Smell of Summer

The push of a button slid the car window down in a jiffy. Technology has really done wonders for mankind. With the 70 miles per hour wind a sweet smell also gushed into my car and unknowingly my foot on the accelerator eased a bit. My mind also slowed down and drifted back, years back to my home town about 12,000 miles from where I was right now. The same smell brought back many memories of my childhood.

We had gone for a climb on a nearby mountain. There was this vast lake near our camp sight and we all were tired after the whole day of rock climbing and rappelling. That was the last day of our camp and even though we all were tired we wanted to make the most of the last night. The fact that we were going to miss all the campers was also tying many knots in the throat. We decided to make a camp fire, sing and make the most of the evening and the night.

The best way to get cracking as fast as possible was to make the most of the last remains of the packed food we had carried, so that no time is wasted in cooking. Although we had a ball when we had cooked for the past three days, today was different. It was not that all the recipes we had tried out had come out picture perfect but the satisfaction of eating whatever it was and however it had been was just too good to be true.

Some of us literally gulped the food and went off to gather fire wood. The others were busy setting the stage, cleaning the place for all to sit. It was as if all had forgotten about the work we had done for the past five days and also how tired all were. The last event had set us all on fire, literally. It was as though the fire wood was also not required.

All set to go, the fire wood was in place, everyone with full stomachs had gathered around the fire wood and sat in a semi circle facing the setting sun over the lake. Suddenly the vigor, the eagerness in all of us mellowed a bit and we all went into some kind of quietness. The setting sun, the silent waves in the lake had engulfed us and from somewhere the cool evening breeze was also bringing a sweet smell. It was that kind of a peculiar summer smell. This smell did the trick and suddenly all of us got together in a huddle and embraced. All eyes were slowly wetting and some tears started to flow.

The togetherness, the fun, the fights the closeness of those days which till this moment, was just one more experience in our life was suddenly turning out to be an unforgettable experience.

I do not know about others, but the fact that I remembered all those five days even after so many years only suggests that those days are engraved in my mind, and what triggered them this time? It was that beautiful, sweet summer smell.