Rain, Rain Go Away…we have stories to tell!

(posted by Francesca Cotta)

As our van pulled up at the MOP site at Cacra, we peered through the windows to see how many children had come for the session today. It didn’t take long for us to work out the number, because we didn’t have to count.

There were no children waiting for the red Bookworm van to show up, not even Tanya and Kunal who have been regulars even when the numbers began to dwindle as weeks went by.

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“What do we do now?” I threw the question to no one in particular.

“We wait.” Megha said.

So we waited. We sat in the car and waited. We sat on rocks and waited. We paced the short strip of shore that the sea hadn’t still claimed while we waited. We waited, knowing the children would not come. But we had to be sure, so we waited.

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This was to be our last MOP session before we close down for the monsoons, as we have been unable to find a roofed space that can serve as a suitable MOP site during the rainy season. But it rained last night, and now most of the shore has disappeared. The sea is rough and choppy. The sky is gray and overcast. And the kids remain indoors, I presume, because this weather is not conducive to attending a MOP session.

We can empathize. But we are still disappointed and somewhat dejected by the no-show. Why won’t the children come? What do we need to do differently? We have reached a point where we have too many questions, but not enough answers.

We drive away, having waited for a good amount of time. Cacra MOP is now officially closed for the rains.

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