Sundays Were the Best Days for Narayan. This Was the Day He Could Watch Movie and That

Narayan

Sundays were the best days for Narayan. This was the day he could watch movie and that too the Hollywood, packed with action and adventure. Not everyone had a screen to watch but he was a fortunate boy to have one. It was a time when cassettes were popular.

“This Sunday we will watch Bruce lee’s movie”, he exclaimed to Nima. Nima was his neighbor and a good friend. They went to the same school. They would walk all, hour and half on the less travelled high way. Only few governmental and private business vehicles travelled on that highway.

“In future I will buy a big truck. What do you want to buy Narayan?” asked Nima.

“I too will buy a big truck” replied Narayan and they giggled together. It was Saturday. The school would be till the lunch time. Narayan always knew Saturday would be fire-sunny day. It would almost fry him to that of a black board. One thing he liked about the day was to wash the class room floor, which was made up of blue pine woods

So, right after third period, he with his entire mates went to bring Artemisia. They each brought a bundle of it and rubbed it against the floor, adding small amount of water. They did it by singing their favorite rhymes and songs. The aroma of the plant made him stop and take a deep breath, and getting lost in his thought.

The following day, he got a chance to watch two movies, one of Bruce Lee’s and another of Rambo. Both the movies were bloody, manly and adventurous. Both of the hero’s were heavily built and deadly. When he was satisfied up to the rim, along with his group went to a fallow field. They saw the dried stems of maize and dried chili plants. There were not much left but it was enough for the week.

First, each of them lifted a rock which took at least three second to reach to their head. And again they brought it down till their chest. Each time they did it they blurt it out “Uup! Uup! Uup!”. Not yet satisfied they began to throw the rock like in a shot put. As they were heated up they unbutton their shirt and took it off.

When they thought the exercise was enough, then they began to kick and punch the dried maize plant. They even did not spare the shorter dried chili plant including the pumpkins stem. They each wanted to break whatever it came on their sight. They wanted what Bruce lee did to the villains. Later as the red sun signaled an approaching dusk, they each broke a small piece of chili and pumpkin stem. They lighted it and smoke in a crickets chirping environment. It gave a burning sensation in their throat, still they continued as it was the coolest thing (though they did not know the word). A sense of guilt passed among them as their lopen Pema has said “smoking is going against Guru Rinpoche”.

That night he saw a dream…his beautiful neighbor Lhamo was been harassed by Tshering Namgyal, a tall and quite aged class mate. Narayan went red like a ripened chili from Paro and the nerves shot out from his body. Then he busted Tshering into black and blue. He kicked, punched, lifted and threw him. He sweared and screamed like Rambo and Bruce lee.

He was about to give Tshering a flying kick when his mother shook him hard and wake him up. It was Monday and he had to go to the school. He rubbed his eye. It ached and burned at the same time but had to come out of his cozy bed.

That day, during the interval time he saw Lhamo standing in front of his classroom chatting with her friend. He jumped from the classroom window which was at least two meters. He could not help but do somersault in front of her. He ran circling Lhamo and her friend. Then Lhamo too joined him. They played Tom and Jerry thing until the bell for the next class rang.

Narayan was on his way to his home after school when he saw Bruce lee’s picture in a shop. He was shirtless in his Chinese black pant with white stocking and black shoe. His body had few scratches, believed to be the work of a dragon when he fought with it. It was just like in a movie.

After a great contemplation he asked the prized. He knew the shopkeeper. It cost ngultrum twenty five.

As soon as he reached home, he threw his bag on a bed and rush to get his piggy bank. He could not break it openly. It was a risky mission though it was his. His mother might reprimand him, he realized. So he went at the back yard of his home and broke it silently. He had Nu. Twelve, all in coin. He used his mathematical skill of addition and subtraction. He had to remember what sir Subramanian had said: “if Ram had Nu. Ten and if he gave Nu. five to Wangchuk. How much would Ram be left with?”.

He took a long slow breath in and breathe out fast. He was short of ngultrum thirteen.

He remembered and regretted how he had wasted his money, which he had received after putting tika from elders during dashain. He had to console his heart saying there is no need to cry over spoil milk. He had recently learned that moral from a story.

It would take him at least a fortnight or even a month to get that amount if he waited patiently. But he wasn’t patient and he could not take a chance of losing the poster as there were lots of other fans including elders. He stood there for a long time, keeping his hand on his hips: putting more pressure on right leg than left and raising his nose up in the air. He decided to ask his mother.

She scolded him root to branch, saying “Does the money grows on tree. You all are lucky children to have good house, clothes to wear, shoes to put and good food to eat. In our times …” he did not stay there to listen. He knew the rest.

Next, he went to his aunt. It took him five minute to reach there. He went there and played around her like a cat, pushing his soft body with the owner. He even lend his hand in her chores.

When he thought the time was right, he asked her Nu. Five. She looked straight at his face. He forced his smile. And she yielded his request. Then he rocketed out.

Next his mission was his father. His father was relaxing after a hard day work. He went near him. He got himself attached with his father. His father smiled. And then asked him to massage his head and pluck off the white hair. There were few and he did caressingly.

After a while he said, “ Apa! Can you give me one ngultrum?”

“I haven’t eaten a piece of coconut for a month”.

His father closed his eyes and seemed had gone for a meditation like in Ramayana. After a few minute, his father checked his pocked and gave Nu. Five. This was his favorite part. Whenever he asked for one ngultrum he would get five ngultrum.

Just as he was about to leave his father: “NARAYAN!” his mother shouted from kitchen.

“Go to the shop and bring a kilo of sugar. Your father is tired and I wanted to make a good tea for him”. She handed him ngultrum twenty.

He flowed down to the shop. It cost him fifteen for a kilo of sugar. “Look boy I don’t have change. Take any other stuff?” asked the shopkeeper.

He smiled. He took out his twenty two ngultrum and pointed to the Bruce lee.

He returned to his home and gave a kilo of sugar and two match boxes.

“There was no change. So I ate chocolate and brought the match boxes.” His mother said nothing.

Then on Narayan did not wait for Sundays.

To Her

She celebrated my birth with mirth

She saw me creep like a morn’ glory

I walked with her Seasons holding their little finger

I spreaded my wings and journeyed with her wind

I had smelled her and she smelt mint, and green grasses.

I had walked in her summer’s rain:

Played in her mud and got drench.

The Loaded corn of her autumn,

The ripened apple and it’s aroma

Had made her gold

Now it smells burnt plastics

Highway has been broadened.

Litters cover the ground

The Brooks has stopped singing

Crying willow has stopped crying.

My friends are all gone. And I still walk on that highway

Returning to the bygone days.

Rakesh Limbu

B.Ed (F) Secondary Science “A”