Lemon Choos

LEMON CHOOS

 

   It’s really difficult to please children these days; they simply don’t get excited anymore. You have to do something really big, really impressive in order to get them excited.

 

   I remember, as a kid I used to get excited over little things.

 

   My mother used to give me a rupee to school every once in a while, usually once a month, sometimes even once a week; and I used to take this shiny little coin (sometimes the coin was not all that shiny), and get real excited about it. I used to have it in my pocket all the day long. In the middle of a lecture my hand would go into the pocket just to make sure it was there, every once in a while I used to take it and put it in the other pocket, I didn't want to take any chances you know?

 

   After sometime towards the end of the day, during geology class, when the lecture would become unbearable, when you would be sitting up only so that Miss Ollie wouldn't beat the living breath out of you, I’d think,  “Sedimentary rocks be damned , let me check if I have my coin intact.” My hand would go into my right pocket; my heart would stop beating, and my body would freeze over.

 

   The coin was missing. “Did it fall off during recess? Did someone steal it from me? It had to be Bhupiner; no one else knew I had the money.”  At that moment all my dreams would be shattered. “I’ll have to wait another week to carry out those plans, a month if I’m not lucky enough,” I’d mournfully say to myself.

And then I’d think, “let me double check, I know it cannot be in my left pocket, that’s impossible, (it’s my wrong hand you see).”  “Let me just check nevertheless,” I’d say to myself. I would put my hand in my left pocket, and euphoria, oh what unspeakable joy.

 

   Right at that moment of euphoria Miss Ollie would see me with a wide grin on my face. “Stanley, could you please share the joke with the class,” she’d say. “Oh no madam, it’s nothing, what could be more important to me than sedimentary rocks,” I’d say.

 

   Finally after what seemed like eternity, the bell would go off signaling the end of the day. All the boys would rush out of class after wishing Miss Ollie a good day. It was always a stampede; I’d get out anyway.

 

   For some reason as kids we’d always run out of the school gates, I don’t remember one day when I've walked out of the school gates.

 

   I’d be running towards the school bus at full throttle to reserve seats for the gang, and I’d whiz past this handcart, it was at that moment that I’d remember that I had a rupee with me. 

 

   I’d push though the crowd of school kids to come face to face with an old lady who’d be sitting cross legged in the cart. My eyes would shine with excitement as I'd survey all the colourful sweets lined up in little plastic bags in front of me; but I didn't need to do that, because I knew exactly what I was going to buy; I knew it all the day long.

 

   “Aunty, aath aane ke jam ke goli, aur aath aane ke lemon choos dena.”

 

   One…. two …three… she’d count eight of the first and eight of the second and put it on the palm of my outstretched hands. I’d pay her, pocket the sweets quickly and would start walking slowly towards the bus; I didn’t care if I didn’t get a seat. “Sabin will get me a seat” I’d say to myself. I’d take out a lemon choos, keep it on the tip of my tongue and would slowly relish the taste of the sugary sweet as I walked towards the bus.

   One rupee could get me excited, it could make me strategize, it could make me to plot and plan. A rupee was all that it took; a rupee was all that was needed.

 

Stanley S. G.

Author's Note

Rupee is the currency of India. 1USD=62.77INR.
“Aunty, aath aane ke jam ke goli, aur aath aane ke lemon choos dena.” (please give me jam candy worth 8 annas and lemon candy worth 8 annas)

Reviews

[Deepika]

lol..:D I totally enjoyed reading it. I feel kids these days don't feel the humor much or to the least understand the sentiments here as we do, as those "shiny little coins(not so shiny at times)" XD has lost it's value even when given away as charity! A single rupee excited us as kids and true, " it could make me strategize".
Good job:)

[stansg]

Thank you for your comments Deepika, I'm glad you could relate to it. Its true that money has lost its value, but that is not as disturbing as the fact that children have lost the ability to enjoy the the simple, little things of life. I think they have gone to a point of no return. I just hope that I'm wrong.

[Pushkar Prabhat]

seems like a page out of my childhood.....
sweet and beautiful......
amazing narration......
i loved it!!!
:)

[stansg]

Bohut bohut shukriya mere bhai. I'm glad you liked it.

[R Smith]

loved this Stanley, it fits perfectly with my own childhood, except maybe many years apart, i got the same sense of elation from what was then the old English penny before the days of decimalization when 12 pennies made a shilling and 20 shillings made a pound, happy days, thank you for the memories i love them :)

[stansg]

Thank you for your kind words Richard. I'm glad that you could relate to it.

[AaronFreitas]

Awesome story my friend. Sometimes it's the little things in life that make us happy :)

[KWP]

Hey - I love this - I can just see it all unfolding. Any form of Indian Literature I love because I sweeps me away from here and deposits me there. It's funny my mother in law is Indian, from Mumbai, and as I read this I could just picture her too as the main character, she often tells us stories of her growing up in Mumbai. I live it that you included Hindi in the text too - this made me smile and I am so glad I read it - Thank you XX

[Rachelle]

The joys of our childhood - when kids did not go around with a device and we actually talked to each other instead of looking at a screen. When we had to photo copy things instead of taking photos and screenshots.... And when learning took place in classrooms and personal interaction instead of YouTube and Khan Academy...

[stansg]

True... So true, i had totally forgotten about photo copying, thanks for reminding me, could come up with a story about the run up to exams. Thanks for reading.

[Mai L Nissen]

This is a charming story, Stansg! Sorry for taking so long to read...
I really enjoyed this story - your descriptions and the point of the story...
There are a few typos, though nothing that disrupted the reading experience!

[stansg]

Thanks for reading Mai, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you liked it.

[Sheila Kline]

A delightful story about the joy of getting something that was so much desired and enjoyed!!
They sound delicious......yummy!! It's fun for the reader to anticipate them too!

[stansg]

Thanks for reading Sheila, I'm glad you liked it.

[A. H. Pinley]

A fun story! If you would like I can edit this piece for you. But I would only do it with your permission.

[stansg]

Sure go ahead, i appreciate the help.

[Marie]

What a charming story. You make the idea of one little coin so exciting--checking on it--thinking you'd lost it--the joy when you discovered you had it after all. And then the wonder of getting just the candy you anted. I imagine lemon choos are lifke the lemon drops I used to like when i was a little gir

[stansg]

Thank you for your kind review Marie. Yeah i think it is something similar to lemon drops, i have posted a picture, check it out.....ha ha...:)

[Jamestown]

The fallen world is bringing the kids down with it, so much hate flowing
through the air children's innocents is being carried away with the blowing
wind! With the world of technology, those shiny little coins you used
to enjoy so much are now for the birds unfortunately! Wonderful calming
piece of work!, thanks for sharing and b-blessed!

[stansg]

Thank you for your kind comments Jamestown.