What-a-Taste !!!

Sometimes, in life, we have such beautiful memories that narrating them to someone might bring laughter, a tear of joy, and sadness and make us realise what we are missing in our current lives.
And sometimes we wish, one could have a ‘Time Machine’ to take us back in that time.

This one is indeed that very incident which today, I would like to share with my readers. Let me take you ~2 decades back.

Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh

(1993-94 )

Incident #1

Human childhood is the best time for elders to see their children grow and for us - growing, to experiment the weirdest thing that one could ever imagine. It was the time, which seemed unbounded unbounded, the time where we had the freedom’ in terms of thoughts and actions; and even if it were naughty, we were mostly forgiven and we would hear ... baccha hai, jaane do.

Now, let me take you towards that food we ate and the experiments with our taste buds. Not the food that parents fed us with, but to those which we were discovered and labelled as ‘tasty’. Some liked the taste of rusted iron or that of a coin; some love to smell petrol/kerosene and some while learning to write on a slate must definitely have tasted chalk.
But, there were the other kind too. My brother had this love for mud, wet mud actually; which he always used a ‘scientific’ method to taste. How ... let us check out.

Back in Ratlam, we had this open tank, large one with diameter of about 2 meters. It was used to be filled with water, either when there was shortage of water or to put water in the garden. But there was another use too, during summers it was our small little swimming pool, and it was a custom that morning bath for my brother and I, was to be a usual routine inside it, chilling for hours together.

Something of this sort [1]

We were two, so my mom used to attend each son, one by one. If I was the first one to take batch, in the meantime, my brother used to have the morning taste of his favourite dish.

The Method:

1. ·        Dip hands in the tank, get it wet.
2. ·        Go out in the garden
3. ·        Rub the palms on the mud

·        And start licking the palm, like it was chocolate

And my mother, when I was finished bathing, would go out screaming at him.

Mom: “Chotuuuuu……………. How many times do I have to say, not to ‘eat’ mud”?

Chotu is my bother's nickname

And then he used to run, because by then he had understood that mother would not allow him to continue it any more. And, there he would try to dodge her, run in circles in the garden; bud finally had to give up.

Mom after my brother - a Good Representation how it was like back then. [2] 

The morning breakfast for him would, then, come to an end. Loud crying session would take place, that would not end for long. It was because, the first thing that mom would do is force his palms out of his mouth and then clean it with water and then scold him and give him a slap.

And the Tape Recorder would start.

The crying would not stop until he was done with bathing.

And then when he was dry, mom used to tell him:
Mom: “Beta, it’s not good to have mud. It will cause insects to grow in your stomach. Would you like that to grow inside you and cause pain in your tummy?”

Brother: “Giving mom a scary look, and nodding for NO"

Mom: “Then you should not do it. Promise me that you won’t do it again”

Brother: “No…. I won't do it Mumma”

And mom would give him a kiss on his cheek.

It would be such a sweet moment that I could just watch the love & care of a mother for her child.
*Insert Khushi ke aansu *

But the story does not end here. Now there was another incident which is when he really understood that eating mud was not the right thing to do. How, let’s find out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Incident #2

Life was slow, great at that time, when you had parents to worry about everything, literally everything. And we were enjoying life, not bothering about anything in life, unlike today where the responsibilities are starting to creep in.

These are the incidents that we cherish throughout life and make live memorable.

One fine Saturday afternoon;

We were finished with our lunch and were waiting for dad. My mother was watching television; and thank god Ekta Kapoor was just 19 at that time and had not started Balaji Telefilms back then. My brother and I were talking a stroll in the garden and veranda area.

A scooter stooped by our main gate and we knew it was him. And I ran to open that steel-framed-gate from inside before mom could reach it.  Surprisingly my brother was nowhere to be seen. But dad knew the trick.

Dad had this trick, which he used to use to call the little cute – my brother. This is how it used to go:

Dad: “Bhaala, See what I got for you… Ice-Cream & Chocolates”.

‘Bhaala’ or 'Bhaila' interchangeably used, means “Dearest friend” in Rajasthani [Our native Language].

And then, wherever he would be, would come running to dad. And would take him into his arms, and the next moment he would be in air, enjoying his short flight.

Father with Kid in Air [3]

But then, he suspected something.

Dad: “Show me your hands”.

And he was standing with hands back, and giving a sweet little smile. But the innocence was not to forever. Dad knew that, his palms and fingers were, though chocolate in colour, but not in taste. He was full of muddy hands.

Dad sat down on his knees, to come to his height and said;

Dad: “You like to eat mud right, you love it?”

Brother: “Yes Papa !”

Mom was out by then, and was puzzled to see what was going on.

Dad to Mom: “Go get a plate and a spoon”.

Mom: “What, but why?”

Dad: “Arey, just get it”.

Mom went rushing in, to get a plate and a spoon; and handed it over to Dad.

Dad to Brother:

Dad: “Here, take this, see ... if u want to eat mud, eat it properly as we have meals together; like we do at every meal, sit down properly, put the TV ON ... I’ll too have it with you.”

As kids, father, my bother and I would eat from the same plate, that is how we bonded pretty well with him I guess.

The plate and spoon were handed over to my sweet little brother. He too for a few seconds was puzzled, confused and stunning as what was happening. 

But a moment later he threw it, and gave a tight hug to dad, and said sorry.
Brother: "sooorrryy Papa, last time ... Pakka ...Promise"
Dad: “Well done. It's okay Bhaala, now come let’s go and have lunch”.

 “You had lunch, did you? No problem, we’ll watch TV together come.”
Then they continued for lunch. Things changed after this incident, it was the last time that my brother ever had tasted mud. 

It’s been over 20 years; he has been the best friend, best enemy, best competitor in every field – be it Academics, Sports, Extra-curricular. And my best team partner in every doubles game that we played together. Amazing Times, Seriously !

And then sometimes we decide to take The Ride not Taken.*wink*
We actually took a ride on this Diesel Locomotive 

This was dedicated to my younger brother on his 20th birthday and to take a moment to thank him for being there. Thanks Bhai :)

References
[1] Picture of the Small Pool
[2] Mother Running After Kid
[3] Father and Kid in Air