The pleasures of childhood
Sometimes very strange thoughts entertain the mind. What's even stranger is that it makes you feel you are living this thought, you smile and laugh and then Lo!! it almost made your day. It's funny how childhood events make you feel so happy. You almost want to go back into it. No wonder it's the most cherished part of life.
It came suddenly, this thought you know. Something that I was reading must have initiated it.The thought was all about the hoop I had in my childhood. I grew up having boys as friends to play. So I learnt the games they played - cricket, seven stones, gilli-danda. So this one time there was a boy who brought this amazing hoop (basically a tyre that would be used on a jeep's wheel). He got it from his uncle is what he said. I was so fascinated by it. It was almost like owing a bicycle. He could ride the hoop everywhere and use it to sit on. My next thought was to get the tyre off my bicycle. Well, the cycle's tyre was not a strong one but it did give the thrill of riding it eh? I went home thinking about it. I pondered on it for quite some days. But then, I was not sure what I would answer my father, if I took it off. So I went requested this boy, if he could be get me one from his uncle. He refused blatantly. He said, that it was expensive and that his uncle could not possibly have money to get one for everyone asking for it. I sulked and called him names. I assured him that my bicycle was better than his hoop which easily drifts off from the road and requires constant attention in directing it. That made me feel better. But the heart would not stay content.
A few days later, what do I see? My father had a new tyre at home. Oh, how pleased I was to see it. I knew it was for me. So I went grabbed it, kissed it, and was ready to experiment with it; when I heard my father say - Ah! there you are. What are you doing with that tyre? I said, I was taking it out for a ride. "Ride?", he said. "I got it because my bike's typres have to be replaced". So the thought of taking out the brand new typre for a ride was melting away. I tried to console saying, well at least I would get the old one when it comes off the bike. I stood there not knowing what was happening to my world. I was asked to leave it there and go help him with mundane stuff. Holding off the tears in my eyes, heaviness in the throat, I followed him.
Days passed. It was disheartening to see the brand new tyre just sit there. Finally, a thought came to me. Why not puncture Appa's bike tyres? Yippy!! that was it. That was the answer from heaven. I mulled over the thought. But the nerves did not answer. They refused to be my partners anymore. I could hear a loud thumping sound of conscience. The only thing it said was - What if Appa gets to know who did it?
I let it pass.
Nights were unbearable after meeting this boy with the hoop. He even refused to have me ride it.
I picked courage. It came because I wanted this hoop thing very badly. I walked over to Appa and said - Can you buy me a jeep's tyre? He had a good laugh and asked why I wanted it. I tried telling him the importance of it. I said, I could go to the shop on it to get anything Amma wanted. Then if I had the hoop, I could have my brother use the cycle. Most importantly, I could take part in the race I said. "Race? what race?", Appa asked. Oh, all the guys are having a race with the hoop. I want to go to it too. Something obliged him. He took me to the mechanic and got me his bike's old tyre!!
I was now the proud owner of the hoop! It went with me everywhere - to the neighbors home to deliver stuff, to the shops to fetch Amma's necessities, to the cricket grounds. I kept it inside the house and under my bed. I showed it off to the other boys.
Then came the race day. There were different kinds of hoops - bike's, jeep's, cycle's, lorry's. The start trigger was whistled. All started off with their hoops. It was a long race over grass, rocks, road, narrow bends. It was going well, when someone tripped me - so I thought. I fell on the ground and my hoop went its way. I got up and started searching for my hoop. There it was - fallen into a bed of thorns. I got it out and realised that my pink frock was now red at the knee. Then I realised that I had scratched my knee very badly. It was bleeding crazy. All these years, I was scared to get a shot. But this day, all I knew was I was dying and I had to rush to the doctor. I went to the dispensary near my house and had the doctor look over. She said, that it was not very bad and that if I take a shot I will be fine. So I got my shot and came home to fight with the guy who I thought had pushed me down. The poor guy was petrified and he promised to let me ride his hoop (one from the cycle, a very light one and I had eyed his hoop for long) if I did not tell my parents about him. So there I was with the luxury of riding two hoops.
