Her pigtail always won her terrible nicknames. They touched that mad uncontrolled mane on her head and gave her all sorts of names. Piggy Peggy was perhaps the kindest of them all. The playground outside Peggy’s house was the hero that morning, to be hosting a dozen kids, all dressed in their Sunday best. Dreamy Damien, shouted in that squeaky voice of his, “Pig Peg, this way this way”. Dreamy D had a thing for her, or so her besties said, the reason for his christening to Dreamy! Maria, Lyn and Rukma were busy discussing how the next neighbourhood boys might come for today’s show. Oh yes, there were times these three exasperated Peggy with their endless chatter on boys! God knows why Sam tagged along with his toddler brother, Dan, everywhere he went! That little one really annoyed Peggy at times with his clingy nature, always tugging at Peggy’s skirt or shirt sleeves. Unable to manage Peggy, he would call her Eggy. Well, at times little Dan would win Peggy’s heart with a gift picked just for her. A blade of grass, a shred of torn silk, oh and that one time the broken egg shell! Giddy with joy, he had said, “An egg for my Eggy!”
The voices of too many flocked the Sunday air with a dense expectation. It seemed like one ordinary Sunday had made their tucked-away neighbourhood famous. Damien confided in Peggy last evening that the local channel guys were coming here too to report. Peggy wasn’t that sure. Dreamy D had this knack of exaggerating just to impress her.
Their humble nondescript playground took on a different shade today, rioting in a splash of colours, a medley of voices. It was Kite Day. They did this often, but today the elders told them that important people would come and watch the children flying kites.
And there came Benjy’s annoying question, “When will the cameras click?” Such an idiot he was. Always asking those questions whose answer no one knew! Remember how last Friday, the little idiot came running to Peggy’s house screaming, “Hey will it rain today? I just felt a raindrop on my face!” I mean, did he think Peggy was God!! Mommy still invites him in and gives him a share of Peggy’s doughnuts! Mommy has this thing for all children. Always indulging them!
The chatter around the playground was growing by the second. Someone at the back was playing music. Many joined in and began singing. Peggy could hear Mommy’s laughter. She could pick out this sound from a million miles away. Mommy had a rich tickling laughter. She should laugh more often.
Uncle Tim began gathering the children and forming a circle. So many times Peg and her friends told him, “Uncle change the order for once! It’s boring to always hold hands with the same ones!” Dan always held Peggy’s left hand. How she hated his sweaty palms! On her right, as always, was Rukma. Firm but gentle, Rukma and she could communicate through the linking of their fingers. Confidence and a sense of calm pervaded Peggy as she locked hands with Rukma’s delicate fingers.
The ground was reverberating with so many different sounds today. Babies and adults and big boys shouting and cameramen asking them to look right or left or straight for a perfect click! Uncle’s sudden sharp blow of the whistle was such an unsuccessful attempt to quiet the chatter around, that it set off yet another roll of laughter from the children. Soon Uncle Tim handed each child a kite. The outlines framed a square, a diamond shape or a triangle below and a semi-circle above. The thin paper of the kites shivered against the soft breeze on this sunny day. And just then, the second whistle blew and all of them, almost like in a symphony, let go of their kites. As Peggy and her friends jumped and screamed in joy, they felt their kites leave the familiar grounds below, their neigbourhood behind and go up up up.
The cheering from the crowd sent goosebumps down their spine. Dan tugged at Peggy’s elbow. “See I told you the channels would cover this!”. Benjy shouted from across, “Will we be famous from now?” “No, you silly. Shut up!” Lyn quipped. Sam was dancing and, not unexpected, fell on Peggy. She stumbled on Rukma, who was holding onto little Dan’s arms, and the four of them fell to the ground. Laughing aloud, few more joined them. Intertwined limbs and their Sunday dresses rolled on the ground, squealing in glee. The fun was infectious.
It took a while for this bunch to be back on their feet. And a few more moments to catch their breath. The clapping and singing were in full blast now. The air seemed dense and soaked in happiness.
As the noise slowly ebbed, Little Dan whispered, “What colour was my kite, Eggy?”
“Bright red. With pretty blue stars”, Peggy’s response was quick, confidence always her strong trait.
“And mine? Was it green this time?” Benjy seemed anxious as he asked this to no one in particular.
“Of course you fool! You had asked for green, you must have got green.” Mary chipped in.
“Yeah”, Benjy gave his toothless grin. “I knew!”
This happy afternoon had the colours of the rainbow painting their pretty neighbourhood. But for these children, the blue of the sky, the colours of the kites, the pretty shades of their Sunday dresses, all merged into one colour. A grand powerful black. A black so magical, it allowed them to see colourful dreams.
As the afternoon local channels streamed Kite Day, the grass of their little square ground played host to bright gems of red, blue, yellow, turquoise, amber and ivory lying scattered on the green. The mad medley of kites, a paper-thin colourful community, lay on the ground tangled by their threads.
The Sunday squad of little blind children merrily went back home, their hearts filled with joy, their smiles touching the empty sockets behind their eyes. The sun finally set over the distant horizon, covering the scattered kites in a gold hue.