Colourful umbrellas dot the footpath. Those who don’t have one, rush into shelters to escape the warm drizzle. Hawkers at signals wave umbrellas about like cotton candy, trying to catch people’s eyes.

They fight a losing battle. Most pedestrians have their orbs glued to their smartphones. So do the people in autos, buses and cars as they wait for the signal to turn green. A few pairs of glazed eyes carry on conversations with air.

The rainbow colours an uninterested world. The sun sighs as it shines through the raindrops unseen, unfelt. Urchins of all ages chant sob stories to the waiting crowd. Time crawls or flies, depending on whether it’s a Nokia or a Samsung they are tapping on.

One little boy in an auto watches everything. He brightens up at the sight of the rainbow. He plays hide and seek with the sun, and he gives the rain his small hands to touch. A grubby little hand held out to the him comes away with a toffee.

A hawker nearby holds up his brightly spotted bunch of umbrellas like a treat. He opens up the folded umbrella like a new toy. He hopes the boy will pester his busy mother to buy him one. The boy watches avidly. The hawker doesn’t give up. He holds up a fancy umbrella with polka dots and a plastic dolphin handle. He turns it from side to side, and then points it at the boy.

The little boy looks at it, then bends down and picks up something. He holds up his grandfather’s umbrella, printed and coloured. The umbrella is old, embellished with a handle shaped like an elephant. The elephant is an old friend. He is missing a trunk and a leg, but that hasn’t stopped him sharing the boy’s adventures.

The boy smiles at the hawker. The hawker laughs and waves to him as his auto speeds up.

#slt #degreekaapi #umbrella #rain #childhood #smallthings #smalljoys #happiness