Learning, learning everywhere

"Mummy, Please mummy....I have to go mummy" Appu pleaded his mother. His voice choked and he was about to cry. "Mummy, please..."
"No Appu, I wont let to go alone. His house is far away. See...There is no one on the streets. No. I wont allow you. Go and read the Encyclopedia. Its full of knowledge." My wife denied his request strongly. I was just observing the conversation that was taking place between a desperate child and a strict sincere mother. 'Whether the encyclopedia has everything that a 10 year old boy needs?' I wondered. I followed my thoughts, which ran back without my effort to my childhood days.
I was monkey-pedaling a hired bicycle.
"Hey Rengudu, climb on the cross-bar and pedal, so that we shall reach the base station of Pachchai malai within two hours" my school friend Venkat, who is an year elder than me encouraged to climb on the crossbar of 22 inches Ralli's bicyle. I was eleven years old then.
"No. Venkat, I can't. The bar is too high" I refused. He immediately got down of his cycle and helped me to climb on the bar. For the first time, I learned how to ride a cycle by sitting on the bar. As he said, We reached the beautiful base station of scenic pachchai malai within two hours of cycle ride. We breathed the fresh and fragrant air of a vibrant mountain. It carried all the aroma of nature which will easily take away anyone in to deep meditation. We sat beside a small stream of water with our legs submerged in to it. Chillness of the water and gentle flow consumed the pain of my legs. A small school of fish gathered around my legs and pricked. It was like doing 'kichu, kichu' under foot. The water was crystal clear that all the elliptical stones underneath the stream were very much visible to everyone. Standing on the slightly moving stones do massaging for our tired feet.
We decided to take bath in the flowing water and jumped inside. Wow! The icy water pierced through my body so that I could feel the chillness on all my bones. I screamed in ecstasy. We dived again and again on the natures lap and drenched our soul in her love. When I immersed my head inside water I saw a tail like thing moving towards me. I raised my head to find the 'Thing' and I found it to be a snake.
"Hey, cobra... cobra..." shouted out of fear.
Venkat turned towards it and laughed at me."You fool. Its not cobra. Its just a water snake"
"So what? Venkat. Do you know what will happen to me if it bites?" I got angry with the way he laughed at.
"Nothing will happen, See..." Having said he lifted his left hand and grabbed the snake with utmost ease. He then showed it as if he possessed the Wimbledon cup. I was horrified to see him lifting a snake in his hand. Slowly I got near him and that day I learned to differentiate a cobra with a water snake. After an hour of bathing, we climbed on the mountain for about five kilometers watching the tall trees, lovely flowers and fruits, a foot long caterpillars, nameless squeaking birds and very innocent tribal population. We returned to my home late in the evening with long lasting memories and experiences that an encyclopedia book can not teach.
I brought back my attention to the conversation of my wife and my son. I saw my son going inside the room and sitting with his head submerged between his knees. I asked my wife to let him go to his friends house and return back before evening. She did so with lot of apprehensions. After my son moved out I sat with her to narrate my childhood experiences.