About a ditch

There is this plot of land next to my house which is used as a pathway by people moving from one corner of Siddhaguntapalya to the other. The owners of the plot dug the place up last weekend, and have dug a ditch all around. I get a good view of the path from my bedroom window. I find it quite interesting to watch different people tackle the ditch - its probably close to three feet wide and lots of folks have problems crossing it.

Most schoolboys immediately jump across it and sneer at their friends who hesitate. There are a few who jump back and forth several times, encouraging their buddies to try it out. I can relate to those who hesitate, I don't think I've jumped across anything wider than a foot when I was a kid.

The girls mostly move around, looking for a place where the gap is smaller. They usually stop at a spot where its about the same distance, carefully step into the ditch and climb up the other side. Smoothening their uniforms, they walk away.

There are also the overgrown kids on their motorbikes who come to a screeching halt when they see the ditch for the first time. They rev up the engine a few times, look all around and then return the way they came.

Yesterday I saw a young boy jump across and urge his sister to follow. She couldn't gather up the courage to jump, was on the point of crying. Our hero calmly stepped into the ditch and helped her across. He climbed back up, held his sister's hand and walked to school.

Current book - Jingo, by Terry Pratchett