THE LITTLE MUSTARD TOY CAR

The Little Mustard Toy Car

The morning is hectic as usual.
After my college going-kids, and my husband, working as an engineer in a public sector concern, left the house, I started setting order to the living room and to the rest of the house as well.

As I fluffed up the sofa cushions, my eyes took in the few artifacts that adorned the showcase. I automatically glanced at the small elegant and attractive mustard toy car. I took it out and started smoothing down the polished surface. Looking at the toy car that still wore a new look, I couldn’t help traveling down the memory lane.

The car is special for all of us for different reasons. For Aakash, my older son, it happened to be his third birthday present. For my hubby, it was special because he loved the model, when he first spotted it in the mall, in Singapore. Shopping for the family, on the last day of his official trip to the famous city-state, he came across the model, in the toyshop. Its sturdiness and dependability, including the fact that it had cute-looking silver wheels, caught his fancy at once.

As for me, I too have a special reason, a different one, an unusual one.

When Aakash was three, and my younger kid Naresh (meaning a noble one) was one, we planned a trip to this very famous pilgrim town located on top of seven hills. People aptly call the deity of the shrine, Lord of Seven Hills. It was during the month of June when the climate got too hot, we made the trip. The short break helped us, with a relief from the scorching heat of that summer.

Making reservations for train journey was not an easy task those days, I mean, early eighties. One had to go to the Railway station, stand in queue, get the reservation form, fill in the details and submit. We made similar arrangements for the journey by bus to the top of hills. The train stopped at the station at the foot of the hills. It wasn’t a steep uphill task, so some used to walk up the hills, enjoying the scenic beauty of nature at large, spread over the hill and the valley.

Train journeys were always enjoyable for the family. It was fun finding our berths and seats, identifying them by their numbers given on the tickets.

Aakash and Naresh were having fun with the new found pleasure of climbing up and down the berths by the small ladders attached to them. They made friends with the children in the division, next to us. Once the doors of the compartment were closed, we knew they were safe. The train pulled out into the mid morning sunlight from the shade of the wide platform. The vendors selling various sweetmeats, fruits and nuts, magazines and newspaper, left the train.

The children stayed glued to the windows and watched the station slowly disappear from the view. Wind blew across their faces, once the train gained speed. It made them chuckle and laugh. Then, the groups of trees and the open sky with an occasional air plane droning across, caught their curiosity. At their age, almost everything was curious looking.

A little later, they took out their toys, which included the toy car. Everybody including their new friends, wanted to play with it and race it along the aisle. I supervised their play with it, taking turns.

Soon it was tea time. The train halted at a busy junction, for few minutes. We bought some tea and cakes, from a stall on the platform.

And then the train rumbled out, it’s the nuts bolts making the screeching sounds. There was a lot of commotion with people getting into the coach almost in the last minute and those who were leaving it in a hurry.

My husband just got in with the water bottle filled at the cool water tap, on the platform. I was worried whether he would make it to the train in time. My attention got diverted to him from the kids.

When I turned my gaze to where they were sitting until a moment ago, to my dismay, I couldn’t find them there!
I started looking for them, almost in a frenzy.

Then I spotted him!
At that moment, I felt my heart racing with fear. Shock was tearing through my body, with each nerve standing on its end. My limbs just refused to move. The whole body started becoming hot and cold simultaneously.
Oh brother, I can never recall that incident without reliving the tension I had been through.

Let me tell you what happened. Aakash was standing at the entrance and the door was open. Someone left the door open, after getting in. The  boy found it exciting to go near the open door to watch the passing scenery.

The train was going at full speed.

What would a helpless mother do, at that moment when time stood still, and the whole world a vacuum? If I called him, I knew he would protest strongly and that might be risky.
If I don’t get him inside, that too would be dangerous. The breeze was strong and the jerky movement of the train might cause the little boy lose balance.

My husband didn’t notice what was happening. He was busy, taking Naresh to the closet. The passageway to the entrance was deserted, as everyone was busy eating some snack and drinking hot cups of tea.

I was faced with the big question of how to persuade Aakash to come into the cabin. In the retrospect, it felt strange that no one noticed the little guy standing so close to danger.

I looked around in great confusion, yet furiously thinking as to how to avert this danger. Then the little car came into my view. It was there in the corner of the berth, on which I was sitting. With great calm, I took it into my hands and slowly reached the entranceway. About two feet from where Aakash was standing, I rolled the car towards him. He heard the sliding wheels and then he saw it stopping just a foot behind him, inside the compartment. He smiled like a shining sun, at the car. Then he took that key step into the bogey and then another.

I restrained myself from catching him in my arms. First, I closed the door, locked it and then lifted him into my arms with the car clutched in his hand.

I brought him back to our berths and then I collapsed on the seat. Aakash was saying ‘ma, ma what happened?’
In reply, all I could do was to smother him with kisses, with tears running down my face. When my husband asked me what the matter was, I burst out weeping. Tears wouldn’t stop for a long time. The aftermath of relief was engulfing me. What would have happened to my little darling, if I hadn’t spotted the car, in that crucial moment?

When he heard the whole episode, my husband felt, it was nothing short of a miracle.
From then on, our journey gained more cheer.

Everything went on as per schedule.
We went to the shrine and paid our grateful thanks to the Lord.

The incident remained etched out forever on our minds.
And the little toy car which, to me is no less than a good luck charm, stayed with us.

The doorbell rang, startling me back to the present. I found my sister in law and her two year old kid, standing on the porch. When she saw me with the toy in hand, she smiled understandingly. You see, the car has become a famous keepsake, in our circle of friends and relatives.

Now for the unexpected guests... How can I make lunch with nothing substantial in the fridge?

Oh boy! I forgot to go to the market lost in the maze of memories.
Let me hurry before it is lunchtime.
Most certainly, hectic, the morning is.


Word count:1349