On the Road of India
I don’t know how it happened. I don’t even remember packing, but the next thing I knew I was in a plane going to India. I was about nine years old at that time. My dad had come back from India saying that he had met some people who were interested in creating a seed bank with him. By a seed bank he meant first creating a big garden, collecting the seeds of the vegetable plants, creating then a seed storage and distribution facilities. His goal was to teach the Indians to garden and collect they own seeds to be able to eat more properly. At the time, I didn’t really understand all that but, my dad told us that life will be easer in terms of money there. I guess for a nine year old, it was enough to know before thinking “cool I’m going to go live in India.”
So here I was in the plane coming from France on my way to India. I was very excited because I love airplanes. The trip lasted two days because we had to stop and spend a day at Kuala-Lumpur. At this point, everything was very confusing, first we couldn’t find the hotel so we ran all over the airport, then we learnt that we had to take the bus so we had to look for the bus station.
When we finely arrived at the hotel we went directly into our room. It was a very fancy hotel and I was amazed about all the pretty paintings all over the wall. We had only one room so my parent put sleeping bag on the floor for my brother, my little sister and me. After our long sleep, we got up and went to get some food. I still don’t know what time it was, day or night? It was dim outside, but it could have very well been early morning, or early night. I think it must have been early morning because, at the airport, we got some Thai food for lunch. I was very confuse at was happening. I guess if you had ever been in a airport you know that everything is kind of chaotic. On the way from Indonesia to India all I remember is eating the food we bought for lunch. We arrived in India, at night. I pointed to Laetitia, ( my little sister), the guards at the door. I was terrified of them, but at the same time curious. They were big and tall were carrying submachine gun, with rows of cartridges at their belt. Even though I was scared to look at them because I didn’t want to bring attention to myself, I couldn’t stop stare at the weapons they were carrying.
As we entered the room to have our passport checked, I saw a lot of Indians in line holding umbrellas. I thought that was really strange. Why would people go to India with umbrellas? So I asked my Mom and she said it was because we were arriving at the time of the monsoon. That made sense so I didn’t ask anymore question. When we got outside a wave of heat hit us, making me uneasy. We got in a mini van. I went in the back, laid down on the seat, and the next thing I knew we were going on a bumpy road in the middle of a dark world. Somehow we got out of the car, out into the house and went to sleep. After a hour or so of sleeping Laetitia and I jumped out of bed and run around to explore. Even with all the encouragement of Mom we wouldn’t settle down enough to go back to sleep. Finely, Mom sent us outside. It was morning by now but Mom and Dad had probably only slept for a very few hours, so we tried to be quiet. Laetitia and I were full of energy and couldn’t stay in place. In no time we had the front yard of the house explored.
Now in India, on the front yard, they don’t have green grass growing, like in the western countries; they have little basins of water surrounded by flower. A lot of them have lilies in them. Those basins, as we soon discovered with my sister, were connected to a little path of water going all around the house, (we later learnt that it was to prevent ants and other bugs from coming into the house.) But that wasn’t really what had us excited. What really got our attention was that in those little channels of water, there was this most particular kind of frog. The biggest was of the size of our nails. They were the funniest things to play with because they were so slow it was easy to catch them or maybe they were not shy of human at all. We also discovered that they were only baby frogs and that they would grow bigger later. We were very sorry about that, since big frogs are not as cute, plus you never know witch one are poisonous. We also noticed this weird yellow ball the size of a fist, that seemed to be attached to small bushes which were near the water. We asked about them and soon learnt that they were the eggs of a male frog and that when all the eggs will hatch in a few days, tiny frogs would come out. I never saw it happening, but I guess that it was probably true.
After a week, it was time to go to school. We didn’t go to a real school. It was just a school where some parents were teaching what they wanted to teach. We did have an English class, a French class, a math class, and a Sanscrit class, which were happening all year long. One day, during my first week of school, it was raining hard, and the girls in my class (they were five girls at that time and no boy.) told me that it was raining too hard and that the bus was not coming. They didn’t have a phone at school so I couldn’t call. Anyway, I didn’t even know the phone number. Two of the girls, Sam and Marie-Louise, told me that they will walk me down the driveway of the school to the main road. Marie-Louise was tall, strong looking and she had long blond hair that she had tied in a low ponytail, she also was a year older than Sam and me. She was the kind of girl that you really don’t want to get into a fight with, and better stay on her good side. Sam on the other hand was my size, and had dark hair at shoulder length. When we arrived to the end of the drive way, Marie-Louise said:
“You go to the right, we go to the left.”
“Can I come with you guys?” I asked not really wanting to be left by myself.
"No,” Sam reply, “We don’t live in the same place.” She said it in a way that I had the feeling that I should have known that, and that I was very foolish.
“That’s right,” Marie-Louise added, “you really need to go to the right”
“Are you sure? I thought that I had to go on the left and turn on the left at the next road.”
