Mahika Behani
“One mississippi, two mississippi,.. twenty nine mississippi, thirty mississippi! Ready or not, here I come!”
She pops out of her little nook, turning around and slowly opening her eyes. The newfound brightness blinds her at first, the anticipation to get searching shining through. The excitement and trepidation dances in her two small orbs as her 6-year-old self slowly examines the room, looking for potential hiding spots.
She sees a shoe peeking out from behind the couch. Slowly tiptoeing towards the target, she holds her breath in nervous excitement. Coming up behind the huddled, misshapen figure, she carefully reaches her small palm down and whisper-shouts, “You’re out!” as the corners of her mouth quickly lift up into the most innocent smile. Her spirits rise, newfound confidence surging through her veins. One down, three to go. She lets out the softest, purest little chuckle as she sneaks to the door leading to the garden, eyes sparkling.
The pitter-patter of the light drizzle outside masks her faint footsteps as her eyes wander from tree to bush, looking for the slightest sign of a person crouched behind. As the raindrops start to fall harder and faster, rolling down the side of her face, she runs back inside with only one goal in her mind - to gather all the umbrellas she can.
Game forgotten, she carries as many as her little hands allow her and races back outside. Opening the umbrellas, she turns them upside down and watches in glee. Plop! Plop! She stares in elation as the water slowly fills up, drop by drop. As soon as the smallest umbrella fills up till the top, she picks it up, trying her hardest to not spill a single bit. She then proceeds to turns the umbrella upside down over her head and bursts out into the loudest peal of laughter. Joy and exhilaration courses through her body as she repeats the process, umbrella by umbrella, over and over again. Giggles resonate through the garden as she runs in circles on the grass, soaked to the bone.
She skids and comes crashing down, resulting in an even heartier laugh leaving her sweet mouth. She carefully positions herself on the softer tufts and looks up at the sky. Her tongue steadily sticks out as she catches the drops, playing a game with herself - how many can she hold in her mouth before having to swallow. As the pace increases and the drizzle turns into a downpour, she rushes to find cover. Her hair frizzed and messy with strands of grass sticking out is a reflection of her wild, carefree soul. She watches in amusement as the umbrellas overflow with water, creating minuscule fountains.
She sticks her palm out, face down, and observes the steady stream trickle through her fingers. As the wind slowly picks up speed and blows her hair gently into her eyes, she shakes her head, spraying the walls with droplets of rainwater. She reaches out and catches a drop as it falls, opening her clenched fist in satisfaction as she finds the tiniest bit of liquid in there. When the shivers start to slowly set in, she moves back into the safety of her house and towards the couch. She picks up her scrunched up jacket and carefully puts on her shoes, her eyes ablaze with bliss and a smile etched onto her face. Despite being stuck inside for weeks, she managed to create her own euphoria in the simplest things.