A Vacation of an 8Year Boy !!
t was a fine bright day in September. All Children at Gudalur were happy - we had our quarterly vacation. Mom, I and Granny were watching TV. Mom Picks up the call (lots of talking) and finally says ya fine let’s go! I was energized and asked her where are we going mom. She said “to your cousin’s house”. I was very happy. It was indeed my first trip to her house two months after her marriage.
We all gathered at around 10 a.m. Three hour journey started in a Tata sumo. I was sitting in the front seat with my uncle and few other little ones. As soon as we reached the first hairpin bend I had started vomiting. My uncle was in a swamp very soon. He just sent me to my mom sitting in the second row who had already started the same before me. About one hour of the journey passed, I was lying on the back seat with Suresh – another elder cousin.
All the women and the children were exhausted. Men would have thought why we organized such as trip to be swamped!! We crossed the twists and turns in the way and stopped in front of a bakery and cool bar. All went out to have tea but still some who were unable to stand erect because of their tireless vomiting lied flat in the sumo. I said I don’t want anything and moved to the second seat.
At the last moment I felt “I want a lime“. I moved out to the shop uncle bought me a lime. As I was drinking the lime I could see all moving to the Sumo. The driver started and they just vanished. I just dropped the glass and started chasing. Hope all know how far an 8 year old can chase a car. Before I could reach about 50m a hand just lifted me up. I was shouting, crying puzzled. He took me back to the shop.
He asked me “where are you from?” “Where are you going?” - Only reply from me was a loud cry which gathered all people around there. Finally the shopkeeper found a solution to stop me ‘A big scoop of ice cream with a cherry on top’. Finally I stopped crying and stated answering the crowd around me. I was like a star there. I remembered only one phone number which I enter on the first page of my School Handbook - My uncle’s landline number. People tried reaching the number but no one replied. All were still on their journey to my cousins home, no one have come to know I was left out!!
After three hours journey they reached my cousins house. My cousin brought tea for all. Kids were playing outside. All ran to take tea and snacks. There came a question from my Cousin - didn’t Vipin come?? All look puzzled at each other. Uncle said “he was with you” – pointing to my Mom, mom looked at my cousin. It was a terrible sight.
The sumo started back with three of my uncles and Mom all the way back. By the time I had given my address which I have been writing on the front page of my hand book. Shopkeeper had called the police and the police too started to search for “the Sumo which missed an 8 year old boy”.
Finally after two hours from being named MISSING the sumo reached the destination – “Bakery and cool bar”. People just crowded around the Sumo. My uncle’s heart would have stopped ringing atleast for a second that the people will bang them. But when my mom saw me she just ran to me and hugged me. She was fully wet with tears crying all the way. People were kind they left us. On the way back. I saw the police stopping all vehicles and asking - “did you miss a boy named Vipin “. Before they ask us, One of my uncle said “we were the one who missed and we have found him”. Police were so not so kind hearted .The Inspector said some censored words and said to be careful.
We arrived at my cousin’s house all there were crying too. It was a horrible sight. From then on am introduced as – “the guy who was left in the bakery “to any in my cousins family. My mom never left me with anyone after this incident. My Mom still reminds me to be careful when I go alone or anywhere and keeps calling to enquire where I am.
I learned to stick to one decision rather than to keep changing mind and I follow the same now.
- TM Sruthi