Monday, July 26, 2004
Top Class
- Rani Iyer"I trained as an ecologist and worked blissfully in forests of Western Ghats. Since then I have lived in many places in North America. I currently reside in Washington State. I find nature to be eternally fascinating and resilient. Likewise, places and people constantly renew their acquintance. Deep within each of us resides a new community of thoughts that have the power to uplift or pull us down as we process our daily reactions to events. In this series, I attempt snapshots of those moments."
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Courtyard Vistas Series 6
Mahadeva was spinning top with the boys in the afternoon when they broke his top. Back home, Mahadeva was in a foul mood. Sharanamma wanted the details, “How can they peck your top?”
Mahadeva explained, “They used the nails to break my top.”
“Did they bring a hammer?” she questioned. Mahadeva banged the door.
Granny stirred from her siesta. “Hey!” she called, freezing him in his tracks, “Don’t you do that again!” Mahadeva fled into the backyard.
“Young lady,” continued Grandma looking at Sharanamma, “what is it about the outside that you are so curious to find out?”
“I wondered how the top…”
“There are a million things happening outside of this home. Will you investigate them all?”
“Beautiful top…”
“Tops are not for girls.”
I giggled. “Sashi, sweep the back yard,” ordered granny before returning to her siesta.
After sweeping the leaves for a few minutes, I heard Mahadeva calling me from the Tamarind tree, “Hey, you are sweeping in arches!” I tried to locate him through the dust, and sunshine.
“What do you care?” I muttered.
He clambered to the lowest branch and asked, “Are you angry with Granny?”
“My mother never asks me to sweep. ”
“May be you are the best sweeper.”
“Like you are the best top master.”
“I will make my own top,” he announced after a silence and clambered the branches.
Disappointed, I looked at the litter stretching ahead of me and started to sweep again. Sometime later, Sharanamma came to inquire, “Do you see a twig, about the size of my little finger?”
“Look around,” I said.
“Do you have longer ones?” she asked as soon as she spotted one.
“I don’t run a shop!”
“Mahadev…”
“Are you guys making something?”
“Nothing…” she shouted hastily, running all the way.
I felt tears smart my eyes. I swept vigorously and began to sing. I piled the leaves in the path leading to the river as I had seen my aunt do. I washed my face in the river and put my feet into the cool water. Immediately I found this strange fruit, although the bunch looked like a spider the individual pieces looked like bell.
For a long time, I wondered what I could do with it. Then I plucked all the bells and tried to tie them into a garland. They kept slipping. And one twirled like a top! Overjoyed, I practiced twirling the top with my fingers. When my mother called, I decided to keep the secret to myself.
In the evening, Mahadev was showing off his new top. It was a disc made of clay with the sharpened end of the stick poked through it. Grandpa and uncle were praising his skills. I smiled secretly to myself.
“Sashi,” said Grandpa, “seems to have something to share. She is smiling.”
“Out with it,” said Uncle.
“She has been sweeping the whole afternoon,” dismissed Mahadev.
“She is clever,” said Eswari aunty.
“Well, what do you have?” asked Granny.
I looked at my mother. She smiled and nodded. Slowly, I removed the miniature tops from my palms and spun them with a click of my fingers. The clock ticked loudly until it stopped spinning. “Another one,” said Grandpa in disbelief. I spun all my tops, one after another.
“Sashi has been busy like a top today,” said Granny smiling widely.
“Girls are always on the top!” said Eswari Aunty hugging me.
Courtyard Vistas Series 5: Amrosia For Boredom
Courtyard Vistas Series 4: Questions
Courtyard Vistas Series 3: Bathing Rituals
Courtyard Vistas Series 2: Bestowed Names
Courtyard Vistas Series 1: Courtyard Vistas
Photo Credits
Picture provided by: http://www.tufts.edu
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