The First Ten Years of Your Life: Memories We Never Forget!
[Notes: Your present age-recollect some events of the first ten years-Parent's love for you-how mother/father punished you for your wickedness-grandmother's affection-you slept with her she told you fairy tales-admission into a school at five-your dullness-your preference for playing over reading-how headmaster caned you for naughtiness & dullness. how you passed vacations.]
I
am now a young man of eighteen. Still I can recollect some of the first ten years of my life. I was a naughty child. Father loved me so much that he didn't mind my naughtiness. Mother loved me too. But she didn't indulge my wickedness. Whenever my naughtiness crossed the limit, she not only took me to task, but also caned me right and left. My grandmother was very affectionate to me. I used to sleep with her. She used to tell me fairy tales to lull me to sleep.
At six I was sent to a village primary school and admitted into class one. I was very dull in learning. I preferred playing to writing. My dullness and naughtiness were too much for the headmaster of the school to bear. Sometimes he lockedme, after the school hours, within a class room for an hour or two. Sometimes he flogged me as Mr. Creakle (in Dickens's novel David copperfield) did David at Salem House. However, I ultimately developed into a good boy.
In my childhood I passed my summer vactions at Mathurapur, native village of my grandmother. My grandmother's father had many big mango gardens. I used to loiter in them hours after hours. In one of these gardens there was a big pond. I would stand on its side and watch fishes darting to and fro. Once or twice I visited Lalbagh, native town of my mother, and saw the Hajarduari, Khosbag and mosque of Katra. I was simply filled with wonder when I saw the Jahanokosa cannon held by a banyan tree.
