Racing tires..

(An old post from my previous blog, 17 March, 2010)

A lady comes to our hostel, for a few days in a week, who makes a living by repairing our torn foot-wear and bags. She is a mother of five children and she brings her kids along sometimes, whom I have grown very fond of.

Today, along with her came the youngest two out of the five- a very cute one year old boy and an amazingly spirited five year old girl. And I don’t know whether I was more mentally relieved or had more time on my hands, I watched them play for a long time.

Oh, they both were definitely more than a handful. Throughout our conversation, their mother kept both her watchful eyes on both of her kids, mindful of what they were doing continuously and shouting out their names if they approached the boundary of ‘too-far-away’.

I was watching them play and I.. suddenly began to doubt if I had ever played so much when I was young…I may have had a customized kitchen set or a doctor set which I was extremely proud of when I was young but have I ever played with a rubber tyre the way Karthika did?

All she did was tap on the tyre and off it would go, rolling and rolling, and she would run along with it. With every tap, the tyre went faster and Karthika ran faster and faster beside her rubber competitor, whose motion she propelled. She ran with limitless energy, it seemed like she could keep running forever..
Her little brother meanwhile was pulling a thermocole cart happily behind him, emulating what his sister had done before … earlier he had been a passenger on it while his sister dragged him around..

At the end of it, as always, seeing little kids play, I guess, always puts a little perspective into you and in life. They keep telling you to enjoy the little things in life and talk to you about innocent wonder..

Karthika and her running tyre.. not a picture I am going to be able to forget so easily.