Only fools rush out

We took six rights and two lefts
Through lanes that satellites forgot
To reach a tiny bell that screamed “press me”
Ignored by an open wooden door

Past carpeted rooms
Chased sunlight till it was cornered in a courtyard from where you couldn’t see the outside but you could hear everything

Children yelled at each other except at the one with the bat, men yelled at children to come back inside and old ladies yelled “good morning” at men. One armed with a red hose
missed a potted plant on a grill
Drenching me and an oversized cane chair
Maybe she didn’t miss, I mused

The chef smiled with her eyes and pointed at a chalk board menu
We ate eggs and sunlight and toast
And butter and scones and butter

Two tiny feet grew impatient
She pointed at leaves and shadows
At masks and bigger feet
Found the most circuitous way to get between two places, pointed at a lemon, climbed stairs

Everyone shuffled around the table
For a spot, to see pretty shadows, but not be blinded
I drank an espresso and ate half a scone
And then the other half

The most beautiful butterfly ever
Weaved through giant potted plants
We collectively gasped as it disappeared into the back of a fan, what remained lay mounted on a rusty grill on the other side

We knew we had overstayed
That the old lady was planning another attack
So we hurriedly retreated, through a trail of bougainvillaeas and face down white flowers

It’s quiet windy roads coiled slowly around us
We ran faster and faster
Till we made it back into dust and traffic
Leaving behind
Those damn by-lanes of Bandra