“No that’s the way to our houses. You live really far from our house, so we can’t show you the way.” Sam said. She was getting annoyed, so I didn’t push it.
“Oh ok.”
They left leaving me to my way. I was now alone in a strange country were most people spoke or Indian or English. And I could speak neither. Some time later I learned that actually our house was about five minutes away and that they passed in front of it on their way. I stood there thinking: “I clearly remember that morning taking the direction that the two girls did, but they had told me that I had to go the other way, they surely knew more than me since I had been here only for one week”. So I started walking the direction they told me to. It was still raining but luckily the rain is warm in India, I was wearing only a short, a T-shirt and flip-flop. As I walked in red puddles ( the dirt is brownish-red, making the water red) I was hopping very strongly that there was no bug, scorpion, or snake in them because I couldn’t see the bottom. While I was walking I keep repeating to myself “to go to the ocean from the house, you just go straight”. One of our neighbors had told me that. So I decided that it should be the same coming from the ocean to my house. I knew that I was going away of the ocean because I had recognized that part of the road. On both sides of the road, plants and trees grew tall. They were surprisingly green. I didn’t really paid attention to my surroundings as I was fully busy looking at my feet. A few motorcycles passed by, no one seemed to notice me which was fine with me, I really didn’t want to bring attention to myself. Soon my feet started to hurt so I took my flip-flop off. I was glad the ground was made soft by the rain, though now I was really hoping the puddles were empty of bugs and snakes. After a few minutes walking, the road separated making a V. I stopped and thought about for a moment. “Witch road to take?” I decided that I should probably take the biggest. But the roads were the same size. Then I remembered that on the way to the ocean we passed that big round monument covered with gold. I thought “ Great! Now I just have to ask.” But then I couldn’t remember the name of the monument. So not knowing witch way to go, I decided to go back to the school. At this point I was very uneasy and I was feeling really lost. They were more people on the road now, and every time someone would pass by on their motorcycle, I was thinking “please don’t stop, please don’t stop.” As I walked slowly, I was soon too busy in my mind as to what I should do to really notice people passing by. I was about to walk in the dark section of the road, where the trees were so thick that they blocked most of the sky, when a motorcycle stopped next to me. My heart dropped into my stomach. I was scared, but I quickly shook the feeling. Maybe he could help me, I thought. It was a young man probably in his twenties. He asked me in English something. I didn’t understand anything. So I asked in French. “ do you speak French?” To my luck, he spoke a little of it, just enough to understand that I was lost.
“Hop on,” he said, “ I’ll drive to your house.”
I hesitated for a moment before I climbed on behind him.
“So were do you want to go?” he asked in French.
I told him that I was looking for the big round golden thing.
But he didn’t understand what I was talking about. So he just asked me were I lived and that, I could tell him so I said “Revelation”. He had no clue where that was. We drove in the direction of the school. I tried to explain to him what had happened to me and to give him direction from what I remembered. He followed my direction, though he didn’t seem to be sure of them. Soon we arrive at the road the two girls had taken and little by little I started to recognize the road. We arrived at a cross road, I was all excited because I knew the way now. So I told him to go to the right. But he didn’t listen. He stopped to talk to some Indian guys. I couldn’t understand anything that was said. I told him again that we had to go to the right. But he turned to the left and after a little while he turned to the right. Now I had no idea were he was taking me. And for the first time, I was no longer worried. I was really scared! I keep telling him that it wasn’t the way but he only said yes it is, and continued on. He turned on a small desert road. At this point I really thought that he was kidnapping me. I start to panic. I was thinking of jumping off and run. I don’t know why I didn’t jump. I guess part of me hoped that he wasn’t a bad guy. After a minute he turned to the right again and we soon arrived to a big gate saying Revelation. He told me “here you are”. I was scared because I didn’t recognize the place but I thanked him. He smiled at me and left. I look at the gate and noticed that it was in the woods. It was getting darker at that time, and the woods look pretty scary to me. But I had no choice and passed the big gate. As I walked on the road I saw a house, in construction. I then realized that it was our future house. Now I knew were I was. I continued on my way my heart way lighter. I thought about what happened and realized that I had before used a shortcut through the small gate to go out, but that nobody knew about it. So when the man asked for direction, he was told how to go to the main gate. I finely arrived home. Has I enter the house I saw my brother, my sister, and my parents, all dry in the room, all were taking a nap and none of them seem to have been worried about me. I felt funny inside, and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Of course they couldn’t have know that I was late since it was supposed to be my first time taking the bus. So I told them what had happened. I was so glad to be home. I never saw the young man again, I still don’t know his name, but I’m sure glad that he brought me home safely.
. You know Indian, French, and English? That's amazing! I only know English and a little bit of Spanish. Anywhoot, this was really good, I enjoyed it! Keep writing, my friend!
