An unmemorable FAIR

 

Fair… a beautiful event to attend right? It gives you a lot of memories, beautiful moments a lot of laughter, right? But what if you visited a fair and it gave you memories, but fr the wrong reason.

I have had a similar experience. A fair that was remembered for something which is not usually the reason why people remember the event. 

I was the smallest of 8 children. I was the small boy of the family and considered fragile even when I was 12 years old. My brother was allowed to visit every fair in the town and most of the time, I would have to stay back at home. It was the yearly temple fair. I got my mum convinced that I can go to the fair and I will manage myself. Though my mom was not completely convinced by my words; she couldn’t refuse my request after I promised her that I will only attend one program - ‘story telling’.

Even though I wanted to go by myself, my mom asked my elder brother to leave me till the fair. E and his group of friends walked ahead and I followed them. On reaching the fair, my brothers told me - ‘after the storytelling event is over, meet me at the exit gate. The storytelling event will be for around 1-2 hours. Don’t roam around by yourself. Be careful’. I want half listen9ing to the words. I was so excited about the event that I didn’t even bother to inform my brother that the event is for 3 hours!

The fair seemed enchanting. I could have broken my promise to my brother but then, it would be the last time I would go to a place by myself. I entered the tent where the storytelling was to take place. My mind was so occupied waiting for the storyteller to come that I didn’t even notice the extremely loud shuffle baffle and screams coming from outside. Had I not been so into the show, I would have gone out and check out what had happened.

Soon the storyteller came. The story went on for only 2 hours. I was disappointed and I decided that I will roam the fair for the next 30 mins before going to the exit to my brother. Then I observed a stage setup. I wanted to know whether some event was being taken place there so I went there to see who was up the stage.

I neared the stage and found a familiar face with free other lesser familiar faces. “Oh! That familiar face was my brother! What was he doing up the stage. I didn’t know that he was having a program. Let me cheer for him, he will be happy” and I waved my hands high with a wide smile trying to tell him ‘all the best’.

On seeing me, he muttered something to the man holding the mic, came down, and took me back home. Later did I came to know that there had been an elephant stampede. Many people had gotten lost and my brother felt I had returned home. On returning home, they realized that I wasn’t there either! they searched around the fair and had come upon the stage to call out my name to find me! they didn’t expect to find me among the audience with a waving hand.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t a great deal. I was allowed to go to fairs by myself and I have always been more aware of my surroundings from then.

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