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!