goa — rainy memories

as children, for all of us siblings — the advent of monsoons meant preparing for 1. the journey back to Mumbai from Goa and 2. getting Mama’s house in goa monsoon ready. Storing firewood — dried coconut shells, dung cakes and dried up branches — we had to lug these a fair distance and stack them in the storehouse. A relay would be set up — most difficult would be getting up these steps. Then the “saal” had to be readied for storing rice harvested later. Dried fish had to be stocked. All manner of pickles made.

once in a couple of years the roof tiles had to be turned over. Only time my mama would allow us on the roof. Mangoes had to be collected at dawn, then juiced out on trays to make “aam paapad” for the rains. raincoats/Kaapoth readied, umbrellas repaired. rains would start somewhere in week 1 of June/last week May — then around the 10th/11th of June we would head back to Mumbai. So much to carry back, I still wonder how we would identify our jackfruits :), every family travelling back in the bus would have at least a couple. it was fun, until the reality of another school season hit us in the morning as the bus crossed Panvel and the Vashi bridge. But then after the first couple of days even school was fun. Mama would write telling us how our trees are faring; plans for next summer would be made.

we would all get drenched in the first rain — elders would insist; something about the first showers being good for the body. something to do with prickly heat.

wrote this after reading a very good thread on twitter by Shekhar from Jalgaon.