Eager faces, pent up energies eager to burst forth, bombardment of questions and a bunch of children with tiny little feet in shoes with small backpacks greet me when I have to take them trekking. They all have been waiting for me for some time...each and everyone has landed up at the meeting point well ahead of time...:)
"Where are we going?", "Will we climb rocks?", "Is there water to play in?", "Can I sit with my friend in the car?", "Can you drive a little bit faster?", "Can you this or that song? "Oh you cant...:(...well, yes aunty, of course shut it off...we will sing"...."When are we going to reach?" (and this is about 5 mins into the drive..:)..)
Should I drive or answer these questions???...Luckily I can do both and of course I have a friend to keep an eye on these brats while i do so.
We reach our destination...I have carefully chosen one this time to expose them to quite a bit...water body, rocks, a darga, trek through shrubs, an old water tank...and some more.
There is something about water that beckons everyone. The kids rush to the banks, trying their hands at throwing a stone so it skims the surface...we have a lesson for those who don't know how to...and they pick up skills so very fast...:)
Keen to see all the small tadpoles and fish at the bottom of the shore, weeds that hide them, mud that makes the water muddy when stirred, driftwood that float to the shore keep them enthralled for quite some time, each one coming up with questions to interrupt me with my stories about all this marine life. I brush up my biology every time I go with kids.
Do they need help going down rock faces?? Not anymore, they are like goats, nibble on their feet, I just have to manage their water bottles and keep shouting instructions which I believe fall on deaf ears most of the times..:). but I'd like to believe they internalize most of it.
Talks on why grass grows such, why such small plants, about the different rocks, minerals stuck in between rocks, identifying shapes amongst these rocks and some kid looking at the skies imagining shapes amongst the clouds.
All the walk and talk deserves a rest..under a nice shady tree with more stories going on. Now talks on trees, types of leaves, fruits, pollination, seed dispersal and such.
After a rest, they are eager for more...so more they get..steeper rock face this time...so off comes the shoes and you again have them eager to reach hard to access rocky nicks and crooks. This time no instruction...hands on demonstrations...guiding hands when required, a push on the bum when stuck...the awestruck look on their faces when they reach the top is amazing...."we really climbed this aunty"...toothy smiles and a small hand fits itself it mine...I feel so protective of these sweet bunch.
With lunch impending, going up and down rocks, getting muddy and dirty called for a quick wash. Luckily a hand pump was nearby to be used.....another quick lesson on how the water is pumped up led to each and everyone fighting to use the pump.....and a couple sneaky ones enjoying the water...quite a feat to get them to keep their shoes dry...:)
A quick lesson on how water was stored in the real old days of the bygone britishers, looking for pipelines which just might have the dates on them...keeps them occupied...my history is brushed up..:)
With lunch impending, going up and down rocks, getting muddy and dirty called for a quick wash. Luckily a hand pump was nearby to be used.....another quick lesson on how the water is pumped up led to each and everyone fighting to use the pump.....and a couple sneaky ones enjoying the water...quite a feat to get them to keep their shoes dry...:)
"Lunch anyone?"....had no answers...just the entire bunch plunking themselves on the daree and opening their tiffins and silence descended for some time while faces were stuffed with food. Only when initial hunger pangs satiated, did they decide to peep into friends tiffins to start sharing.
A tree is to be climbed...if it is easily done, what more do kids want? A step here, a push there...most of them were on top.
You'd think after all this the return journey would be a silent sleepy one...think again...songs had to be sung, legs pulled, the entire story had to be told to Sanjay uncle on phone coz he missed it....and this time..."Don't drive very fast aunty"..."Oh! Are we there yet..:("..."When will you take us again??"
This abundant love and affection just gets me jelly knee-ed. Keeps me going...doling out more and more stuff for them to do.
Am i wrong in doing what I love the most??...:)
Hey I don't work....coz my profession is something I looooovvvveeee doing.
So while i work, I have fun....beat that!!!
