100 Rays Of Son - 71

The Wandering Of Different Kind

The regular wanderings were when we would step out of our home and go someplace unknown. There was another kind of wandering Rayyan came up with. He would create a space separated from the world by quilts, blankets or something which could act as walls and then we would spend our time there. We would prepare our food, write, talk, play board games and just have fun. This was also some kind of wandering of the mind and imagination.

We would sometimes go up the terrace and set up the tent house there. It was an amazing experience to listen to the birds, insects, and watch the sky which changed gradually as dusk set in or when the dawn broke. At night, we would put the mattress and lie down there to watch the skies. This adventures were taken up only when children did not have to go to school/work the next day. I would always watch the skies since I wanted to be an astrophysicist, so this was one of my favourite adventures. It came free and I did not have to spend anything at all.

Once, I was bitten by something during our sleep time on the terrace and I had a bad rash. It healed in a few days. Once we heard a very terrifying howling of some kind. It was so scary that we packed up everything and rushed to the safety of the real walls and doors. As the night would start setting in, I would describe the constellations, stars and other facts about the space and sky to Rayyan and whoever was with us at that time. We would lay down there and wait to see a space station, aeroplane passing by or shooting stars to make the sky alive. We have seen quite few shooting stars in our lifetime, though we have never made any wishes. We would be gaping at it in awe because we knew that it would disappear in some time and this was just the few seconds we had to see this wonder. Hours would just pass and we would never feel bored. It was the same like the watching the waves of the sea.

After all the time of staring into the skies, we were once rewarded by some spectacular happening in the sky. All of sudden we saw a bright blast or some kind of flickering of lights taking place which just vanished in moments. It was like a firework happening far away in the space. I am not sure what we saw that day but it made us tremendously happy and we felt that we were a part of something spectacular happening in the universe. May be we were the only ones who saw it and no one else was a part of this.

As the night progressed, the natural sounds would take over and it was great to hear how our world sounds without us humans making contributions to it. As the dawn breaks, you will hear the world coming alive literally. If you are living away from city you will be shocked with suddenly chirping of birds and various sounds of animals which starts and grows into a crescendo which is amazing. There is something beautiful about the sound of sea and water as well.

I am glad I got a second chance to experience my childhood through Rayyan and his adventures. The tents and camps on the terrace of our home, and sometimes during rainy season inside our home was as adventurous and venturing into unknown lands.