FOOTSTEPS & FOOTNOTES

I enjoy my evening walks, fitness not the concern. The joy of the fresh open air, inhaling the flavours of the desert and a song on my lips, I hop along.My mind keeps fluttering from one topic to another, all irrelevancies. I always worry that my brain will have a short circuit someday, as it flits from one thought to another at lightning speed. To dwell upon a topic or ponder about something for a considerable period without going off the track and derail is so difficult. My writings too, are ramblings of an idle mind. 

As I meander around the sprawling landscape of villas most of them identical, with manicured lawns and shrubs and hedges lining the pavements trimmed to scientific precision, I let my thoughts run wild and keep up the stride. Sometimes I chart my walking route from my 17th floor apartment balcony.I decide to go reach a particular school or shop and take a circuitous route along the villas and the town houses.

A fancy range of 4 wheelers are parked on the curb, from Jaguars to Maserati to Ferraris and the Lamborghini, Rolls Royce the Audi Range Rovers and whatnot,stand majestic and  gleaming . A particular black Jaguar outside a villa attracts me very much that I stealthily run my hand on the shiny chrome door trim and continue my jaunty walk. Some villas have stingray boats and the likes (locals tow it to their cars and take it to the sea) parked alongside the cars. A royal blue Maserati with a crown like symbol intrigues me. 

Diversity of flora attract me, never a flower person but I stop and smell the heady flowers, murmuring Wordsworth, caress the foxtails and the beard grasses. I admire Hydrangeas and the Oleanders,until jolted by the bark of a dog from the villa and I scurry away. The Bougainvillea of varied colors that lay strewn on the road, weaving a  rainbow to tread on, a gust of wind creating a colorful tornado. Summer is here and the Date palms are laden with fruit. Having seen only the packed Lion dates back home, the assortment here from Mejdool,Thoory,Khalas,Fard,Deglet Noor and many such drives me crazy.The semi ripe ones will be in the market soon and they are quite tasty, as you dig your teeth into it, feels like you are biting a coconut and then it melts like ice cream.

I race the white blue cottony clouds that wink at me with their shape shifting forms spurring my imagination and stand awestruck at the myriad colours cast by the setting sun. Awash in the crepuscular light , I thank God for the gift of sight .

The whistling blue thrush, screeching green parrots fly above. The hoopoe birds buries its head ,fishing out insects in the sand, the multitude of small sparrows chirping gaily, a bird with a red underside atop a branch busy in conversation with a mate. Birds of many feathers literally. Once I was amused to see a small bird walking along with me clicking her heels, turning her head ,sizing me up , I try to click a selfie it flies away shyly. So I just capture these moments in my minds eye .

I observe a lot of men and women of all races in a park nearby which I identify as the Dog park. Meet up with the Labradors , pugs, dalmatians ,bull dogs, Alsatians, the chihuahuas come dressed in a vest and look adorable.  The dogs pranced around in the grasses, seeking their friends, jumping up and chasing it's own tail as the owners shared notes. I maintain a good distance from the Dog park but sometimes, dogs not in their leashes run and I get a friendly lick or quick hug which leaves me shrieking and shivering as the Dog owner runs to the dogs rescue.

A few homo sapiens cross my path at intervals, some have time for pleasantries, some smile and wave ,a slight incline of the head from some of the stiff upper lipped. A man in a recumbent trike cheerily shouts a "hello", I holler my hello and go on my way. I, the only Indian on the road, sprightly enjoying the sights.

There are many tennis and basket ball courts too. I sit and watch the kids and their coach. In some, men and women are engaged in a furious tennis match. After the exercise to my neck I amble on.

I listen to Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam collections on my I Pod, I enjoy mix tape kind where the music and mood shifts and surprises me. Some days I tune into the FM radio listen to their non stop chatter. A particular FM station,  103.3 plays no songs, just 3 people in conversation on various topics ,they bounce from  books to movies to current affairs to sports totally engrossing the listeners. I even purchased a book hearing their review." We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver" .Their topics running wild as my thoughts.

I weave my own pattern around the villas, go as my mind wanders and there are so many roads not taken,I stop and look at my tall apartment building to check if I have, lost my way, lost in thoughts and try to trace my path through the zigzag maze back to my home and look forward to  my next day's walk where I get to enjoy the bliss in solitude.

PS. All these walks haven't had a dent on my weight. In fact have gained a few kilos.