Ever since I was a child, I was crazy about cars, dreaming of modifying my father’s car someday. Now, having grown up and finally getting the opportunity to do so, it all feels so unreal — but it sure does make my inner child happy just thinking about it.

It was a bright, sunny day when my older brother and I went out to get our father’s car washed. While watching it being cleaned, a memory from my childhood flashed through my mind. It was of me, my father and my siblings washing his car in our garage on the weekends — just like today. It used to be so much fun, something we all did together, our little adventure in the garage. Our father would assign each of us a task: one of us had control over the water hose, spraying the car down; another would wipe the car with soapy water; one of us would fill the bucket and mix the soap; and another would scrub the tires. Since we were too small to reach the roof, our father would lift us to help, though we often ended up making the car dirty again in the process. But that never mattered — it only meant we got to spend more time together.

I remember how much my siblings and I loved playing with water. While our father was engrossed in his task, we would sneakily splash water on each other and hide behind whatever we could find. Eventually, he caught on and at first, he just watched us play. But soon enough, we managed to pull him into our little water fight, and, before we knew it, we were all soaked from head to toe. Despite the chaos, we got the job done, and after hours of fun, our car would be spotless.

But the adventure didn’t end there. When we stepped inside the house, our mother would always scold us — not out of anger, but out of concern. She worried we’d catch a cold and would immediately send us to shower. Her scolding was always the cutest, filled with love and care and in a way, we even looked forward to it after our mischief. What always surprised her, though, was the fact that our father had been part of our fun instead of stopping us.

It was a wonderful activity that taught us how to clean a car while also learning about its different parts. More importantly, it was a time filled with joy, laughter and precious memories. Now, growing up and realising the weight of responsibilities, life feels less fun at times. I miss being that carefree child, free from worries, surrounded by family, with laughter filling the air and smiles shining bright.

Nowadays, children and parents are too engrossed in their phones and TVs, creating an emotional gap between them and weakening their bonds. Families live under the same roof, yet feel miles apart, sitting at the same dinner table but disconnected from one another. Technology isn’t the problem, it’s the way it replaces human connection that is. If we don’t take a step back now, we may end up with nothing but remorse.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 8th, 2025