Simple pleasures of childhood. It was so much fun to be out playing with anything we found. I wonder how many children would play with the hoop today; in a world where play=computer games.
It came suddenly, this thought you know. Something that I was reading must have initiated it.The thought was all about the hoop I had in my childhood. I grew up having boys as friends to play. So I learnt the games they played - cricket, seven stones, gilli-danda. So this one time there was a boy who brought this amazing hoop (basically a tyre that would be used on a jeep's wheel). He got it from his uncle is what he said. I was so fascinated by it. It was almost like owing a bicycle. He could ride the hoop everywhere and use it to sit on. My next thought was to get the tyre off my bicycle. Well, the cycle's tyre was not a strong one but it did give the thrill of riding it eh? I went home thinking about it. I pondered on it for quite some days. But then, I was not sure what I would answer my father, if I took it off. So I went requested this boy, if he could be get me one from his uncle. He refused blatantly. He said, that it was expensive and that his uncle could not possibly have money to get one for everyone asking for it. I sulked and called him names. I assured him that my bicycle was better than his hoop which easily drifts off from the road and requires constant attention in directing it. That made me feel better. But the heart would not stay content.
A few days later, what do I see? My father had a new tyre at home. Oh, how pleased I was to see it. I knew it was for me. So I went grabbed it, kissed it, and was ready to experiment with it; when I heard my father say - Ah! there you are. What are you doing with that tyre? I said, I was taking it out for a ride. "Ride?", he said. "I got it because my bike's typres have to be replaced". So the thought of taking out the brand new typre for a ride was melting away. I tried to console saying, well at least I would get the old one when it comes off the bike. I stood there not knowing what was happening to my world. I was asked to leave it there and go help him with mundane stuff. Holding off the tears in my eyes, heaviness in the throat, I followed him.
Days passed. It was disheartening to see the brand new tyre just sit there. Finally, a thought came to me. Why not puncture Appa's bike tyres? Yippy!! that was it. That was the answer from heaven. I mulled over the thought. But the nerves did not answer. They refused to be my partners anymore. I could hear a loud thumping sound of conscience. The only thing it said was - What if Appa gets to know who did it?
I let it pass.
Nights were unbearable after meeting this boy with the hoop. He even refused to have me ride it.
I picked courage. It came because I wanted this hoop thing very badly. I walked over to Appa and said - Can you buy me a jeep's tyre? He had a good laugh and asked why I wanted it. I tried telling him the importance of it. I said, I could go to the shop on it to get anything Amma wanted. Then if I had the hoop, I could have my brother use the cycle. Most importantly, I could take part in the race I said. "Race? what race?", Appa asked. Oh, all the guys are having a race with the hoop. I want to go to it too. Something obliged him. He took me to the mechanic and got me his bike's old tyre!!
I was now the proud owner of the hoop! It went with me everywhere - to the neighbors home to deliver stuff, to the shops to fetch Amma's necessities, to the cricket grounds. I kept it inside the house and under my bed. I showed it off to the other boys.
Then came the race day. There were different kinds of hoops - bike's, jeep's, cycle's, lorry's. The start trigger was whistled. All started off with their hoops. It was a long race over grass, rocks, road, narrow bends. It was going well, when someone tripped me - so I thought. I fell on the ground and my hoop went its way. I got up and started searching for my hoop. There it was - fallen into a bed of thorns. I got it out and realised that my pink frock was now red at the knee. Then I realised that I had scratched my knee very badly. It was bleeding crazy. All these years, I was scared to get a shot. But this day, all I knew was I was dying and I had to rush to the doctor. I went to the dispensary near my house and had the doctor look over. She said, that it was not very bad and that if I take a shot I will be fine. So I got my shot and came home to fight with the guy who I thought had pushed me down. The poor guy was petrified and he promised to let me ride his hoop (one from the cycle, a very light one and I had eyed his hoop for long) if I did not tell my parents about him. So there I was with the luxury of riding two hoops.
Simple pleasures of childhood. It was so much fun to be out playing with anything we found. I wonder how many children would play with the hoop today; in a world where play=computer games.
posted by Rashmy at 2:56 PM
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