It was too steep a slope leading home
Many a times I slipped on the gravel, bruised my knees
The steps were too high
Many a times I sat on it, crawled up with my little legs
I would play under the dining table that was taller than me
I'd stretch on my toes to see the spread on it, reach the radio in the corner
Mom would make me sit on the table, feed me dinner
From the table, my eyes would search the top shelf next to it
My brother and I would play on the window grills
Often the monkey act; swinging on the horizontal bars
We stretched to hold the higher bar
And were thrilled to reach the next one
The cupboards were huge, we could hide on the shelves
The cot was wide, we could roll all around
The glass dividers on the mosaic floor were wide apart
My legs hurt as my brother won a hopscotch game
So high were the parapets; I leaned over it, my legs suspended
I couldn't reach the wash basin, I washed after meals on our yard
Standing on the rubber stopper behind the door, we swung it
The door banged as it ferried us to and fro; that was ecstasy then!
Terrace turned a pool when it rained
We blocked the outlets and raced with our paperboats
Our laughter was drowned in the louder laughter of the rains
I held by brother's hand to wade through water as if it was a river!
And then...
The slope seemed almost plain and steps so short
The dining table too low and so were the shelves
We could touch the top of window sill
And could no longer swing on the grill
The door shrieked, the cupboards seemed too small to hold us
Mosaic columns turned just half a step wide
Cot turned too tiny
We grew up!
The house stayed...
Holding all our giggles and laughter and tears
Healing our bruises, heartburns and sorrows
Helping us forget the scoldings and rough weather
And heartily sending us off as we outgrew it...
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