Omana’s Diary
As soon as we had reached the station we
checked our names on the
reservation chart. Soon the train
reached the platform. We saw that the coach was already full. The train had started
early in the morning from Gandhidham, in Kutch.
When the train came, there was so much confusion.
People were getting off and others were pushing and trying to put their luggage
inside, all from one door.
We somehow managed to get in, find our
seats and put our luggage under them. By the time the train started, most
people had found their seats and arranged their luggage.
After some time the ticket collector
came and checked our tickets to see that we were in our proper seats.
Amma and Appa had the lower berths. Unni
and I have the middle berths. There are two college students who have the upper
berths.
On the other berth, there is a family
with two children. They seem to be about our age. I will go and talk to them
later.
Now I am sitting near the window and I
have started writing about our journey, just as I had promised you. I will stop
now because Amma has opened the tiffin box. Amma had packed a lot of food –
dhokla with chutney, lemon rice, and some mithai. My mouth is watering. I will
write more later.
After lunch some people slept. But I was
not sleepy. I kept looking out of the window. I saw many fields, but they all
were brown and dry. Sometimes we passed small villages. They seemed to be
flying by. Do you know that when the train is at a very high speed things
outside seems to be running in the opposite direction?
The sun is slowly setting and the sky
has become orange. I have never seen it look like this in Ahmedabad.
We have just passed a station called
Valsad. The train stopped for only
two minutes, but even for the short time,
there was so much noise . “Chai! garam, chai ! ” one man w a s calling,“batata
vada! batata vada!
puri-shaak! , doodh-thanda-doodh!.”
People were selling and buying food on the platform. We quickly bought some
bananas and chikoos through the window itself.
I have made some friends. They are Sunil
and Ann. They are going to their grandmother’s house in Kozhikode. Sunil has
given me some story books to read. A little while ago, I went to brush my
teeth, but there was no water in the bathroom.
Somebody said that it will only be
filled at the next big station. Gandhidham, Ahmedabad and Valsad are inGujarat. Kozhikode is in Kerala. Show these states to the children on the map
to help them realise what a long journey it is.
THANKYOU,
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