Not every child grew up in urban settings. Children like me had the privilege to experience the cool morning breeze that blows from the village stream, the joy of making kites from leather, the craftsmanship of hunting, the beauty of moonlight stories, and children playing in the village square. Those were memorable childhood moments of innocence, laughter, and a sense of belonging. My town was known as the ghetto—nothing fancy about it, just thatch roofs and huts and footpaths that connected us to major cities and towns. But aside from the décor, peace was a treasure we enjoyed.
Picture taken by me
The houses here are sparsely distributed, with several footpaths leading to each settlement. We are like family; we know each other by name and somehow we are all related through extended family. What made us strong as a town is our unity. It wasn't just a small town surrounded by mountains and rivers; we were a family who had everyone at heart. Whatever we did, we did it as one. We walked miles to the market, went to the stream to fetch water in groups, hunted in groups, and settled disputes as a family—this is a picture of the town I grew up in.
We were majorly farmers, hunters, and fishermen. We cared less about technology and the luxury the urban world enjoyed. It was a small town surrounded by things that strengthened our oneness. Rivers where we went out in mass to fish, mountains where men hunted, farms where we shared portions to cultivate. I miss those moments when childhood felt like bliss, when the hearts of the people weren't occupied with gold and the desire to fill their purses. I miss those moments when we could play in the rain and dance with the wind as we let kites made from paper bags fly high. This is the town where I grew up, a town I once knew.
But that has changed. Evolution has changed virtually everything except the footpaths that lead to each neighbor's door. With civilization came a price we were not yet ready to pay. Things we never had—like industries, cars and motorcycles for mobility, tap water and private schools, tractors, and mining sites—are available, but we lost the people we used to be. A town where we were one now suffers from division; we no longer walk as a group but every man on his own. Families rise against one another, and I could only wish that we returned to how we were.
The current town is busy chasing gold and sacrificing peace. We only have busy people now, and everything we enjoyed as children is gone. There are no longer tales by moonlight, no longer hunting. Even the heritage is gradually fading, and the people are shadows of themselves while the town lies in the illusion of development. We now have major roads leading to cities and markets, but everyone walks alone on those paths. More than the progress and development so far, if I'm asked what I want for the developing town, I'll gladly say: "the peace that has been lost."
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