Countryside, Soul of the Earth!
“Country Roads, Take Me Home …”
The soulful voice of John Denver and
closer to heart lyrics of the song were on the tip of my tongue when I boarded a
train from London to Peterborough. I
heard the song for the first time in the 1980s through my dear friend Surendar
Pavamani and it remained in my heart ever since.
The connection between
countryside and elements of the nature makes my heart long to be among lush
green fields, grazing cattle, benevolent skies and friendly streams,when my
childhood; my treasure comes to the fore and beckons me to hold its hand and
become a child again.
“What will I be without the sweet memories filled in my Heart”? I
ask myself and answer in the same breath “Life
would not have been worth living”
Accompanied by my wife, Lakshmi
and elder son Sandeep, the journey to Peterborough was an eventful one. Ever
happy to click my camera, I sat glued to the window seat. Not minding speed of
the train and many bushes, poles and other obstacles which obstructed my view I
clicked anyway.
We were received by Dr P Vijith
Reddy, a close relative and person very dear to us, along with his cheerful young daughter Vedika. The drive from Peterborough to Benefield via
Oundle amply fed my appetite for nature but, more was to come.
Benefield, picture perfect!
I was invited by quite a few
things on arriving at Benefield; calmness resembling welcome through a smile;
well laid out houses speaking of orderliness; trees of apples adorning hedges
of some houses offering their hospitality; wooden gates, pebbled patios and
neatly tended gardens speaking few good words about quality of life in the
country side; all in one go.
The house of our host had all the
above ingredients and had few additions as well. An apple tree in the courtyard
tempted me to pluck some fruits and savor them while waiting for some wild
rabbits to make their appearance;a big willow tree shared few of its
secrets with me. “Can you tell me how I might look during the nights especially
in full moon nights”? It asked. Putting
up my best poetic imagination I said “I can see you looking beautiful standing
strong and tall; silver white leaves hanging low as if a fairy has loosened her
hair and dropped it below her shoulders; your strong branches resembling
outstretched welcoming arms”. A chuckle escaped from the mouth of the tree
giving an indication that it was amused. “But” it said “there are people who
get scared of me, they say that I look like an evil spirit coming to life on a
full moon night” It seemed to feel bad about it. I put a hand on its strong
trunk and said “don’t you worry. Such stories abound the countryside. What is
life without a bit of spice”?
“It has been ages since someone
had few kind words for me. Let me have few photographs with you for memory
sake” billowed the willow.
”Time to go for a walk through
the village” our host announced.
Upper to Lower Benefield!
Going between neatly laid out
terraced houses; we cut across the road and took a beaten track behind a huge
house. A big friendly canine jumped over the fence and vied for our attention
and to tell you truly, I was taken aback by its sudden appearance. It was a
bright sunny day and the fields glistened with the morning dew. Cattle and
sheep could be seen grazing on the slopes while a barn, few tractors and
farming equipment greeted us from our left. A cricket club at a short distance
sent a gentle breeze to us with a message “Leisurely
pursuit; in the most reasonable manner. Play on my carpet, rest on my stands,
be a cheer leader or a team leader, you will enjoy my hospitality”.
Stepping on the lone road of
Lower Benefield was like entering a bygone era; where time stood still except
for the town hall where some people could be seen. We crossed the road and
entered a church which withstood the test of times and stands proudly as a
testimony to lives of the heroes of this land; some rewarded and revered; some in to the oblivion unnoticed.
Idyllic! In a true sense.
We were in for a feast of
blackberries plucked straight from the bushes on our way back and not even a
ton of fruits bought from the market would have equaled the joy of getting underneath the
bushes; stung by thorns; bending the branches; excitement of finding a bunch of
fully ripened fruits and so on. A rich experience indeed.
We were hungry when we reached
home and excellent food by Rachna filled our empty stomachs. We had a chance to
meet her parents as well. I decided to give some rest to my body and mind and
got up only when the Sun was setting.
Winter brought early evening and after a hot cup of tea we headed back
to Peterborough and our train journey to London.
Getting in to the Grain!
I was richly rewarded by a bit of
research about the name of Benefield. Information available on the web told me
that Benefield is a distinguished surname of a family dating back to the
Anglo-Saxon era. One branch of the family had probably settled down in this place
and hence the name Benefield. The lineage has been traced to many people
bearing the surname who made a mark for themselves in the UK as well as its erstwhile
colonies.
“It is always so” I thought.
“People bring name to a family, society and place”; then my poetic mood took
over.
“History of people and places,
tells how they fared through the times;
not through loud voices or blowing their own trumpets,
but in their humble soft voices;
What they leave behind makes us move forward,
In to better times, riches and reward”
Happiness dawned upon me when I completed the above poetic endeavor. A travel through
history of the mankind pronounces their invaluable contributions to the progeny
in a very humble manner without laying any claims to glory as if they just did
their duty and nothing more.
“All of us are travelers; a foot here, a foot there, finally a print
and then in to history”
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