Lagori

"Lagori!" he screamed. As loud as his pediatric lungs would allow. Her face fell. Not again. Red-faced. She approached him. No eye contact. "Again" she said with gritted teeth. Her people stood behind her. Similar expressions. It was like a giant face of glumness. Smugness on the other side. High-fives. Poorly-done chest butts even. Her deputies brought her the seven. No words were exchanged. This was certainly not a time for idle chatter. She took them in her little hands. The mehendi from two Sundays ago was fading a little. Insipid. It was strange how you noticed unrelated things in times of stress she wondered betraying a wisdom far beyond her young age. She placed them one on top of the other. Mini-mountain. He grinned at her. He tossed the tennis ball high in the air and caught it with one hand. She tried to hide her irritation. Impatience."Ready" said the girl. The boy raised an eyebrow. Raised the ball in right-hand. Her people waited on the other side. He released it. The mountain was broken. The seven were scattered. Helter skelter. She grabbed the ball as it ricocheted off the seven. The boy and his team had spread themselves like birds released from a dirty cage. Her radar honed in on one of the slow ones. She let go with a purpose. Focus. The ball zoomed forward to fulfill its destiny. There was no going back. No looking back. Ball met flesh. A yelp rendered the air. More in shame than in pain. Crest-fallen, the boy made his way to the circle. The tables had well and truly turned. She felt the triumph. So did her team. Jubilation. The beaten boy would build his mountain now. The cycle would repeat. "Lagori"

Tweet