As the monsoon unleashes its fury, people bring out their umbrellas. But this year, very few are out on the streets and hence the umbrellas remain dry.
Umbrellas always rewind memories of my childhood days. I was born and brought up in a coastal area where people carry them almost 300 days a year to shield themselves from rain or sun. Everyone in our house had an umbrella. Father carried the biggest one with a big wooden ‘U’-shaped handle.
In our time, umbrellas were made of rough cotton black cloth held by a strong steel pole, and they used to double up as walking stick for older people.
Immediately after summer vacation, rain begins in the coastal region. With the first shower, we will be busy searching for the umbrellas. It is the time when the umbrella repairer will busy, and we stand patiently in queues to get his attention.
There are enemies for the harmless umbrella. Rats like to tear the cloth, and cockroaches and ants bore holes in it. The most difficult part is to protect it from thieves. We can’t carry the wet umbrella into the classroom, but if we keep it outside, there is no guarantee that we will get it back. Same is the case in temples and shops. To assert our ownership, we used to stitch our name on the umbrella.
I think that I was in Class 5 when I took my new umbrella with a beautiful red handle when the school reopened. I had stitched my name on it, but still I lost it. After two days, I saw a girl of Class 7 carrying the same red-handled umbrella. I could not find my name on it, but still I was sure that the umbrella was mine. But I could not fight her as there was no proof.
Umbrellas have changed in the past three or four decades. As time passed, the button umbrella came — just press the button in the handle, and it will open. The same could be folded tight. With nylon replacing cotton cloth, bright yellow, red and blue colours with beautiful prints adorned the umbrellas. After a few years, umbrellas became so small that they could be kept in the pocket.
Now, umbrellas are a style statement, and they come in white and even transparent shades and sizes so big that an entire family can stand under them.
geetha.kundapura@yahoo.com
