.. the Number of hours we used to spend buying a "good quality" umbrella.. that won't go "belly up" everytime the monsoon shows its fury..
And of course.. EVERYONE of them did.. cept for the one that Dad bought in Korea.. hmm.. I think I lost that in MD !
Not just umbrellas.. rainy shoes... Something that doesn't cut yer feet too badly or make em all shrivelled up !!
And extra band-aids to keep in the school bags.. coz Rainy shoes ALWAYS came with their share of shoe-bites !!
I remember when I was in 1st standard (YES I DO remember those days.. quite vividly).. I wanted Red Gum Boots.. yea.. I think that's what they were called..
And mom didnt' buy me those.. there was this Bata shoe shop in Sector Market.. and I used to wistfully stare at those shoes everyone time we'd walk past that place.. (which was every alternate day atleast !!).. and Mom would shake her head and say.. "Nahee bachche.. usmein paer kharaab ho jaate hein.. ".. But other kids were wearing them !! :-/
Also.. I remember once.. this was in school.. I had those dark brown Sandak sandals.. and the PT instructor (Bhagade Sir)... during assembly.. calls a girl to come forward.. she's wearing those closed black rainy shoes.. and then calls me as well.. to face the entire assembly..
I was so excited.. y'see I was the academic sort.. and not good at ANYTHING the PT instructor would approve off.. and he was always the favorite with everyone.. so to be someone HE noticed..was a thing of pride !
So.. gettin back to my short story.. he calls us up in the front..and gives a lecture on Rain wear.. and how the "uniform" code held for rain wear as well.. And then he asks the whole assembly.. "Now which kind of shoes are correct uniform code.."..
Oh.. and they weren't mine... :( So much for being Bhagade's pet !
Not that it mattered what kinda shoes we wore... coz at the first opportunity.. off they came.. GOD it used to fun walking barefoot in the rain.
My colony.. one of the cleanest, greenest place in Mumbai.. had a really good drainage system.. so it looked so beautiful durin the monsoon..and the roads and the footpaths were all squeaky clean..
Another favorite past time.. was to try and split EARTHWORMS in two..and then wait to watch them walk their own two paths... also watching those little boys from Chikkuvaadi slide on the slime in the gutters and try and catch crabs to take home and have for dinner !!
Hmm.. anyway.. its the rain outside that's getting me nostalgic... maybe I should go out for a walk.. sans the umbrella... ;)
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