A Rainy Day
‘Papa, Mummy is saying don’t go out. It is raining.’ Niva complained.
‘She says if you get wet in the rain you will catch cold.’ Niva said.
‘What she says is right.’ Papa said. Niva was disappointed.
‘But if you don’t get wet, you won’t fall sick. Wear your rain coat and bring my umbrella.’ Papa said. Niva’s face glowed with excitement. She went inside and came out with her pink raincoat. Papa helped her to button it.
Both of them went out. It was drizzling. Papa opened the umbrella. Holding it in his one hand, he held Niva’s hand with another.
‘Would you also walk in the rain when you were a child?’ Niva asked.
‘Yes, of course. I had a nice umbrella. It had colours of the rainbow. I would rotate it and prance in the rain.’ Papa said. He rotated the rod of the umbrella and Niva smiled.
They walked on the road. Water had gathered at a few places thereby forming a pool.
‘Don’t step into the pool of water.’ He said.
‘But I like to walk in it.’ Niva replied.
‘Why do you say that one shouldn’t walk in the pool of water?’ Niva asked.
‘That is because the rain water carries all the dirt on the road with it. But now that you are wearing gum boots you can have some fun in the pool.’
‘Did you have gum boots when you were a child?’ Niva asked.
‘No. I would wear slippers. You know when you walk in the slush with slippers, it splashes mud on your clothes.’ He said.
‘Then would your mother scold you for making your clothes dirty.’ Niva asked.
‘No.’ Papa replied.
‘What else would you do in the rain?’ Niva asked.
‘We would make paper boats and leave them into the flowing water.’ He replied.
‘I too want to make boats of paper.’ Niva said.
‘I knew you would say so,’ Papa said and removed a bunch of papers from his pocket. Niva and her papa made boats of the paper and left them into the water flowing on the road. The boats happily waded through the water. Niva clapped on seeing it.
‘My mother would make nice, crispy crackers when it rained.’ He said.
‘My mouth is watering. Let us go home and make some crackers.’ Niva said.
‘Yes, but you will have to help me in the kitchen.’ Papa said.
‘I will peel the onions.’ Niva said.
‘I will fry the crackers and make some tea too. Let your mother have some rest today. She works all the time.’ Papa said.
On their way back home, Niva pointed to the sky. ‘Papa, rainbow.’ She said.
‘Even I enjoyed rainbow in my childhood.’ He said.
‘Is it the same rainbow which you saw in your childhood?’ Niva asked.
Papa smiled. They went home. Leaving their wet raincoats and umbrellas on the stand outside, they went inside the house. They enjoyed the rainy day with crackers and piping hot cup of tea.