My ‘ROAD’eo Show
When bull runs wild!
A lazy Sunday afternoon is the time when grownups at home want to enjoy their afternoon siesta while the kids and teenagers want to make the most of their holiday by playing board games or spending time at a friend’s place.
If you are wondering about the popular option about children spending every waking minute with their digital friends (read smartphone and tabs), well I must tell you that this particular Sunday afternoon I am talking about was over 3 decades ago wherein playing actually meant physical activity.
The silence at my home was not appealing to my senses and the intense rays of the sun was not a welcome sight either. But I had to make a choice - stay within the four walls and get bored or walk up to a friend’s house in the blazing heat. The young and the restless me, of course chose the latter.
On the threshold of teenage life, I was keen to indulge in some mindless gossip session with my school friend who lived not too far from my home, but the walk to her place was an ‘uphill’ task for sure.
To put it figuratively, our house was situated at the bottom of a hillock while hers was on the top of it. Unmindful of the physical strain I had to endure, I put on a bright red skirt and a white t-shirt and stepped out in style. With not a soul in sight, I started walking excitedly towards my destination, mentally figuring out the topics that we would be gossiping about.
With sun and silence as my companion, I quickly climbed half way up the road, when I noticed a lone bull standing on the other side of the road peering at some stray strands of grass. Being an optimist at heart, I assumed that it would keep gazing at mother earth while I silently walk away from its sight.
Lady luck was not on my side that day since the bright red colour of my skirt disturbed its ‘gaze’. The swish of my skirt was akin to a matador waving a red cloth in front of a raging bull. This was no rodeo show for sure as there were no bystanders or spectators to cheer my gallant act or rather rescue me from the menacing gaze of the bull. Fear gripped my body and I realized that I had not moved an inch.
Making eye contact with an irate bull was not my idea of a Sunday well spent. But taking a few steps would mean encouraging the bull to attack. Remember… it’s the dreaded movement of my red skirt which caught the gaze of the bull in the first place. But how long can I stand transfixed under the blazing sun, waiting for the bull to make its first move? One look at the road ahead gave me a glimpse of hope.
Climbing this road may slow down the speed of the bull while I can put my PT class training to optimum use by sprinting at a good speed. I took to my heels and similarly the bull started charging towards me with equal vigour. As the gradient on the road became steep, the bull’s speed reduced but I maintained the same pace. Once I reached the hill top (read road), I was relieved to see my friend’s house.
My happiness was short lived when I noticed that the bull had not given up its effort in reaching its soon-to-be victim. ‘please open the gate’, I pleaded with my friend, shaking the gate with whatever little strength I had and wondering angrily, ‘why do some people have to put such complicated latches on their gate which responds only to their owner’s touch?’.
I guess my friend too was taking an afternoon siesta, but my shrill voice awakened her as I saw her standing at the door smiling. “Don’t just stand there, come and open this blessed gate”, I yelled at her. Seeing my irritation, she quickly opened the gate and let me in to her sanctuary. When I peered out, I saw the bull standing near her house and staring at us. The compound wall was high enough and the gate was durability personified. “phew, saved at last”, I heaved a big sigh of relief.
I narrated the entire drama to my friend hoping to hear a few words of sympathy. Instead, she literally rolled on the floor with laughter and said, ‘sad that this rodeo show or the local bull run had no spectators. It would have been thrilling to watch all this on a lazy Sunday afternoon.” I gave a wry smile and patted myself for emerging victorious.
It was an irate bull for sure, but a patient one too. I stepped out of the house after an hour or so to make sure if the coast was clear, but to my utter surprise the bull was still sitting (rather waiting) in the same spot. It was only towards dusk did I see it walk away in exasperation.
Even to this day, my friend recollects the bull run and narrates it with great aplomb. Yes….my ‘road’eo show still elicits a few laughs!
Key Message — A day without laughter is a day wasted…To this day, we recollect this incident and have a hearty laugh!
I do hope it elicited a few smiles on my reader’s face too!
