Recollections of Childhood.

The above two paintings are painted by Frantz Charlet 1862-1928.  These paintings remind me of my childhood.

1) I started smoking at an early age of around 11. I was accompanied by a friend who saw someone throw a burning cigarette butt which he rushed to pick up and hid under the pheran (smock). He had a few puffs and next he gave it to me. I was reluctant but he convinced me that it is soothing. So I too smoked a few puffs and coughed instantly. We headed to our home hiding the cigarette under our pheran. Shockingly, I found my mother coming from opposite side in a lane and she saw me throwing out the smoke from my mouth. And you can imagine what must have happened at home. She was angry and furious and beat me with a stick. 

Later on we got used to smoking and used to lit the cigarettes from each other's as in the painting.

2) The second painting reminds me of a game called LAGORI which we used to play in childhood. We placed seven earthen tablets one over the other and a player of one team was supposed to hit it. If he succeeded the team had to run away till caught or else they must rebuild the earthen tablets to be declared a winner.

                                    ππππππ