I used to be surrounded by 10 odd people almost always. Some were
sitting on the thinnai. Some leaned against compound walls. The old men had
taken the vaaravathi without thinking about it. Nothing had been planned.
People were just there, talking about whatever interested them that day.
The boys on the compound wall spoke about cricket, full of
movement and noise. Some swung air-bats and some caught imaginary balls. There
was a harmless serial liar too. But it all added flavour, like a mole on a fair
lady’s cheek.
The women on the thinnai compared the colour of marudhani on
their hands, holding their palms up, looking closely. The first time in the day
they thought about themselves.
The old men spoke about astrology, correcting each other. I
overheard that visiting Tiruchandur temple will make one’s boss kinder.
Another group nearby discussed cinema. Yes, Rajinikanth
would have been more successful had he been fair like Kamal.
We children stayed in between all this.
We ran around the yard, stopped suddenly, and ran again. We
played our own games. We were superheroes in our own right. One boy proudly
showed a half-somersault, landed badly, and still stood up like he had done
something great. Another walked around with a toy pistol tucked into his shorts
and believed that was enough to make him a hero. The rest of us watched,
laughed, copied, and moved on. Elder sisters controlled them.
That was enough for us.
Fireflies began to appear near the bushes. One light, then
another. We noticed them immediately. We ran after them, hands open, trying to
catch the light. We stopped suddenly and opened our palms. Nothing was there.
We laughed and ran again. Sometimes we stood still and watched them float.
From somewhere, a voice would come. Not always the same
voice.
“Do not go near that plant now. There will be snakes.”
We paused, looked at the plant, and ran in another
direction, laughing at who got scared more.
Someone lowered a vessel into the well. We waited for the
sound. When the metal hit the water, we felt satisfied. A while after, the thud
of that vessel hitting the ground gave a sense of safety. We did not know why.
Around us, the adults kept talking. We were not listening
carefully, but we heard everything. The pieces of information stayed with us
without effort. Just enough to show off among our classmates that we know what’s
happening.
Later, someone called us in. We went inside. The day ended.
