A News Paper Man  The newspaperman delivers newspapers to us and many other houses in the neighborhood. I hear his motorcycle every morning when he comes to deliver the daily paper. He comes promptly at 6.30 a.m. every morning, rain or shine, unless something extraordinary prevents him from doing so. He is so regular and prompt that I do not need any alarm clock to wake me up. At six-thirty, the...

The Haunted House  Everyone says that the old house at the end of the road is haunted. It used to be the residence of a rich family but now none of them stays there. So the house is vacant and uncared and the compound is filled with over-grown weed and grass. One evening, me and my friend Varun bravely entered the house and prepared to spend the night there. We brought...

Walking in the Rain  As I descended the steps of the bus, I saw dark clouds in the sky. It looked as though it would rain. I walked briskly towards home which was a few kilometers away. My mother had warned me not to get wet in the rain because I might catch a cold or something. I wondered if I could get home before it rained. Suddenly, the raindrops started...

Some Funny People I Have Met  The first funny person that comes to my mind is a man who sits on the branch of a tree by a road and shouts at the car that passes by. He is mad of course, but still it is strange that a madman can shout at passing cars. He never seems to notice me somehow when I pass by on my bicycle. For him...

A Close Brush with Death It was raining heavily the last night. Fortunately, we were in a car and my uncle, who was driving had the situation under control. We passed slowly by an oil-palm estate. The driving rain made visibility poor. So my uncle drove very carefully. He had all the lights on of the car. So did the other drivers. I could make out little blobs of light on...

A Mad Woman I went for a walk every morning. Sometimes I come across a mad woman dressed in a dark dirty sari. She probably has not taken a bath. Her hair is matted, teeth stained red with betel-nut and eyes blood-shot with the look of madness. It is never pleasant when I see her standing by the roadside. She is by no means violent but has the nasty habit of...

The Garbage Collectors  It is incredible how much rubbish we throw into the garbage bin. It always seems to be full. The smell can be quite strong. So we are very thankful to the garbage collectors who come and remove the garbage. They norm ally come thrice a week. If they miss a day or two, then the garbage bins in my neighborhood overflow onto the road. This invites stray dogs...

Confined To The House It all began with a blister on my lower eyelid. I happened to rub it accidentally and it was painful. Soon after blisters appeared on my hands and neck. I suspected that I must be coming down with something. My mother examined me and immediately pronounced “chicken-pox”. I had come down with chicken-pox. She took me to the doctor to make sure. The doctor said that what...