The best things in life are free

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever.” ― Alfred Tennyson

Nancy was lost in thoughts , her eyes rapt on a boy in the corner of the park. The boy wore an unclean uniform, and was lost in thoughts, seated far away from his friends. It was picnic time, parents had given their kids generous amount of food which they had begun eating right from the time they sat in the bus even before we had begun moving towards our destination.It was beautiful ,lovely and an enthralling day, it was picnic time for the students belonging to St’Francis school Vasai. The whole day was blissful with our early morning visit to Essel world in Mumbai. We were the first ones to enter the amusement park. Most of us were teachers in the school, youthful with our students who were merely seven years younger to us. We were told to reach early with nothing to carry as teachers would be provided lunch in the amusement park.

We were delighted to escape the mundane routine. We loved the amusement park as it said we could leave our kids as they could move without restraint with their friends and get into any of the rides any number of times. The amusement park is one of the biggest ones in India and a very safe one for children to move freely without teachers domineering them or expecting obedience everywhere.  We rounded the children counted  them, listed and divided them into  groups with a group leader giving them instructions while leaving them free in the park as it was out of harm's way. Our team of teachers broke away into  three groups in various directions to meet  for lunch. Essel world was newly built then and indeed was  a huge , picturesque place, we enjoyed every ride with the kids who would join us. It was lunch time and  we were given a good lunch by the authorities in their restaurant. My friend looked on at this boy who belonged to std ninth as he looked at my friend Nancy while she gestured  him about lunch. He told her that he was not hungry but Nancy cajoled the boy as she placed hundred rupees in his hand . At Mumbai I always felt children were much more mature than  kids at other places in India. Perhaps this was because of the fast paced life. They were good at comprehending a situation or studies in a jiffy. I feel it must be because of the quality time they spend in schools. They never have an aversion towards studies as many of the kids in other cities do due to the long hours in school. The  secondary section closes down by  one in the afternoon  as they open for the Primary section, giving time for children to pursue their studies and hobbies, This boy worked in a factory after school to fend for his family. We were young perhaps self-centered in our ways to put aside money for making our stay comfortable but my friend Nancy’s gesture puzzled me. Nancy belonged to Mangalore and her husband was working in Saudi Arabia. She never believed in boarding an auto rickshaw  in the morning.

 I would always reprimand her for saving money by placing herself in discomfort. The auto fare was only rupees two but we had to board a rickshaw from home to station and then station to school and again back. The rickshaws were on sharing basis so we all wished to embark a rickshaw to the school as we boarded the same train.  Nancy  loved kids and was willing to do anything for them. Many a times I saw her give money to the school children to board an auto rickshaw while she would lovingly ask me to walk along with her saying that I would get a good exercise or that we had plenty of time to reach home with no one looking out for us. It was true as we both were newly married. A few months later I was admitted in the hospital with a miscarriage but Nancy was there every day  early in the morning on her way to school with  tea in a teapot for me and my husband. I never cried during the trauma but when I met her the bond was so strong that tears gushed out till she consoled me. When she fell sick she never let me know as she lived in on the other side, called the western side,  while I lived on the eastern side. One summer I came to know that her mother had a paralytic attack and then she left for Manglore never to return back. We moved away to Hyderabad and things went on but I miss Nancy to this day. She was the first wave of change who taught me that love is greater than money . Money has it own significance but good relations , friends and perhaps a world filled with the essence of life makes it not very imperative.

 This life is a gift of love and we love to be loved, to love and to be in love.