Foreword:
Inmyhometown,thereisanoldwellthathasbeenaroundforgenerations.Itwasasourceofwaterforthevillagers,anditsagecanbetracedbacktomyancestorswhosettledinthisvillage.Asachild,Iusedtoplaynearthewellwithmyfriendsandwatchtheolderfolksdrawingwaterfromit.AsIgrewup,Imovedawayfrommyhometownandforgotallaboutthewell.However,duringarecentvisitbackhome,Irediscoveredthisoldwellandallthememoriesassociatedwithit.
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Theoldwellstoodinthecenterofthevillage,surroundedbyalowwallmadeofstones.Itwasacylindricalstructure,madeofbrickandcement,witharoofoverittokeepitdryduringtherainyseason.
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Thewellwaslocatedinthemiddleofafield,whichwasnowcoveredwithavarietyofcrops.Ononesideofthefieldwasasmallhutwherethecaretakerofthewelllived.Hewasanelderlymanwithawhitebeard,whohadbeentakingcareofthewellfordecades.
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AsIapproachedthewell,Icouldhearthesoundofwatergushingfromit.ItbroughtbackmemoriesofmychildhoodwhenIusedtoplaynearitwithmyfriends.Wewouldsitonthelowwallanddipourfeetintothecoolwater.
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Iwalkedclosertothewellandlookedinside.Itwasdeepanddark,withwateratthebottom.IrememberedhowscaredIusedtobeoffallinginasachild.
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Isatonthelowwallandwatchedasthecaretakerdrewwaterfromthewellusingaropetiedtoabucket.Hepulledtheropewitheaseandsoonthebucketwasfullofwater.Hepoureditintoalargecontainerandwentbacktodrawingmorewater.
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Istruckupaconversationwiththecaretakerandaskedhimaboutthehistoryofthewell.Hetoldmethatithadbeenaroundforoverahundredyearsandhadbeenusedbygenerationsofvillagers.
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Iaskedhimifanyonestillusedthewellfordrinkingwater.Hesaidthatmostofthevillagershadswitchedtopipedwater,butsomestillpreferredtousethewellwaterforcookingandotherhouseholdchores.
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AsIsatthere,Inoticedagroupofchildrenplayingnearby.Theywerethrowingpebblesintothewellandlaughing.ItbroughtbackmemoriesofmyownchildhoodandmademerealizehowmuchIhadmissedthisplace.
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Idecidedtotakeacloserlookatthehutwherethecaretakerlived.Itwasasimplestructuremadeofmudandthatch.Therewasasmallgardeninfrontofit,withafewplantsandflowers.
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Iaskedthecaretakerifhehadanystoriestotellaboutthewell.Hesaidthatduringaseveredroughtmanyyearsago,thewellhadalmostrundry,andthevillagershadtorelyonrainwatercollectedinpotsandbuckets.
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Healsotoldmeaboutalegendassociatedwiththewell.Accordingtothelegend,anyonewhodrankwaterfromthewellwouldalwaysreturntothevillage,nomatterhowfartheywent.
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Iwasfascinatedbythelegendanddecidedtotestitoutmyself.Idrewwaterfromthewellandtookasip.Itwascoolandrefreshing,andIfeltasenseofnostalgiawashoverme.
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AsIsatthere,sippingmywater,IrealizedhowmuchIhadmissedmyhometown.Thesights,sounds,andsmellsofthevillagebroughtbackmemoriesofmychildhoodthatIhadlongforgotten.
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IdecidedtoexplorethevillageandseeifIcouldrediscoverotherplacesthatheldmemoriesforme.Iwalkedalongthenarrowlanes,passingbyhousesandfieldsthatwerefamiliartome.
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AsIwalked,IcameacrossanoldtemplethatIusedtovisitwithmygrandparents.Itwasasimplestructuremadeofstone,withasmallgardeninfrontofit.
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Iwalkedintothetempleandsatonthestepsleadinguptothemainentrance.Iclosedmyeyesandlistenedtothesoundsofthevillagearoundme.Itwaspeacefulandserene,andIfeltathome.
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Iopenedmyeyesandlookedaround.ThetemplehadnotchangedmuchsinceIlastvisitedit,butIhadchanged.Ihadgrownolderandhadforgottenmanythingsaboutmyhometown.
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Irealizedthatrediscoveringmyhometownwasnotjustaboutrevisitingoldplaces,butalsoaboutreconnectingwithmyrootsandunderstandingwhereIcamefrom.
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AsIwalkedbacktowardsthewell,IthoughtabouthowmuchIhadmissedthisplace.Itwasnotjustawelloravillage;itwasapartofme,andIwasapartofit.
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Ireachedthewellandsawthatthecaretakerhadleft.Isatonthelowwallandwatchedthesunsetoverthefields.Theskyturnedorangeandred,andasenseofpeacewashedoverme.
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Asdarknessfelloverthevillage,Iknewthatitwastimeformetoleave.However,IknewthatIwouldbebacksomeday,torediscovermorememoriesofmyhometownandtoreconnectwithmypast.
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AsIwalkedawayfromthewell,Ifeltasenseofgratitudetowardsthisoldstructurethathadbroughtbacksomanymemoriesforme.Thewellmaybejustawell,buttome,itwasasymbolofmypast,present,andfuture,allrolledintoone.
