When it rains
“Did the gulab jamun feast finally happen, Kaka?” queried Sneha.
“Oh yes! The very next day Sarpanch ji commissioned Meetha Lal Halwai to prepare thirty kilograms of gulab jamuns.”
“Thirty? Wasn’t that too much?” asked Somu.
“Too much? It just disappeared. Everyone was so happy. And, the donkeys had to be fed too.”
“The donkeys!” Gauri exclaimed.
“Yes, of course the donkeys! They were the main guests of the gulab jamun feast.”
“Ohh…” whispered the six children.
“Jai… Sneha… Children, aren’t you going to complete your homework today?” called Lata.
“Now I must go. You children have to study. Bhojai will be annoyed with me for not letting you all do your school work,” Deenu Kaka stood up hurriedly and shoved his feet into the slippers.
“It’s getting late. We too ought to go home,” said the other four children.
****
“Amma, its raining!” Sneha exclaimed, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
“It has been raining all night,” said Lata with a smile. Sarpanch Kaka and the other farmers will be very happy.”
“Wow! The fields will not be thirsty anymore. By the way, what will we take in our tiffin to school today, Amma?” asked Jai, sitting on the wooden chair in the veranda.
“There’s no school today. While you both were asleep, Deenu Bhaiyya came to say that the school’s roof is leaking so classes have been cancelled,” Lata informed them, sweeping the veranda with a long broom.
“Hurray! I’m so happy. We were going to have a class test today. It’s a holiday! No test today!” Sneha skipped around gleefully.
“A rainy-day holiday! The best kind of holiday!” agreed Jai.
“Children… children… I don’t want you both making mischief here at home. I want to see you both studying at least for two hours,” Lata said sternly.
“And, after that?” queried Sneha with a mischievous grin.
“You can have your brunch and then play quietly without bringing the roof down,” Lata couldn’t help but say with a smile.
“Can we go and visit the others?” Jai asked.
“Only if it stops raining. The roads are all muddy and slushy, you both will have to be careful not to slip and fall,” Lata said, keeping away the broom. “I’m going to prepare the food. Brush your teeth and have a bath. Then, sit down to study.”
“Yes, Amma!” chorused the children.
“Koo… Koo… Koo-oo.”
“That’s the koel singing!” chirped Sneha. “Where is he?” The little girl looked around eagerly.
“I think he must be sitting in the branches of the Neem tree,” Jai replied, peering through the curtain of falling liquid pearls.
“Koo… Koo…” called Sneha.
“Koo… Koo… Koo-oo,” the bird replied happily.
“Sneha, look! Be careful, near your foot there’s an earthworm,” Jai said urgently.
“An earthworm!” shrieked the girl, hopping on one foot. “Where? Where is it?”
“There’s no need to be afraid, Sneha. These are harmless creatures. They neither bite nor sting; just go about their work silently,” Jai said holding her hand.
“Work? What work do they do, Bhaiyya?” Sneha stared in fascination at the long, thin red creature wriggling on the stone floor of the veranda.
“Why! They are called the farmers’ best friends. They are noted for their help to farmers,” Jai said solemnly.
“A farmer’s best friend? How is that?” Sneha asked curiously.
“See… earthworms move in and out of the soil,” Jai explained, gesturing with his hands to explain. “As a result, they mix the upper layer and the inner layer of the soil. They also dig holes in the mud which let’s the air and water to go deep inside. And, they eat dead leaves and plants so their body waste acts as a manure in the fields.”
“Ohh… I didn’t know this. But why has this fellow come here? There’s no field here. Has he got lost?” asked Sneha innocently, still staring at the wriggly creature.
“I don’t think so. They live everywhere, even in gardens. We have a garden so most probably he lives here with his friends and family. Look… there he goes over the side, down the wall into the garden soil…” Jai pointed.
“But which is his face and which is his tail?” Sneha asked, confused.
Jai laughed. “The earthworm doesn’t have a face.”
“What? How does he see and breathe then?” Sneha queried.
“There are special cells in his skin which helps him to know the dark and light. And, he breathes through his moist skin rather than lungs,” Jai shared this interesting nugget of information.
“Ohh… This sounds interesting,” exclaimed Sneha, following the earthworm with her eyes as it crawled closer to a bed of white, fragrant lilies. “There he goes.”
“Ribbit! Ribbit!” croaked a harsh voice happily.
“A frog!” chorused the brother and sister.
“Where is he?” Sneha peered into the green leaves.
“I guess Mr. Earthworm is going to end up as Mr. Frog’s lunch,” sighed Jai.
“Ohh… You’re right. Look!”
