My Mother had gone to Church Gate to buy something for my nursery school that I would be joining soon, as it had been the major matter of discussion among my parents and our family friends since morning. I really did not understand then on why my going to school was such an amusement to them, as all I could understand was soon I shall be going in a Mini Van designed in the form of a steam locomotive.
Due to this new promotion of mine, to the Nursery School, I was being educated on how to share, draw figures and identify fruits and alphabets for now over a week, that somehow I had mugged up the entire book of Alphabets, Fruits and had drawn so many figures like circles, squares, rectangles and pyramids. They all seemed like the toughest of Gospels and Vedas records that I had understood. But all seemed so interesting and exciting, that my stomach was making ticklish rumble, every time I picked and learnt something new and understand the World I was being introduced to. Every new thing learnt was an achievement for my parents, and that is where I understood the ladder to my never ending Mt. Everest of Education and the preamble to knowledge had started and lush of Etiquette's were laid to me. Starting from the manner of greeting, clothing, eating and time-tables being induced. I was for sure my Naval Father's little commanding officer, as he saw in me the gentleman brooding and cultivating to be embarked. As my mother polished me in these activities and allowed the freedom of thought and self endurance.
The evening fell again, and again like every evening the Double Deckers raced against the traffic and a typical tone by the conductors patiently notifying ASTE LADIEZ, to the women and college didi's trying to desperately rush through the wee traffic, in his own English.
I was dressed smartly in my Army Uniform, holding my Father's first finger and walking beside him to the City Park. As we entered, at entrance, was written Colaba Woods in golden, as my Father recited the words in alphabetical order to me. Few steps in, I saw Mother walking towards us in her flawless red saree as her hair fluttered magnificently in the evening wind and her smile, so refreshing, soothing to the most impatient person. As I ran to her, she bent on her knees to grasp me and her perfume was amiable to the surroundings, that it must have enlightened all passing us. She kissed my cheeks, with her lipstick flashing gallantly on them, as she started to show all she had bought for me, but all I was happy about was to see her.
My Father came from behind and hugged her as soft as it could have ever been and slight ignorantly to the people walking past, after all it was India in the 80's. He picked me over his shoulders and ran towards the swings, as I smiled and gigled feeling top of the world and all looked so small. After the swings were over, my Mother suggested my Father to hop me onto the Horse's back, to make me have my first horse ride ever.
The evening was flowing so splendidly that sitting on the horse, which gave many children a shriek, I forgot my fears as my Father held the horses' string around his mouth firmly smiling at me, raising my confidence, and the horse rider made me patiently sit on the saddle, affixing my feet attached to the saddle and telling me to hold firm. Slowly the horse tip-toed and walked, and thus started my first horse ride. The air gushed through my hair as I hopped and cheered, must have made other parents and their children envy looking at my childish expressions, I looked at my parents as they had their eyes fixed on me, my Mother must have lost her breath to every step the horse took, but she polished it away in her smile.
Finally, the horse ride had finished and we were walking out the City Park and I was imagining my adventure relishing a nice cotton candy, walking between my parents, holding my Father's finger, as Mother spoke about the preparation of dinner to him. After a hearty meal as much my little stomach allowed and choosing my designed bites given by Mother to me, I felt the sleep over-powering me, to which I gave in.
