Ah, childhood memories, nothing can beat those amusing days of sibling adventures. Our lack of material luxury and the absence of convenient electrical gadgets then is now our source of positive anecdotes, treasured learning which we continually impart to our growing up kids.
Back in the 80’s, owning a black and white television set was considered then as a middle class thing. Acquiring electric appliances was not as easy as we know nowadays. I could count from my fingers few of those middle- class- income neighbors in our place who owned those coveted Black & White TV sets. During those days, our usual hang-out was a neighbor's place which was twenty -minutes, child- pacing away from our house. At nighttime TV shows, we, together with other kids in the neighborhood had braved through those dark and muddy footpath just to view our favorite after-supper horror movies. After an hour and a half, during our home bound trek, on those unlit and muddy pathway, shrouded with outlying branches of those dreaded Century- old Mango tree and the twin towering Santol fruit trees, all had been the source of hair-raising folktales and hearsay. Imagined and reinforced by those local horror TV movies we had earlier saw, our race towards home that night was just seem endless.
It was my instinct as big brother- teaser, which made my younger brother looked helpless during our home bound race. My innate naughtiness had prodded us all to run as fast as we could, just to reach home, unmindful of the unlit slippery muddy path and the inevitable mishap that could happen. After reaching our respective places, we all laugh, and literally gasping for air to breath. Tears and beads of sweat had covered my younger brothers's face; it was my father’s leather belt that had taught me lessons and vindicated my brother's nightmare then.
Yes, no one can forget those sibling fun-filled adventures. We laugh out loud every time this story comes up during present-day family gatherings. I surmise we could outran any track and field runner that night as we had raced our way towards home.