The frog’s tongue shot out and the earthworm disappeared.
“And… he’s gone,” exclaimed Jai, shaking his head ruefully.
“I’m so sorry for him,” Sneha said sighing.
“We better go in. We need to have a bath and pick up our books. Amma will not be too happy with us, and then we’ll be feeling sorry for ourselves,” Jai said turning away. “Come on, Sneha.”
“Yes, Bhaiyya.”
****
“Amma, this is so tasty,” Sneha said, licking her fingers.
“Yes, Amma. This gatta-sabzi with the parantha is too good,” agreed Jai.
“Really?” laughed Lata. “I’m glad you enjoyed your meal.
“Amma, it has stopped raining. Can we go to Somu’s house and play?” queried Sneha.
“Alright. But be careful not to slip and fall in all the slush. And, once you get back make sure you wash your hands and feet properly. Or better still have a bath,” Lata said, placing more paranthas in their thalis on the chowkis. Now hurry up and finish eating.”
“Yoo-hoo! Yes, Amma,” Jai shouted and Sneha giggled.
****
“Sneha, hold my hand and walk slowly,” urged Jai. “Be careful. Place your whole foot down… yes… yes… like that. Now lift your foot slowly. Try not to splash your clothes with the mud from the back.”
“Bhaiyya, this is horrible. I want to go back home. All these roads are really bad,” Sneha complained.
“Do you want to go to Somu’s house and play or not? At home, Amma would have made us sit down and study. Do you want to sit with your books on such a beautiful day?” reasoned Jai.
“No… No… No books today. I’ve already studied enough. I did two pages of writing also.”
“Great! So, now be a good girl and focus on walking slowly without splashing any mud,” Jai said walking slowly, step-by-step.
“If Bholu was here, he would have enjoyed himself pushing people into the slush or splashing them with it,” Sneha murmured, focused on following in her brother’s footsteps.
“Sneha! Please don’t say such things aloud. If he’s around here, he may do it,” Jai said, peering into the shadows, into the nearest tree’s branches and bushes. “I have no intention of going home and having a bath once again.”
“Yes Bhaiyya, I know… I can understand,” Sneha said giggling.
Trinnggg – Trrinnn-gg!
“Children… Children… Where are you going?” Deenu Kaka made an appearance amidst a persistent ringing of a bicycle’s bell.
“Careful, Deenu Kaka!” shrieked Sneha.
“Deenu Kaka,” exclaimed Jai and caught the bicycle just in time.
Deenu who jammed the brakes too fast almost toppled into the mud.
“Phew! That was a close call. Thank you, Jai beta. I will always be indebted to you,” Deenu Kaka proclaimed with relief.
“Just for preventing you from falling off the bicycle?” Sneha giggled.
“Yes, of course. Otherwise, all my clothes would have got soiled and then I would have had to wash them and then with the rains pouring down they wouldn’t have dried… and then…”
“Alright… Alright… Kaka. I accept your gratitude,” Jai said quickly to stanch the flow of words.
Deenu Kaka smiled and then asked, “But where are you both going?”
“We’re going to Somu’s place. I’m sure our other friends must be there too. They live close by to each other. We’ll play there for sometime and then return home in time for the evening meal,” Jai answered.
“Good idea! Let me take you there on this bicycle,” offered Deenu Kaka. “You won’t have to walk in the mud and your feet and clothes will not get soiled.”
Sneha looked at him doubtfully.
“What a wonderful idea! Thank you, Deenu Kaka!” Jai said happily. “Come on, Sneha.”
“Bitiya, you sit here in front. Jai beta can sit on the carrier at the back,” Deenu said, eager to help.
Sneha hesitantly climbed onto the rod in the front, praying earnestly that they would reach their friend’s home safe and sound.
“Ready? Shall we set off?” called Deenu Kaka.
“Yes,” replied Jai.
“Here we go!” exclaimed Deenu Kaka, pushing off, wobbling once and then balancing. He pedalled, his legs going up and down.
“Kaka is this your bicycle?” Jai queried. “I’ve never seen you using one.”
“Arrey… Nahin, beta ji. It’s not mine I borrowed it from one of the Station Master Sahib’s house last night. I’m just going to return it.”
“Ohh…” said Jai, holding onto the seat with both his hands.
“Actually, last night I had an adventure…”
“… an adventure!” interjected Sneha. “What adventure, Kaka? Please tell us.”
“Bitiya, it’s a long story…”
“… make it short, then.” insisted Sneha.
Deenu Kaka laughed his laugh which sounded more like the cackling of geese.
“Very well… So, beta ji… last night…”