By Yumna haroon
Earliest Memory

The earliest memory I remember is of me and my cycling craze. Before that age I don’t particularly remember any memory but only glimpses; my Dad and me talking in a non sense language. My ammi making me fries and mashing them, so I could swallow them hungrily, my cousins fighting to take me in their arms since I was a big headed girl with loads of curly hairs and a temper like a two headed monster (I still have it to be honest).

So, I was writing about my cycling. My parents in the beginning never bought me any cycle because our street had so many cars in it that they were afraid I’d bang myself straight into them. We had those small two seater tricycles in our home for my younger sibs. But I longed for a bicycle of my own. I remember how one day, while the house was being renovated we found this very old fashioned but functioning cycle inside our rooftop room which was used for storing old useless trash. My father told me it belonged to my youngest chachoo, saying: “Amir ki thi. Jab chalana chor di to yaheen reh gae”and then seeing my obvious expressions, “Ab Yumna ye mat kehna k YE CHAHIYE!”

Naturally, I went mad. I begged them to pull it out and get it repaired for me. Its chain was fixed and the seats were cleaned, and no less than three weeks later, I was riding it proudly. It was a cool cycle, it had a cylindrical seat going all the way up with a backside support also.  It had those ajeeb puraaney zamaane wale front handles which used to be curved in a U shape in those times. And the most important feature it had was its ‘TRING TRING’ thumb bell. Completely and continuously pissing my neighbors off.

So, my earliest memory is of me, a young girl in her primary classes famous because of her Old fashioned cycle, seen almost every day on the streets of our neighborhood. My dadi always said, “Beta, larkian itni cycle sawaarian nahi krti hen. Mat jao aj bahir”, at that time, I used to roll my eyes and ignore her.

Until now I had no idea what to tell my friends who always ask me how I ended up so tall. But now, As an answer an image of my cycle comes to my mind. Because, a week ago we went over to meet our grandmother and while I had to crouch lower in order to hug her, she said in my ears, “Dekh! kitni lambi hogai cycle chala chala k!”

And I laughed.

So, If you’re still hoping for a tall height, try this ‘Desi dadi Totka’ maybe?! Hah! It’s never too late.