A rare occurrence in India: across the street from our hotel is a clean and well-groomed public park. We sit around a perfect little stone table, shuffle our deck and naively expect to play a few rounds of 3-card. We just about manage to sort our hand when a yellow shirted man, armed with a wooden stick, starts to disperse the crowd that is growing around us at an alarming rate. What seemed like an oasis of quiet and calm turns out to harbor innumerable, curious and animated young boys and men.
When we finally give in to the energy around us and wave to a group of young boys, ‘Mr. Crowd Control’ seems clearly overwhelmed by the scene that ensues. We are quickly whisked away to the skating ground for an assessment of our cricket batting skills. No time for stage fright! Simon is pitching, I am batting and a crowd of 60+ men and boys couldn’t be more thrilled to witness this spectacle.
The next two hours see us rising in fame and importance. From a mere curiosity, we are soon elevated to celebrity status. At one point we are each surrounded by our own personal group of 30 fans. The next moment, we are introduced to “the English teacher” – two lovely young men who are summitted to the park for the occasion of our appearance. A pink glitter pen in hand, we sign the notebooks of a dozen school boys, a 500 rupee bill belonging to a 50 some year old government teacher and one young man’s arm – fun but borderline ridiculous!
The energy and buzz around us are intoxicating and I am thrilled to ride out this high. Only once do I feel near drowning when teenage testosterone takes over my fans and sends a football slamming into my head. This right after I had to assertively decline requests for an impromptu Bollywood dance performance.
our self-anointed bodyguard in the yellow T-shirt
Amidst all the interaction, the only person thoroughly shaken and confused is the poor security guard, who smiles and head-bobbles kindly to us while sternly reacting to the crowds that form as soon as we are stationary. Finally, after an hour of anxious pacing he comes to terms with the situation and gently ushers us to three seats, introduces us to a city council member, serves tea and, why not, requests an autograph.
*Dibbly Dobbly: a cricket bowler of limited skill
Michèle Leaman
Caleb Ward
Sabrina Harster
Ryan Mol
