Sunday, February 10, 2013

Red mail van and a single black crow

I saw a crow yesterday and got reminded of something we used to do while at school. Well, I can't say I saw a cow, they are so abundant that seeing them is expected. I observed a crow yesterday after a long time. When I spot a crow, the first thing I observe is the neck of a crow. How the habit started is an interesting story.

Every afternoon, a school going kids crowd would wait for buses at a designated stop. The area had 3-4 schools in its vicinity and they all had the same closing time. So the time between 3:30 - 4:00 every noon is when school kids crowd at the bus stop. Few would wait for the buses, few others would play at a big ground adjacent to the bus stop that belong to Indian Air Force. The area was an air force area with parks and grounds.

Just on the other side, was a railway line running parallel, few metros ahead was a overhead bridge across the line. One could get a good view of a bus on the bridge as and when they came. I am talking about mid when Bangalore was still a laid back city with no rush and madness. It would easily be a 15 minute interval between each bus coming in; and the 3:30-4:00 was a peak period with relatively more buses to cater to the school traffic. The bridge being good 1 km away; gave enough time for us to stop the games, pick our bags and make a mad rush to the road.

Now, every evening between 3:30 to 4:00, a mail van would pass by. Now we girls had an interesting belief which somehow worked. I don't know how and where this belief originated. It goes thus. The moment you see a mail van, you are supposed to hold on to one button on your shirt and observe a single black crow. Yeah, all crows all black but there are few ones which are blacky-black. What it means that most crows have a grayish-black neck. And there are few whose necks are also black. So you had to hold on to the single button on your clothes until you a single black crow flying by; and strictly a single black crow only, not in groups.

If you manage this trick successfully, you are sure to have a delicious treat waiting for you back at home. Now it is obvious for moms to prepare and serve biscuits, cakes and other such snacks to feed tired and hungry children after a day at school. Few days, the snacks would not be interesting, some other days there were worth waiting for. On days of the red mail van and the single black crow, the treats would definitely be delicious. This further strengthened our belief and each day; we would wait for the mail van and then search desperately to spot a single black crow.

You may ask, what if your dress didn't have buttons? That was not a problem. The rule allowed us to hold onto a button on your friend's dress; so we would move like a conjoined twins.

I don't think kids these days are aware of such innocent games.

24 comments:

  1. Nice,bringing back such memories.We too had plenty,which gives me reason to smile often now..
    Cheers Insi !

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  2. We used to do this! Only there was no black crow and the button part. If we spotted a mail man, we made a wish. :) And making a wish with an eyelash. Done that? Oh and also the whole story with Mynahs. May be I'll write about it sometime. This post brought all those sweet memories back. Thanks, Insignia :)

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    1. Haha yeah eyelash wish. Sometimes we would pull out eyelashes if it was sometime that we hadn't made a wish :P

      Thank you, glad it brought back nice memories

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    2. And I thought I was the only one who pulled out eyelashes for a wish. This proves everyone was nuts and oh-so innocent! :D

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  3. Interesting. But , all this while I thought a lone crow brings ill luck. Now you talk about wonderful treats back home?

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    1. Oh! Grown up tales only talk about ill lucks. Kids talk only about good fortunes :) So a single black crow it was.

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  4. The innocence of childhood times is something everyone treasures!

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  5. We were told,when you see a black....really black crow,cross your fingers,make a wish.Wish will be fulfilled

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  6. Udh ja kaleya kawan tere mun wich khand pawan...a song from the film Gadar...which asks a crow to fly away

    Feels at home on your blog...

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    1. Thanks a lot Shankar. Your feels at home comment makes me feel so good

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  7. I'd rather comment on the fantastic picture of the 'beauty in the bath-tub'! It hurts, somewhere deep...

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    1. Hmm..I know what you mean when you say it hurts. Look at the beauty and happiness rather Balan

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  8. Cute! Reminded me of the days when we play "One for sorrow", "two for joy" kind of games spotting crows, and counting how many are there. And immediately touch another person when we spot 2 dark crows together. These days, do kids even have time to watch them??

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    1. :) Those days were golden days. I doubt if the kids these days even watch them! let alone playing such games

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  9. BTW, I loved your header photo...such a cool one. Look at that cute little girl, bathing in her own world!

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    1. Thanks Anu. Yeah she cared a hoot for the world and people(me clicking her pic)
      I would do anything in this world to get her happiness and peace

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  10. How sweet!! That's a good one. Never heard of this! We used to seriously believe in magpies (one for sorrow, 2 for joy), making wishes with eyelashes... I dont think kids of today would be playing such games!

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  11. I have never heard of button thing. But the eyelash thing,I still follow it secretly ;) Old school memories :) cute story B !

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