Never too late

Her feet felt at home in the soft mud as she walked along, making little pitter-patter noises in the puddles. The sweet fragrance of rain hit her nostrils as memories of a forgotten childhood slowly engulfed her. The ancestral house was its usual glorious, towering self more welcoming in her eyes than any of her family members! She closed her eyes as the nervousness and alarming frustration that normally accompany second-guessing threatened to cause a headache once more.

She knew that the decision to come back and face everyone had not been an impulsive one but an intuitive one. From a very young age, she had always been branded the aloof one, the unsocial one who did not talk or play like the other kids. You did not have to look very far to make comparisons when you were born in a huge family who stayed together, there were plenty of opportunities inside the house itself. She had always been fascinated with the huge banyan tree and the numerous coconut trees that had been her faithful allies in all her adventures.

They were part of her very own jungle book recreation expedition though she had later on realized that it had been a very bad idea to attempt swinging from one branch to another like Mowgli had done. After getting an earful that seemed to last a whole month from almost everyone in the household, she had taken a solemn oath to stick to the wise old banyan tree that had offered a comforting branch to many a tear that characterized the lonely evenings. She had leaned on its weathered trunk on so many occasions that it had become a refuge of sorts from the multiple scrapes that she always seemed to be getting into. 

As she struggled to come back to reality, she realized that she had almost reached the doorway and all that was left to do now was knock. A face suddenly peeped out of the window directly above her head and let out an ear-splitting shriek that rattled the birds out of their peaceful snooze. It was indeed a rare sight, she thought to herself wryly, as excited voices could be heard chattering in high frequency from inside the house now. The door opened with a gusto and she was greeted by the familiar face of her grandmother who had her customary stern look but her eyes were a giveaway, they were brimming with a hidden joy at seeing her grand-daughter after what felt like a lifetime.

She could not make out the silhouettes of her parents among the bustling crowd of aunts and uncles craning their necks to see if her arrival was really true or she was merely an apparition. To say that she had not expected this would be a downright lie, she knew the storm that had wreaked havoc inside the house when she had announced her plans to work in the big city on a sunny afternoon in May. The thunderous accusations of “ She has always been disobedient to her elders “, “ You have utterly spoiled her with undeserved attention and praises” and “ She just needs an excuse to leave this house” had taken a long time to stop ringing on repeat mode in her ears.

Awkwardness had always surrounded her in family gatherings as she sat quietly all by herself humming a different tune altogether in the midst of a family chorus. A shy, meek girl she had once been and now a quiet ,thoughtful young woman stood tall before the inquisitive eyes of her family. As they ushered her in , hands started raining down her back as she went from one breathless hug to another, finally melting into her mother’s loving arms. In a bizarre turn of events, she found herself recollecting the fondest memories as she stared at the beaming faces of her family.

The countless times when she had fallen asleep with one wound or the other and had woken up to find that it had been neatly tended to, the way she used to be bombarded by enthusiastic suggestions of what she should choose as a career. At that point in time, she had only considered it as an unnecessary interference and control over her freedom. Every incident, every memory, every conversation was now flashing across her mind in a different light.

Someone would always be in the vicinity when she was happily frolicking amongst her beloved trees just to keep an eye on her and ensure no harm befalls her. Food would always be on the table for her no matter the time and no matter the state she used to come home in. She used to be greeted with a horde of voices every time she came home, asking her about her day, whether she ate properly, whether she was able to get the bus on time, why she had not called one of her uncles to pick her up.

As she slowly blinked herself out of her emotional reverie, her eyes met those of her grandmother’s unwavering, piercing eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. Her grandma had been a silent observer all these years, gently chiding her when needed and giving her the space to become a strong, independent individual. It was that intense search for independence that had clouded her vision and had inadvertently forced her to take the drastic decision of rushing off to the city.

Even in those times of struggle, she had not realized the timeless worth of a family’s love, instead  she had misdirected the pain into unbridled anger. Anger at always being misunderstood, annoyance at being ignored and lost amidst the cacophony of a busy, chirpy, talkative family. It was now as she witnessed the heartfelt welcome and the barely hidden excitement that she had finally come back did she realize with a pang how much she had missed them. 

Later that evening, she found herself sandwiched between two little cousins, who were energetically fighting over the possession of her mobile phone. The affection showered upon her had left her speechless for she had never let herself dwell upon the depth that each little gesture of love carried. She did not however escape totally unscathed from her latest adventure of flying away to the city though. She had to endure hours of concerned lectures and could only imagine how over-prepared she would be the next time she left the house.   The smile that adorned her face was a genuine one , a smile of someone who truly appreciated what she had been bestowed with.

 Her day had begun with a dangerous driving to work thanks to the forgotten alarm which lay broken under the bed and had ended with the majestic chiming of the grandfather clock she had grown to love in her home.