City by the Sea

I was born in a small city by the sea. It's a beautiful place in my mind- clear blue skies, blue sea, clean sand, clean, green-fringed streets. It's not really memories- I was too small to remember. I have no idea how this impression came about-perhaps a few visits to the beach...father took me for walks too.

I have faint memories of the house where I lived. It was sparsely furnished. I remember a room where there was perhaps only an armchair. I remember the armchair because father used to chant his morning stotras there. I liked to sit on his lap and listen to him. Mother says I even learnt some slokas from listening...they must have felt proud of my phonographic memory. Maybe that's how mother got the idea of teaching me slokas. She knew quite a lot. I don't think I liked being taught.

I remember looking out the window, into a brightly lit day. A figure passed by the window. I think I called out to her. Mother says it was the maid Kamalamma. I used to ask her to bring me flowers it seems.

Another time, I was looking out the gate. The light was yellowish- perhaps it was evening. A child was sitting on a pushcart that was moving. I thought I was the child.