The Red Bus

Yesterday I was wondering through a shopping mall with my wife when we casually got into a toy shop and saw a red double Decker bus in metal. It was beautiful piece. Yellow coloured seats lined up on both the decks, a small holding bar at the entrance, a staircase going from lower deck to the upper deck, a driver with a cap sitting in driver’s seat and the words “London” painted on the outer side of the bus.

But my journey in this bus was 18-20 years backwards in time. I had the same kind of bus at that time, bought by my dad from UK. It was a very prestigious toy. In those days such toys were very rarely seen around here in India and hence were very expensive. But my dad being in merchant navy, used to buy this kind of stuff every time for me. When he used to return from the ship after 8-10 months and open his bags, my eyes used to start scanning for my toys. Some surprises like the Red Bus were always there for me to bring a wide smile on my face and a lot of happiness on dad’s.

I had a good collection of 10-15 cars, buses, hovercrafts, etc. and it was great fun to play with all of those. But the fun was more when all my cousin brothers and me, we used to fight and bargain a lot over the distribution of cars and places to setup base camp for us below the chairs and cupboards. Then these cards used to fight for us and break off their doors or wheels. In spite of being broken the cars were always beautiful.

When I was all alone it was boring. My pass time then was to take one of the cars and run it along the complete edge of the terrace. I used to imagine myself in driver’s seat and driving those cars or bus along that rough path with ups and downs.

I don’t remember when I stopped playing with those toys. But when I saw that red bus yesterday, I felt the urge to become a small boy of 10 again and hold the London red bus in hand and enjoy the joy of world tour in 500 square feet house.