 

My childhood days were  painted by the colorful antics of my elderly aunt. She  replayed the role of  my  beloved grandparents-in fact, she in a way  carried their legacy. I remember about my grandma's house, in which my aunt used to live after grandma's death...I recall the deep brown ceramic mugs (now lost forever, don't know where they are...), the deep green wooden reading/ writing  table , the colors started peeling off much before I could even begin to describe how it looks like...and of course the embroidered cushion covers, the crochet work...the backyard garden with lemon plants, big trees bearing local fruits...and the "family well".   The well from which we used to draw water...for bathing,  cooking, washing etc. etc. as there was no other source of water in those times... ( The well is called  "Kua" in our native language)

In that house, the smell that lingered  was that of the raw green mango pickles in bottles filled with mustard oil left for drying in the sun.

My aunt was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and used to quote him often.

So many years have passed by since then...now our entire family has changed...they no longer follow the quotes of Mahatma Gandhi. Perhaps, with the death of my grandpa, grandma and now, with  the days remaining in the lives of my ailing aunty, an era has come to an end, an era that signified innocence and simplicity, truth and love.

An End of Innocence, perhaps.

I am not sure whether we can give as much love as they gave  or go through as much hardships as they went through...maybe it is simply not in us or is it because we have become too harsh with the changing times while dealing with life's brutalities ?

I do not know yet I know this much that an entire lifetime of memories will still linger in my mind....perhaps these memories, this attempt of looking into the past will force me to embrace that old, simple life into the folds of my new life until I feel satisfied that I have done enough.

Perhaps nobody will listen to the echoes of the ghosts from the past but they are still there if we care to listen ...so much love and wisdom is buried in these memories, if we care to find.