Memories of My Childhood at Satara, Pecha Kucha Night, Pune

© Copyright 2010, Dinesh Katre

Memories of
my childhood at
Satara
Sketches & Stories by
Dinesh Katre

Presented during
Pecha Kucha Night, Pune
22nd Januray 2010


We lived in a beautiful house at
Satara. It was far away from the town
and located on a hilly terrain.


I didn’t play with plastic toys. I played
with snails, frogs, caterpillars, butterflies
and dragonflies.

Of course, these friends showed up at
different times of seasons.

Getting a haircut was such a
pain! I hated it the most
during kindergarten years!
Initially, it used to be a team
effort between the barber and
my family members.

I didn’t play with plastic toys. I played with
snails, frogs, caterpillars, butterflies,
dragonflies, etc.


It became worst
when an old barber
started coming
home.

We would sit in the
garden and
surrender our heads
in his sweaty hands.

He would take
hours to complete
his craft and then
expect my father’s
appreciative
remarks.

During rainy
seasons, catching
fish in the nearby
streams was my
favourite pass time!

I would keep the
fish in a transparent
bottle and observe
its reflective
colors…

I would secretively
tell my friends
about the place
where I found the
shiny blue fish!

Once, I fed the
pieces of Puran Poli
to the fish and
watched it die with
sorrow…..

We used to go to school by bus. Sometimes we
walked up to the school to save 25 paise required
for the bus ticket. Once, a large Peepal tree had
collapsed near the bus stop. We would go early to
the bus stop so as to climb the Peepal tree.

My elder brother used to caution me to watch out
from ants and insects on the Peepal tree.
Sometimes, I missed the bus because I couldn’t get
off the tree quickly. It was such a good excuse for
going late to the school ;-)

Our home was far away from the town of Satara. I remember several evenings when we walked
the entire distance of 4-5 kms from the town to our home. If it became very boring my mother or
brother would tell a story to me.


I loved to build
different forms of huts
and shelters using the
branches of trees and
coconut leaves, on the
terrace of our house or
in our garden.

I would sit inside the
hut and try to get
interested in the school
homework.

Most of my time would
go in raising the huts in
different places than
study☺


I used to weave mats
and make brooms using
coconut leaves sitting
in our garden.


I always preferred sitting under the
tree or on its branches. I used to hide a
packet of Sault and chilly powder in
the branches of a guava tree in our
garden. It was so handy while eating
guavas!

Like every other kid, I too
was scared of ghosts,
witches and demons.

I used to perceive the shapes
of demons in the shadows of
trees or in the forms of
clouds.

I had a bad habit of running in and out
of our house leaving the doors open.
I remember a day in the summer, a
mad old lady walked straight into the
kitchen and started blabbering.
It was so terrifying! After this
experience, I always closed the main
door of our house when I went out.

On weekends, I liked being Ram or Hanuman! I would meticulously
create the bow and arrows. I even tried shooting the lizards and snakes
using my bow & arrows, but it worked only on lizards ☺


I was scared of swimming until
somebody threw me in the well!
I am still searching that person.
I suspect that my elder brother had
asked his friend to do so ☺


I loved observing the people-
their faces, clothes, postures,
talking and moving around.


I liked observing the sparrows!


I spend hours in the reminiscences of my
childhood days, when I am alone ☺
Its a treasure of beautiful memories!


Now I realize that my childhood had nothing in
excess except FREEDOM !
When I look back, I get a sense of something
lost for ever!


Dinesh Katre

dineshkatre@yahoo.co.in

Memories of My Childhood at Satara, Pecha Kucha Night, Pune

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Memories of My Childhood at Satara, Pecha Kucha Night, Pune