Droplets of Joy

Mangalore is popular for its heavy rainfall. But for some reason, there is not much rain this year. But while I was there, it showered for some time and with the tiny drops of water came back some sweet memories of childhood, which probably had been hiding somewhere behind the deep dark clouds that had traveled across the globe for so many years. Too much imagination, I guess.

We used to have our summer vacations during May and June. This is the time when it rains heavily in Mangalore, of course it continues further till July. My favorite game during this time was to make boats out of paper and let it sail in the water channels provided between the paddy fields. These channels connect many fields and is used to divert excess water from rainfall to a well or a lake. My neighbors Samsu and Sidiq would join me in this play and we competed to see whose boat would travel faster and reach the finishing line first. As the boat made its way along the stream, we followed to protect it from getting stuck between the weeds. Colorful flags represented our individual spirits and identity.

Hot teas and some rainy season special snacks were a treat during the evenings. Special snacks that my mother prepared, like – Jackfruit chips, Papad’s made of Jackfruit and Potato or onion pakoda’s. Sipping on the tea, with the hot onion pakoda tasting remarkably good in my mouth, relaxing in the sit out of our house, watching the rain drops play with the leaves and the mud; wow what a prefect way to spend a holiday.

Another fun game that Samsu, Sidiq and I played was to catch fishes. No, it’s nothing like going to the riverside or a lake and catching fish with a string or a net. But it was our own innovative way to catch fishes in the same channels that ran around the field. There were plenty of small fishes in it and we would place a trap. The Trap was a bath towel immersed in the water. As soon as the fishes swim above it...Zap…the towel came up and fishes were transferred to a small bowl of water. These fishes went into our well as they purified the water in it. We had to carefully let the fishes down into the well with a rope tied to the bowl because throwing the fishes from that great height would only kill it.

As I grew up, my relationship with the rain also changed, previously it was just playing around and getting wet and drenched. But now, I admired the beauty that it brought. Lying on my bed, watching outside the window, I saw the leaves flutter with joy as the tiny drops from the sky showered on them. The smell of the wet mud from the first rain still haunts me and my mind longs for a break from everything I am doing at that moment. These were also the best times to write my poems and stories.

There are times when I have hated the same rain. It had ruined so many parties or a plan to go for shopping or a movie. Sometimes it rains continuously for two to three days which is really boring unless you are on a vacation were you just want to relax at home. And of course the excess rainfall is always a poison to the sprouting seeds and the new saplings that I had planted in my garden. I would bring the pots inside or if the plants were in my garden, they had to be covered with something to be protected from heavy rainfall.

But again the greenery around, the liveliness around makes one forget these disadvantages and lets us flow along with it, into the depths of nature, in its different, magnificent shades of green; Smell of the wet mud, Water droplets playing on a leaf. Beauty of life needs to be experienced in these small things and not just in the days when you turned lucky or had a party with friends.

The unseen beauty of nature are many, the eyes to appreciate them and feel them needs to be opened.