Adventures of Raghu - the joys of water!!!

“Raghu, Meera and Dev, all of you come out here into the driveway and lawn to help me with some washing!” shouted Raghu’s mother from the lawn outside Raghu's window. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and the three kids were lazing around in Raghu’s room, busy on the computer and playstation. Raghu and Meera ran outside with Dev trotting along behind them slowly. “I don’t know why aunt Megha always has to call us to do chores around the house when we’re busy playing” complained Dev to himself grumpily.

The picture that lay outside was different from what they had expected though.

There were 3 buckets of water with a little bit of soap water in them, sponges, some cleaning brushes, water guns which were laying around from Holi  and the water pipe was placed on the side. “What are we supposed to do?” asked Raghu from his mother. “I want you all to clean the cars, driveway, water the lawn and clean the windows of the house. I know you guys will love this because it’s all water work, but be careful not to waste water” said his mother as she walked into the house. "This is gonna be fun!" called out Meera as she went to pick up a bucket of soap water and sponge.

The three of them were immediately down to work. They all loved getting wet in water in the summer and just needed a reason. Raghu’s mother knew that and had found just the right way to get these kids outside, do some work and have fun!

Sponge in hands, Raghu got to work cleaning up his bike and scrubbing the two cars in the driveway with the soap water.

Meera began scrubbing the window panes outside the house, while Dev began watering the plants in the lawn with the water pipe. Every now and then Dev would sprinkle a little water on himself and laugh in the sheer joy of it!

Everyone was thoroughly busy and didn’t know how time flew by. “Hey Dev, I need the pipe now to wash off the soap from the cars!” called out Raghu.

“Coming!” said Dev as he turned the pipe towards the driveway, straight onto the car where Raghu was standing. Raghu was completely drenched and charging towards Dev. “I’m gonna get you guy!”  “Okay guys, Let’s first finish the work then we’ll play” called out Meera responsibly. Both boys laughing came back to the driveway and started cleaning the soap off the cars and bike with the water pipe, playing with the water as they did so!

“Now the window panes!” said Meera as she took the pipe and cleaned the soap off the window panes outside the house. As she was finishing, she didn’t notice, both Raghu and Dev steal up behind her with water guns in hands.

Shouting, running in the lawn, playing, screaming, laughing, all three of them took turns to get each other wet with the remaining soap water in the buckets and the water pipe.

A little later Raghu’s mother came outside with popsicles in bowls for the three kids.

“Okay kids you deserve this after all the work you’ve gotten done!” she said as she handed each of them a rainbow colored popsicle. “This was so much fun aunt Megha!” cried out Dev as he hugged his aunt. They all laughed and enjoyed their popsicles. What better way to spend a hot summer evening!

Adventures of Raghu - a glass of lemonade?

“Hey Meera, are you okay?” called out Raghu to Meera from the branch of the banyan tree. Raghu and Meera had decided to put a swing up on the banyan tree and had been working on it for about an hour outside.

Raghu was climbing the tree with the rope in his hand when he saw Meera sitting on the ground beside the tree looking tired and holding her head. “I don’t know Raghu. I feel dizzy and sort of sick in the stomach. I was fine just a while ago, not sure what happened.” Raghu jumped down from the branch to move closer to Meera. He touched Meera’s forehead – “I think you’re dehydrated. Come on let’s go inside and get you something cold to drink.” Both went inside the house where Raghu’s mother made both the children two glasses of cold lemonade. “It’s so hot outside and both of you decide to go out and put up a swing at this time! Really what should I do with both of you I wonder sometimes” cried out Raghu’s mother, worried at seeing Meera sick.

After they drank the lemonade and had rested for sometime, Meera got up and went running to Raghu – “I’m much better now Raghu. We can start putting up the swing again!” “If you both are planning to go outside again I want you both to take a big jar of lemonade with you and keep drinking it regularly to keep yourselves from dehydrating” called out Raghu’s mother.

Meera looked at Raghu - “I got dehydrated within just an hour of being outside Raghu, sometimes I wonder about those people that work outside and have to be outdoors the whole day. There’s not even clean hygienic water for them to drink sometimes.” “Yeah Meera. That’s true. Maybe we can give them our jug of lemonade!” joked Raghu to Meera.

Meera looked at Raghu seriously for a while and then answered back – “That’s a great idea Raghu!” “What idea?” said Raghu a little confused at missing his own discovery. “The idea of making lemonade for people who are outdoors. Why don’t we set up a lemonade stand near the colony park. There are many people that work outside and come there to rest. They can get a nice cool drink when they sit. They would feel refreshed and it would also ensure they’re adequately hydrated in this heat.” Raghu thought for a moment. “That is a good idea Meera, but how should we do it?”

“Let’s first go to the market and buy the items we need to make lemonade” said Meera as she rushed out the door. They bought 60 lemons, a big container of mineral water, ice cubes,sugar and 5 packets of paper cups “Mother has a water cooler at home that we can use to keep the lemonade cool. We also have pens and cardboard at home to make the sign for our stand. Let’s go!” said Raghu. Back home they prepared the lemonade, made the cardboard sign so that people would know they are selling lemonade. Within an hour, the table was set up in the shade just outside the park and they both sat waiting for their first customer.

People passing by started looking at this new arrangement, until a man that had been digging a tank in the colony nearby came upto Meera – “Can I please have one glass of lemonade?” Meera sprang up from her chair, absolutely excited to serve their first customer. “Yes sure” she said as she poured the cool lemonade into a paper cup. The man gulped it down thanked them and walked off. Two men were watching the scene on a nearby bench and also asked came to the stand to ask for the same. They smiled after the drink and thanked the kids. Slowly children, women, men were all coming over for the refreshing drink. It was so fulfilling to see each face light up after a glass of lemonade. Meera turned to Raghu at the end of the day – “This was the best thing I’ve ever done Raghu. Let’s do it regularly this summer.” “I’m in Meera, I’m totally in” called out Raghu happily.

Keep cool this summer!