#Post 3 in NenapinangaLadinda series
The smell of Eucalyptus filled the air as I walked back home on moist soil on a rainy evening with Amma and sister. The hissing sound of water on road when vehicles sped away subsided as we took a detour to the cross roads from the highway.
My heart skipped a beat in fear to the quarrelling noise made by Eucalyptus trees to the whooshing chilly wind. However, it swiftly calmed down watching the slow moving fog along the wind.
Roaring sound of vehicles subdued as we walked deeper into the woods. My shoulder enjoyed moving the school bag weight to ma. And the story telling from school would go on.
As the forest thickened, the path got narrower with roadway covered by leaves. It then led to a small stream where we dipped our feet in and played.
We knew we had reached Bharmappa’s home, our only distinct neighbour, when our nose was treated to the smell of chilli bajji’s/pakoras.
As the coolness of the mud increased, it was the breeding ground for leeches. They would wake up to the smell of humans from far waiting to get their food.
The sound of high tension wire created a buzzing noise in the atmosphere. Yet our village was not electrified.
Distinct jitters of Jeerunde became more and more prominent as we walked by the forest of coffee plants. Pitter patter of rain drops from trees in the forest creeped us. Birds flapped their wings to get rid of water. The gushing sound of Bhadra river increased as we got closer to home.
Rambo drenched in rain would still come running with bleeding legs by the leech bites. Then came our house standing strong with thatched roof and leaky spots and we had our family the strongest to protect us.
The evenings used to be dense, chill, gloomy but our hearts were young, bright and chirpy being with the nature. It wasn’t an easy walk back home from the highway. But walking on corroding road by the rain was such a pleasure then.
As I am writing this, the sound of acacia forest still brings me chills and causes me goosebumps.
Chayagraha 