Eerie Moments

It rained heavily today.

I love rain. I enjoy looking through the windows when it rains. I like to walk in the rain under an umbrella enjoying the cold breeze. I also like to drive when it rains.

Too much of anything is bad. So, too much of rain also can lead to flood and diseases. During my childhood, to the extend possible, I did not miss a chance to get wet in the rain. But I was scared of my father and hence if I had no choice but to appear in front of him, I avoided getting wet.

I started going to school in bicycle from 8th grade. I had a choice, a new bicycle later or dad’s old cycle on the spot. May be I was impatient and opted for the old cycle (well, father did not buy a new one for him, but then on, he started going to office on foot). Our school timing was 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. Dad was with government service and hence he had office till 5 pm. Thus there is a time gap which I made use during rainy seasons. After school, most of us did not wait for the rain to stop; we used to enjoy the rain liberally. During rainy seasons, we used to carry a polythene bag/cover too so that we can protect our books. But sometimes, it used to get wet.

There is a word associated with rain...... Eerie…

Why is that so? As on this day this time, I don’t know. Is it that frightening? Who are the ones that consider rain as eerie? It looks like it was mostly poets and writers and not common man who really faced troubles. But there is an eerie side for rain in my life.

I don’t remember when it was. It was either when I was in third grade or it should be when I was in 4th grade. We were living in a rented house owned by an uncle of mine. It was a tiled house which was very old too. What happens when it rains? During heavy rains, water used come inside, dripping from the top. Sometimes these dripping gains strength and became a flow.

Eerie moments were the night moments, the sleeping time. Sometimes the rain started after us sleeping and there comes water falling on our head! Then we need to keep some vessel/utensil exactly under it and look for a different place to sleep…if water fell there too, look for another place…and was the house that big so that we have enough space and hence choose a nice place and sleep? Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

It really was irritating. It’s not from (just) one place that water used to drip in, but many. So, how was it? Will the parents take care of such things and we just sleep? Nope. Father hardly bothered about it and hence it was mostly me and my mother who were after getting the utensil and yes, sometimes helped by my sister too (I think only if the dripping bothered her).

We weren’t sleeping on cot and bed. There was only one cot and it was occupied by father. Mom, sister and I slept on the floor during those days. We used to use kind of mattress made of grass and then a couple of bed sheets. Some times we came to know of the dripping water only after our sheets and mattress got wet. That were the most disappointing, frustrating and sad moments. Coz, we may not get a dry one to change. Either there weren’t any spare sheets or the spare ones were still to get dried after a wash.

Yes, those were the days rain was really eerie in my life…