My Grandfather's House

I had a very happy childhood. My grandfather was very happy when I was born. I being the first daughter in two generations. My grandmother was my pet and myself a pet of my grandmother and vice versa. My sister who is three years younger when was born, my father got a promotion and was transferred. So my parents and we two sisters had to move bag and baggage to my father's new place of work. That left my grandparents all by themselves at this advanced age of theirs. I felt very unhappy and angry at this sudden change in our lives. Little did I know in my three years about the nuances of life. 

Then my grandparents became just a speck of memory. We used to visit our Grandfather's house twice a year. That was when I had my vacations. Because I had started going to school by then. My grand father had a huge collection of storybooks. When I had started reading and writing then I took to reading the books in his collection. Grandfather was very happy that I was becoming a voracious reader. He used to line up the books for me before our home coming in vacations. 

My grandmother was a marvelous cook. She had an unusual ability to convert very ordinary looking vegetable items into delicious dishes when non veg items like meat, fish and eggs were missing. Even milk which I and my sister detested, my grandmother could convert it into a superb delicacy which both of us couldn't refuse. I used to tell my mother to learn the secrecy of my grand mother's culinary delights so that in our dull lives we could reminisce thinking of our Grandfather's house. 

In my grand father's house there were two mango trees and one big coconut tree. The Mango trees had grown in the kitchen back yard. My father said that he had once thrown a seed of a pedigree mango after eating the pulp from which the trees had grown. Whatever it was those two trees did not need any care but year after year they continued to give high-quality mangoes. During peak season the aroma which came from the trees was heavenly. At night we used to sleep with the bed room windows open to let in the Mango scent. There used to be one hundred plus mangoes at the harvest time. We both sisters enjoyed distributing the mangoes among our neighbours. Because we had more than sufficient for ourselves. Our grandparents were also of a giving nature which I adored. Our neighbours also liked them very much. In fact they were their main support when we moved away to our father's place of work. 

Even the coconut tree was marvellous. The coconuts which we got from the tree were of very high quality. My grand mother used to make delicious sweets out of the soft kernel. When we used to return from vacation we used to bring lots of coconut sweets for our own consumption and for some distribution among the neighbours at my dad's place of work. 

In our Grandfather's house there was no cause for any worries. Life was slow but very peaceful unlike our house at my father's place of work. I used to see my father be very tensed and worked up always. But at my Grandfather's House my grandfather used to be very relaxed and calm although the life was very simple and without any modern life gadgetry. Our needs according to the situation was also very limited. But my father was very ambitious and wanted all the ' mores' of life. He never used to be satisfied with limited means, unlike my grandfather. My mother was also a very aspiring type and used to always nag my father to have more luxuries of life as she used to see and observe from her friends. But my grand mother never used to bother my grand father for more but used to remain satisfied with whatever she got. 

Then one by one my grandfather died of old age and my grand mother also followed him a few months later. I was very sad. Our big coconut tree had fallen after being struck by lightning. Then the biggest upset took place. My father sold the house. I was devastated but could not protest as I was still small. 

Now I have completed my education and doing a good job. My sister has also completed her studies and become an engineer. We both of us are now planning to buy back our Grandfather's house from the present owner at whatever cost. Because we consider it as a symbol of peace and happiness in this world full of madness and desire.