It just had to be the last day of the academic year and the words which echoed in the hearts of every student were just …. Summer holidays.

It was just fun and laughter during our summer holidays. We would be playing merrily while the sun shone brightly. The neighbourhood children of different age groups, caste and creed would get together from 4 – 7pm. Games u can hardly hear, in present days – “Seven tiles” “Hop scotch” were our favourites. Boys would play “gillie danda, flying kites, robbers and thieves etc. etc. All these games brought in so much of connectivity with each other. Well, it was just fun, to yell, shout and scream in the open ground.

At times we used to go up a hill and pick up kandam and raw mangoes. Time used to fly off, only to return home at curfew time by 7:00pm for Angelus.

Some days were thrilling by the sea side. Bathing in the shallow waters, with blue sky above and the cool sea breeze, compensating the humid, arid and scorching heat. This was really what we call, coming close to nature – sky above, water below and breeze around.

Occasionally, visits or rather in present terms “sleep over” at our aunts, uncles, cousins and granny’s place was real exciting. They would pamper us with our favourite delicacies. Month of May at my grandma’s place was simply awesome!! – A loft overfull with mangoes – Musaratos, Malcurados etc. The midday meal was kanji with mangoes, lunch was followed by mangoes and the rest of the day you could guess. I having come from Bombay was a slow eater and could not compete with the others. Mind you there was a terrific bonding of love and means of strengthening relationships.

At a young age, children would enact different roles at home. Some imitating their teachers with their habitual phrases, some that of a mother… to perfection. Some parents would top the culinary skills of their kids too. Boys perhaps even imagining to be a priest.

We used to study hard to cope-up with the tests and exams (mind you no mass promotion at that time). So a good summer holidays was definitely a deserving reward.

The pop singer of our times Cliff Richard would sum it up all in his song ‘Summer holidays’

We’re all going on a summer holiday
No more working for a week or two
Fun and laughter on our summer holiday
No more worries for me or you
For a week or two.
We are going where the sun shines brightly,
We ‘re going where the sea is blue
We’ve all seen it on the movies
Now lets see if its true.
Everybody has a summer holiday
Doing things they always wanted to
So we’re going on a summer holiday
To make our dreams come true
For me and you (2).

Otilia Clovis Costa