Floating into my Memory -6

A Full Moon Night

I was fourteen years old, eighth grader in Mahendra High school, Wami Taxar. The school was almost three hours away from the original house. As the house was far from the school, I used to stay in the farm house with my third brother, Tilamani dai. The farm house was located at the bank of Badigad river. The peddy fields on the bank of the river was breathtaking. There were two high hills on the both sides of the river.

The hamlet was consisted of ten houses. Most of them had thatched roofs of grass and walls were build up of mud and stone. It was a narrow basin connected east and west of the region with road, only the foot trails. We could see the tourists treking along that trails. They were the centre of attraction for us as children. Tall, white with gigantic limbs, tourists were always spoted from the distant.

We, my brother and me, used to go to the morning school in hot summer days. After school we would go to the Badigad river to swim. We used to play with sands more than do homeworks. Since we were away from parents, we had no guardians to monitor our activities.We used to go to the original home which was located at the top of the hill every friday. Most of the times we had to carry load on our back like the camels in the desert. It would be rice or wheat floor. It was a highill so climbing the hill was very difficult. However, we were used to with it.

One morning I carried the load of rice about twenty-five kilogram on my back and climed the hill in the moonlit night. It was bright on the road due to full moon sky. There was no electricity in the village. I did not look at the watch when I departed from the farmhouse. I climbed the hill about an hour before I put my load on the ground and take rest. On the hafway to the house, there was a forest which was famouse for the tiger. I used to run holding my breath even during the day. But that day, it was still moon light that was shining on the grass. I did not meet any people.

I picked up the load and walked through the forest. The shadows casted on the ground was very scary. 'It shoud be the morning and the sun must rise by this time', I whispered. But there was no sign of morning. There was still moon light covering the hills. After one and half hour I arrived to Balpokhara. I was hoping that I could meet some people on the road. I looked around, but did not see any people walking or standing on the yard. No smoke was comming out from the chimneys. Then I realized that it was still night. I had no watch to look the time. I felt goosebums on the skin. I started waking faster. However the load was pulling me backwards.

When I arrived Shimaldanda, I saw a lady in a white dress walking ahead of me. There was no clear vision due to the shadow casted by the trees. I thought that the lady could be my friend. So, I paced faster to catch up the lady. When the lady arrived to the Durga Temple (kot) near the school, she turned back and looked at me. I was still hundres meters away. I could see her strange complextion and the dull eyes. Her hair was disheaveld and loosely fallen down the soldier. I stopped and dropped my load on the ground. After a few seconds, I saw her waking down the well under the small bush. When I looked closely, she disappeared like a smoke near the well.

I was so frightened. There was no choice. I walked quicker then earier and arrived home. Everyone was sleeping. I called mom two times. When she saw me standng on the yard , she was verymuch shocked. She asked me' why did you walk in the night?' I told her that I did not see the watch but I thought it was already morning due to moonlit night. She looked at the watch and said, 'it is just 4:30 AM. I also told her how I was tricked by the lady in white. She told,' thank you she went to the bush before you were too close to you. She might be the sprit of the dead. I asked,' mom, was that a real ghost?' She said 'Yes'. But you are lucky, nothing had happened.