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27 Apr 2012

The Wonder Years


The summer of ’94, cruel though it was, was a magical one. Our mango tree, which hadn’t borne fruit in five years, was re-acquainted with the thirst for life, for immortality. Our courtyard was thick with the sticky-sweet scent of her yearning, her branches bustling once again with activity, red ants and bees and crows visiting once more to convey their regards and partake of the festivities. Unbeknownst to her, a few feet away, summer had stirred similar desires in Rita’s young guava tree who now peeked nosily over their wall and into our make-shift cricket pitch, winking knowingly at the sudden spring in our steps.

For it wasn’t just the trees and the ants, and the birds and the bees, that summer had chosen to enchant with its ways. Ramesh and I, in our own ways, were unwitting participants in the game of life. It was neither spoken of, nor quietly acknowledged, mainly because we weren’t entirely certain what ‘it’ was. But it was felt when Ramesh theatrically ran his hand through his hair after bowling a particularly good delivery, or when I raised my bat skywards after hitting a boundary. We were at that age when we could still openly take delight in imitation of our heroes (not just their motives, but their gestures, their mannerisms), and we were all the protagonists of our own mind-movies. Rita too, probably. We weren’t societally obliged to feign cool indifference or intellectually programmed to spew cynicism just yet. Those years were on their way. In the summer of ’94, we were content to be led, and to follow. We knew our heroes, and we knew what beverages they preferred, what cars they drove and what hair conditioner they used, and we wanted what we knew because what we knew was happiness.

We didn’t know why we fought over whose team Rita would play on, though she almost always cost her team the game. We didn’t know why we let her bowl and bat more than any of us ever did though she was patently terrible at all aspects of the game. We didn’t know why we were so much more competitive when Rita was around. I didn’t know why I boasted continuously about cricket camp to her though I dreaded the thought of attending it. We did know though that we wanted her around, and what we knew was happiness.

                                                          Icy Highs's Video Recco                                                                        


  The First Kiss scene from Wonder Years 

20 comments:

Wings of Harmony said...

Wonder Years is really the cutest show on board right now, kinda makes me nostalgic with the innocent questions and with all the growing up! Lovely summery post :D :D!

PS: No. You are def. not a paedo! :D

Workingdan said...

Man I haven't seen that show in ages! Used to be my favorite show when I was a kid!

But aside from the Wonder Years, this is an exceptional piece of writing! Well done my friend!

You really drew me in and held my attention. I could almost feel summer and felt like I was there in that courtyard!

Keep up the good work!

Windsmoke. said...

Its in a blokes DNA to be more competitive and show off in front of girls/women we just can't help it :-).

hyperCRYPTICal said...

A wonderful post on "The Wonder Years" and the "First Kiss" rounded it off perfectly.

You are an exceptional writer and your posts hold my attention from start to finish.

Anna :o]

umashankar said...

That was cute, sweet and well, wonderful!

Ygraine said...

I am left with a wonderful summery feeling after reading this post - exactly what I needed on a cold, wet day like today.
Thank you so much for raising my spirits :)

ashok said...

You write very well...keep it up. I will come back for more....

Renu said...

I know how boys behave when girls are around and vice versa:)

red dirt girl said...

This is a lovely piece of writing, Icy - evoking that tender spot we call 'coming of age'.... I'm very very happy for you. So many good things falling into place and look at all these bloggers commenting!

Hopefully love will trip you up soon. I'd love to see you face down in its agony and ecstasy!

xxx

Al Penwasser said...

Even though MY Wonder Years were in the early 70s, I still remember them as fondly as you obviously do. Even though it's hard to remember them, now that I'm in my jaded 50s, it WAS a magical time in my life.

Arundhati said...

I second Renu here. And interesting read! :)

Pat Hatt said...

The wonder years was a great show, wish it would come out on dvd already, stinkin music rights.

Great bit of writing too, really sucked me in.

Crack You Whip said...

Great piece and I did love The Wonder Years, too.

Animesh said...

I can pick up ICY.Actually the wonder years became,become,& will become forever.

Unknown said...

"And something miraculous will come
close to the darkness and ruin
Something no-one, no-one has known
though we've longed for it since we were children"
-Anna Akhmatova

Thanks for reading, you guys.

austere said...

I remember this.
And i remember the good old days of peeping over the parapet wall, staring at the handsome but dud next door, from a time girls didn't talk to boys...

this is beautiful.

Lori said...

I loved that show. Winnie had that special something. I loved the way you wrote this piece. I could almost picture you and your friends posturing and posing, even though you yet didn't understand why. Great writing!

Unknown said...

Hi Austere, I never had that not-talking phase. I went to a boys school so the only girls I knew were my neighbours and we practically grew up together! I totally know what you mean though - I've always wished I'd had that too, seems such an integral part of growing up.

Hi Lori, Winnie was special alright, practically melted when she smiled. I don't think I've seen her in any other show/movie - think I might do a quick google search and find something for old times sakes!

And said...

This makes me really nostalgic...

You have here a really nice blog!

I'm following now :)

kimberly said...

i too like the show wonder years. it shows the emotions of the kids in the cutest and the innocent possible way. i am reminded of my childhood days while watching it.