WINTRY NOVEMBERS ( DAY 2, POST 2)

It was bonfire night! The winters were delightfully cold and the warmth from flames was equally welcome. As the sparks flew into the night sky like orange-gold stars in the hope to meet their diamond brethren, the flames crackled and danced away in celebration of this star-studded night. The winter chill sizzled as the golden halo spread heat on our palms and in our hearts. The fiery orange in our backyard made it seem like the sun had settled in there instead of disappearing behind the mountains.

Dad chopped the branch of fir into twigs with precise rhythmic swings of his axe.

Mother set up chopping boards and sliced potatoes into thick circular wedges, wrapped them in foils along with sweet snow peas and tossed them into the bonfire. How my brothers and I loved roast potatoes as midnight suppers. Our faces had lit up with the frisson of pure joy on that starry December night. It was a wild night, a night of adventure.

We weren't affluent enough, so we spread out sleeping bags on the porch and the lawn and pretended we were out on a camping trip in the woods or by the lake. The snow-peaked mountains in the distance stood mute witness and sentinel to our camaraderie and bonhomie until the first rosy rays of dawn shimmered beyond…

The flickering embers of the logs that had looked like fire-fairies igniting the roaring flames, had taken a courtesy bow and turned into drab grey cinder ash and silvery dust.

I knew deep down in my heart that these would be mere memories and somewhere down the line, would curate many nostalgically steeped writings.

©️ Sangeetha Kamath

Pic Courtesy:Image by Jim Cooper from Pixabay

Comments

SECOND LIFE SECOND BIRTHDAY

I finally muster the energy, the grit and the emotional embrace to write about it. When life socked the daylights out of me in ways that I never imagined, I looked on the upside of it as a divine intervention and a another miracle to add to my list in this year 2024 which went down the memory highway full throttle ahead. July 7, Dear Diary is a day which left a distinct mark. A day when my father had a coronary follow up and I not only went along, but also had a check up done for myself. This was a couple of days after my visit to Sai Mandir where Sai Baba guided me to go for a cardiogram. A strong inner voice, authoritative yet kind, a heightened intuition, call it what I may, rang in a manner that couldn't be ignored. That said and done, I had a consultation with my father's doc who did my ECG and ECHO. Minutes flew by in deafening silence when he finally finished the tests and to my horror bluntly revealed that I have an ASD. A 38mm hole in my heart. I was advised to go f

NIGHTS OF THE INDIGO ROSE

The seasons have changed three times over along with the skyscapes, Dear Diary. It's already October, my favourite month of the year. From champagne colored fluffed clouds of April and the laden, dense overcast monsoon skies from June to September, I now longingly gaze at a spotless cerulean sky as I rigorously practice my physiotherapy exercises and a dedicated 30 min walk in our garden dreaming about my second home in faraway Singapore which is enveloped in the same powder blue blanket. Battling with the blazing summers of my mind, the auburning autumns of my heart and the frigid winters of my soul, I hold space for every sacred transition as a renewed me emerges slowly, steadily and yes…painfully. A metamorphosis in the true sense. Wishing upon a frosted star when the night unfolds as an indigo rose, I tether on the brink of delirious dreams, struggling to fall asleep, yet,not daring to toss and turn as my body is still relearning to balance my weight as I lean sideways with s

THE PASSENGER

I was excited for my first international trip! Finally I was deemed worthy of this assignment. But I could sense the inside gossip that I was chosen because the best candidate backed out. My resolve didn't sway, instead it swelled by notches when my boss handed me a bulky package and escorted me to his chartered flight. The pilot sneered at me and the cabin crew smirked to see a greenhorn assigned for this role. Everyone was trying their best to exclude me from a clique! But the ambience inside canceled their condescending behaviour. Leather couches, spaced out recliners…the regalia was out of this world! There was one other passenger besides me. The snooty vibes didn't stop. I was left out of all conversations. As the aircraft soared, I played out my next move, sipping on the best quality wine. The knots in my stomach started to relax. “We're about to make our descent…” a voice announced. Beads of perspiration trickled as I reached for my package. Moving swiftly, a

ONCE UPON A TEAPOT

ONCE UPON A TEAPOT The quaint streets of Olde Mageia were fringed by an assortment of shops. The Teaware Store, which was shaped like a huge teapot, stood in the center of a rose garden at the crossroads of this street. The curator, a wizened old man, had a mop of hair so white that he looked as ancient as the Earth itself. He had a twinkle in his friendly blue eyes and fine lines around it— signs of him smiling and serving everyone with joy. I stood at my usual spot looking out at the bleak weather, raindrops splattering in the rose garden, beating down hard on the window panes and blurring the scenery outside. The warmth of the fireplace did nothing to banish the gloom in my heart. My best friend who always stood beside me with her cheerful face was leaving today to her new home. One of her hands was outstretched in a perpetual friendly wave — a spout of a teapot and the other formed a curve like the handle of a teapot. But then, teapots we were,ceramic ones. Her

GOLDILOCKS AND THE BEARS

Goldilocks walked briskly in the sun-caked alley of the little known hamlet of an indigenous tribe in Arizona.Her footsteps spoke of authority and urgency. A team of armed men followed close behind her. The village folk had gathered a distance away from the Bears’ house. They parted to make way and shuffled anxiously, clenching their palms…almost pleading with the team to get them out of this ordeal. "How many people are inside?", Goldilocks' demeanor was calm but her mind was racing. "Madam, there's a family of three. The Bears. Parents and a child of five. A stranger with a menacing look is holding them hostage. Never seen him in these parts." "Okay, let me handle this", Goldilocks reassured them. She rapped on the intricately designed door. Baby Bear let out a loud cry at this sudden intrusion of noise in an environment which was already volatile. Mr.and Mrs. Bear hurriedly shushed their child, their worst fears gripping them. Baby Bear was in

Sangeetha Kamath

Search This Blog