Raincoat


No, this is not about the movie.....let's just say this is inspired by a memory that came running out of the labyrinth, to answer the call of a sight or smell, or indeed of another memory ....that is hardly the point. So let's move on.

I was in high school, maybe 14 or thereabouts. It was one of those rainy days back in the 90s when the city, or at least my pristine suburb felt so great. I'd wake up to the sound of raindrops tapping away at the earth, the trees and on the roof of our house. I used to love this particular change in the weather, for a few reasons. For one, everything looked different, and I could play longer without everyone getting tired. Also, in many ways, the entire place seemed cleaned up, somehow after the water ran all over the streets.

Anyway on days like these, I'd wake up, enjoy the chill outside, the warmth of my blanket and having done all of my morning chores, I'd head to the front door, wheeling my bicycle out. My bicycle was this really cool silver "BSA Mach -1" which was the lightest, fastest racing cycle available back then, purchased for the princely sum of Rs. 875.

A boy's first bicycle is probably his first serious prized possession and it was no different for me. And then I'd put on my raincoat. It was pretty incredible as an innovation I thought, silly as it may seem. Not that it was clever, but because it allowed you to do all the things you liked to do in an environment you liked to do them in. I could ride my bike as fast as anything, and I could do it despite the fact that it rained so hard I could hardly hear myself think.

When I reached school and took my raincoat off, I'd look at it with satisfaction. Not because I was especially fond of the plastic green thing with huge buttons, but because it always reminded me of the rain. Everyone had a smile plastered to their faces, thinking, "Wow, its raining and we all made it"!

On rainy days like these, everyone would be different. The teacher spoke more softly, everyone in class was a little quieter, listening intently to the clouds, somewhat amazed by the loud rain, the spray, the wind ... it seemed we were in the middle of an enchanting spell.

Faced with somewhat complex emotions these days, I somehow revived the memory of my green raincoat, and the security it inspired.

When I put it on, I was alright, and I willed the rain to come down even harder.