Of hot breezes and cold watermelons…

The temperature is soaring. A blinding sun beating down mercilessly. There is a hot oppressive breeze bringing with it loose dust particles. You can almost see the shadows of vultures circling.

Your skin feels like it is roasting. Your senses dulled from the lack of energy; all of it sapped by the ferocious heat. I know now what a turkey feels like at thanksgiving.

But there is no one here to give thanks. Everyone is resigned to the fact that this is just the beginning. Summer hasn’t really set in yet. Already the day times see people scurrying indoors. No one wants to be out in this heat. The only sounds in the afternoon are of distant vehicles carrying those hapless few.

Animals and men alike scout for shade in this barren town. Did it have to be this way? What were people thinking when they cut down old full grown trees. Did it matter if the roads were a few feet narrower? Who makes these decisions anyway? I’ll bet you it has to be someone who spends his time in the comfort of an air conditioned environment. He doesn’t have to wait for the confounded traffic light to turn green so he doesn’t have to stand under the sun.

The apathy of the powers that be continues to astound me.

I am grateful that I have the good fortune to spend my days in a basement office. It is always a few degrees cooler here. And when I look out there are a few trees I can see that escaped the notice of the official woodcutters. I wonder how long I will be so lucky.

Here’s the flip side:

It’s that time of the year, when mangoes come into season. Cool fruit juices perk up your senses. Water tastes so good. If you are feeling indulgent a citrus ice cream is a perfect snack in the quiet afternoon as is a juicy frozen watermelon.

It is a time for picnics and swimming. For lazy afternoons spent under a fan. For cool cottons and even cooler shades. For beaches and hammocks and summer vacations.

When we were younger this also meant the end of the school year. Days spent faffing with friends, watching movies, waking up late, sleeping even later. Reading countless books and comics and doing all those things which are either restricted or severely curtailed during the rest of the year.

Summer! It’s here to stay.