I live with Ba and Bapuji in a very very big city, in India. This city has too many people, roads, cars, autos buses, noises and lots and lots of stuff, for people to buy, to be happy. They repeat this all the time on TV. But, I don't like TV. It's too noisy for me and makes my eyes and head very tired. Bapuji says all big cities in India are just like this, and most people like to watch TV - as they do.
Since Mummy and Pappa died, Ba and Bapuji are constantly fearful for me - they tell me to not do this or that, to not talk to strangers, to not cross the road alone, or even go down alone by myself. In the evening we all go down to the playground. They sit and watch and chat with other old, fat people, like themselves, and I wait for my turn at the swings. I love to swing - very very high. Sometimes I think I can reach out and touch those fluffy clouds. I used to try!
But Ba saw me once reach out and screamed in sheer terror - that I almost fell off - and later cried and cried that her dead daughter, my Mummy, would not forgive them if something were to happen to me. But, how could Mummy forgive if she's gone and dead? Anyway, I had to promise to hold on to the swing tightly, with both hands, otherwise no swing time. So I promised.
We live in a small flat, in a tall building. There are many many such tall buildings in our colony. All areas are covered with concrete, bricks, stones, cement, glass. There's no dirt anywhere, since people do not like dirt. There are some potted plants here and there and a large cluster of trees around which people walk round and round and round.
No one ventures into the trees. Ba says there can be snakes, insects, and many other strange creepy-crawlies that can harm humans and even kill them, especially a little girl like me.
Mummy and Pappa used to love all nature, birds, animals, insects, snakes - they were never afraid. They used to say that even the most poisonous snakes are more afraid of us than we should be of them. That humans have killed more snakes than have ever harmed us. We all used to sit very still an watch mama-bird feeding her young, the funny centipedes that would curl up into spirals at a mere touch - that I collected in my frock pocket. Then they opened up and crawled all over me. It was so ticklish - and I laughed so hard that sometimes they just fell off me. My Mummy and Pappa loved me very much. Too bad they are dead. It makes Ba and Bapuji very sad to think of them. Not me. I like thinking of them and day dreaming of All the things we did together - Ba, Bapuji would be so shocked and disapproving.
It was on one such day when I was day dreaming of them, that I decided to do something. The house was silent, except for an occasional loud snort from Bapuji - they were taking their afternoon nap. I refuse to nap, even though they insist it's good for me. I quietly took the house key hanging by the door, got into the lift and went out. I walked towards the cluster of trees - remember the one that people walked around but never entered? I reached it easily and stepped off the walkway into dark ground.
The trees were tall with thick canopies, almost touching each other. The ground was soft with years of fallen leaves and mottled with perfect round bright sunspots. The air was silent and still with soft bird songs from high branches. I kept walking, gently ducking the full rounds of silky spider webs blocking my path. I heard a slither - must be a snake nearby. So, like Pappa had taught me, I stomped my feet and kept walking - this would tell the snakes to keep away. As I walked I could smell the soil, the green, a forest smell that I remembered from before. Suddenly ahead I saw a clearing - a space of bright sunlight, almost blinding my eyes. Squinting and protecting my eyes with my hands I entered the light, to see before me a bluest, nicest swimming pool. The shrubs and bushes had overgrown to its edge and were full of flowers. Colorful, fragrant vines had grown all over the nearby tall trees and hung down in patches of bright colour. Dragon flies of blood red flitted, small birds chirped flying here and there, tiny mauve butterflies, medium yellow ones and large blue ones flew from flower to flower, so thirsty. This was a world I knew and loved from before. This was my world. I realised I was at the community's neglected and long forgotten swimming pool. I quickly slipped off my dress and jumped into the cool, bright inky blue - lucky mummy had taught me how to swim from the time I was a baby.
Immediately I heard another plop, and then another one as two plump frogs decided to join me - to my utter delight. I dove deep in, swimming underwater to find a large school of shimmery transparent fish surrounding me on all the sides. I played floating, flipping and whooping with joy, racing with the frogs, fish - till they tired of my games and decided to ignore me. Three little monkeys leapt from branch to branch, coming to the pool's edge, chattering, and then dipped down for a drink of water. I swam briskly to the other side of the pool to find a wagtail waiting for me bobbing it's head and wagging it's long tail up and down. I grinned and it jumped around my face in play. I swam back to the other side on my back, and a red dragonfly landed on my nose - just for a joy ride. I fully cross-eyed, trying to see the dragon fly on my nose, it's black mirror eyes, the fine lacy red wings.
I had discovered my own secret pool and had never been happier since, you know, that day. This would be my secret - just for me and Pappa, Mummy.
When I was done, I returned, as I had come, and quietly entered the flat - luckily, the snores were still on.
