THE RAIN – THE PLAY – TIA AND SHREY

Mom said STOP. Eight-year-old Tia looked beseechingly into her mother's eyes. Those lovely big eyes said nothing but plead, “Let me go.”

 The rain outside called her. Her big brother was ready to jump out of the door into the rain.  However, the voice of his mother booming over his little sister kept him back.

 Well well!!! Being one year older, he was smarter than his little sister Tia.  He knew the right moment for his flight into the rain.

 The RAIN!!! The rainy days were always exciting. The rain trickling down the tiled roofs of the houses which stood beside another in a row was like a huge plaything in little hands. All the kids of the neighborhood would stand at the threshold of their houses enjoying the beautiful rain.

 The rain would always bring a holiday with it. The not-so-big school at the end of the precinct was where the children went. Everyone there went to the same school owned by a single, strong, dignified, and stern lady who took the responsibility of training the kids not only in their subjects but also in social behavior. She was admired, respected and feared at the same time.

 Yet, on a rainy day, the school would be closed, the reason which neither Tia nor the other kids knew. Their sweet innocence only knew that it was a holiday and they could play all the daylong in the warmth of their homes and in the presence of their siblings.  Each could go to the other's homes by simply jumping off the compound walls and entering their homes without any hindrance.

 Now, Tia looked at the rain falling heavily and the water dripping from the roofs like perfect lines in a ruled book.  She had to sit along with her brother and her elder sister watching the endless downpour, and at times waving hellos to the opposite door kids, crying out her delight for being home and her joy for the unasked holiday.  After several failed attempts to communicate, the noise of the rain making it impossible to hear each other, she sat beside her siblings.

 Shrey, did not give a damn about what was happening around. He was busy making paper boats. He knew he had to get wet. He enjoyed the rain as much as his little sister.  The papers for his boats came from his rough book which he never cared for. The boy and the girl knew little to value their books. The only thing that appealed to them was, play! Play! Play!

 Their elder sister knew her little siblings were just a bunch of naughty truants who wanted to run away from books and studies. Sometimes she felt that they were two little impish elves.  She sat reading a book while Mother sat next to her trying to plan for the evening dinner. Father was away at work and would arrive only late in the evening.

 Shrey was engrossed in making paper boats and also contemplating whether to share one or two with Tia. Shrey is just one year older than Tia, and they had their fights, quarrels, and secrets that they shared and sometimes warned each other that they would tell these secrets to Mother whenever they had their differences.

 Tia left the threshold and sat beside Shrey and watched him make the paper boats. She was always fascinated by his creativity in making things out of paper. She tore a paper off the book beside Shrey, half afraid that he would not let her take one for herself. Shrey was too engrossed with two things in his mind. One is he wanted to go out and play in the rain when Mother was not watching and another is, that he did not want to give Tia a boat that he made with all his hard work.

 Tia, watched her brother carefully making the boats and copied every move of his fingers, and finally made the first one. Another three followed with ease. She was very meticulous in making the folds and the outcome was a delight.

 Both of them took their boats and crossed the threshold while Mother was busy with something else. Each took a boat and quickly stepped out, went down the 5 steps stooped low, left the boats in the puddles of water before their house, and with the same quickness jumped back into the verandah of the house, getting wet a little.

 Mother looked around realizing that the two did something against her reprimands and glared at their clothes which were a little damp. Both Shrey and Tia avoided the glare and looked around at how their boats floated in the puddle. Tia was more vocal. She shouted with glee and was delighted that her brother’s boat sank too quickly.

 This time around, Tia, put both her palms under the dripping water and soaked her brother with the water that filled her palms. Enjoying the game, both of them did the same to each other, and at intervals crossed the threshold and floated the remaining paper boats watching them with glee and teasing each other whose boat floated the best. This was all under the vigilant eye of the mother, who was also not as vigilant as she had other things to take care of.

 Suddenly, when Mother turned around, both the impish elves were not to be seen. 

Well, what happened to the naughty duo??? Both of them, seeing that the heavy rain now turned into a drizzle, ran out of the house, across the small garden, opened the gate and were out.

Shrey ran at full speed and Tia followed. Her brother was her hero. Whatever he did, she had to do. And all that he did thrilled her. Across the lane, both of them ran. Splash, Splash, Swoosh, swoosh, plunk plunk!!!! They splashed in the puddles and the running muddy waters. As they splashed and ran, the muddy water wet their ankles and their legs, reaching up to his shorts and dirtying her frock.

 The little ones did not bother. Other children doing the same, and they wanted to join them in their game.  Both of them ran and joined them. Dancing along the way and peeping into others ‘gardens, calling out to their friends to come and join them were something they enjoyed.  Out came the other kids to join them in their play. They played, danced, they laughed, teased, made each other cry, looked out for fruits that hung from the trees, plucked them not bothering to see if they were ripe,  held on to each other in their games, and did everything that children did in their playtime.

 An hour or two later, aware that Father would return from work, Shrey and Tia ran back home as fast as they could. Splash, Splash, Swoosh, swoosh, plunk plunk!!!! They splashed in the puddles and the running muddy waters. As they splashed and ran, the muddy water wet their ankles and their legs, reached up to his shorts, and dirtied her frock.

 Shrey quickly opened the garden gate and both of them ran the 5 steps and even before they could cross the threshold, they were stopped by a towering figure. Lifting up their eyes, they saw the angry form of their mother. Her eyes bulged with anger, and with hands on her hips, she glared at them ready to pounce.

 Both Shrey and Tia, trembling with fear, looked down. It was then that it dawned on them that they were covered with mud all over. Their clothes were wet with mud, their feet were dirty and Tia’s hair looked worse than a messy abandoned bird’s nest. Mother dragged them into the verandah, took the cane and gave them a good thrashing. Both of them howled for mercy but for Mother disobedience was the most intolerable sin on the earth. She pushed them into a corner each and told them to sit there and not move until told.

Both of them waited in fear of what would follow and also if father came, they would be thrashed even more.  After half an hour’s wait, mother took them into the bathroom, and bathed them in hot water while scolding and constantly reminding them that she would tell Father of the evening’s misdoings and get him to discipline them once again.

After thorough washing, while both of them whined and cried not to complain to Father, she dressed them in clean clothes, gave them a hot early dinner, and put them to bed in clean and warm bedclothes assuring them that she would not complain to Father this one time.

 Tia and Shrey, tired and yet happy fell into a deep innocent sleep.