I quickly changed and decided it was time for my afternoon nap! Bapuji and Ba would be so pleased that I was finally listening to them - but they'd never ever know of my own secret pool.
Since Mummy and Pappa died, Ba and Bapuji are constantly fearful for me - they tell me to not do this or that, to not talk to strangers, to not cross the road alone, or even go down alone by myself. In the evening we all go down to the playground. They sit and watch and chat with other old, fat people, like themselves, and I wait for my turn at the swings. I love to swing - very very high. Sometimes I think I can reach out and touch those fluffy clouds. I used to try!
But Ba saw me once reach out and screamed in sheer terror - that I almost fell off - and later cried and cried that her dead daughter, my Mummy, would not forgive them if something were to happen to me. But, how could Mummy forgive if she's gone and dead? Anyway, I had to promise to hold on to the swing tightly, with both hands, otherwise no swing time. So I promised.
We live in a small flat, in a tall building. There are many many such tall buildings in our colony. All areas are covered with concrete, bricks, stones, cement, glass. There's no dirt anywhere, since people do not like dirt. There are some potted plants here and there and a large cluster of trees around which people walk round and round and round.
No one ventures into the trees. Ba says there can be snakes, insects, and many other strange creepy-crawlies that can harm humans and even kill them, especially a little girl like me.
Mummy and Pappa used to love all nature, birds, animals, insects, snakes - they were never afraid. They used to say that even the most poisonous snakes are more afraid of us than we should be of them. That humans have killed more snakes than have ever harmed us. We all used to sit very still an watch mama-bird feeding her young, the funny centipedes that would curl up into spirals at a mere touch - that I collected in my frock pocket. Then they opened up and crawled all over me. It was so ticklish - and I laughed so hard that sometimes they just fell off me. My Mummy and Pappa loved me very much. Too bad they are dead. It makes Ba and Bapuji very sad to think of them. Not me. I like thinking of them and day dreaming of All the things we did together - Ba, Bapuji would be so shocked and disapproving.
It was on one such day when I was day dreaming of them, that I decided to do something. The house was silent, except for an occasional loud snort from Bapuji - they were taking their afternoon nap. I refuse to nap, even though they insist it's good for me. I quietly took the house key hanging by the door, got into the lift and went out. I walked towards the cluster of trees - remember the one that people walked around but never entered? I reached it easily and stepped off the walkway into dark ground.
The trees were tall with thick canopies, almost touching each other. The ground was soft with years of fallen leaves and mottled with perfect round bright sunspots. The air was silent and still with soft bird songs from high branches. I kept walking, gently ducking the full rounds of silky spider webs blocking my path. I heard a slither - must be a snake nearby. So, like Pappa had taught me, I stomped my feet and kept walking - this would tell the snakes to keep away. As I walked I could smell the soil, the green, a forest smell that I remembered from before. Suddenly ahead I saw a clearing - a space of bright sunlight, almost blinding my eyes. Squinting and protecting my eyes with my hands I entered the light, to see before me a bluest, nicest swimming pool. The shrubs and bushes had overgrown to its edge and were full of flowers. Colorful, fragrant vines had grown all over the nearby tall trees and hung down in patches of bright colour. Dragon flies of blood red flitted, small birds chirped flying here and there, tiny mauve butterflies, medium yellow ones and large blue ones flew from flower to flower, so thirsty. This was a world I knew and loved from before. This was my world. I realised I was at the community's neglected and long forgotten swimming pool. I quickly slipped off my dress and jumped into the cool, bright inky blue - lucky mummy had taught me how to swim from the time I was a baby.
Immediately I heard another plop, and then another one as two plump frogs decided to join me - to my utter delight. I dove deep in, swimming underwater to find a large school of shimmery transparent fish surrounding me on all the sides. I played floating, flipping and whooping with joy, racing with the frogs, fish - till they tired of my games and decided to ignore me. Three little monkeys leapt from branch to branch, coming to the pool's edge, chattering, and then dipped down for a drink of water. I swam briskly to the other side of the pool to find a wagtail waiting for me bobbing it's head and wagging it's long tail up and down. I grinned and it jumped around my face in play. I swam back to the other side on my back, and a red dragonfly landed on my nose - just for a joy ride. I fully cross-eyed, trying to see the dragon fly on my nose, it's black mirror eyes, the fine lacy red wings.
I had discovered my own secret pool and had never been happier since, you know, that day. This would be my secret - just for me and Pappa, Mummy.
When I was done, I returned, as I had come, and quietly entered the flat - luckily, the snores were still on.
I quickly changed and decided it was time for my afternoon nap! Bapuji and Ba would be so pleased that I was finally listening to them - but they'd never ever know of my own secret pool.
No comments:
Post a Comment