THE GAMES WE USED TO PLAY By Wendell Rodricks
It was when the clock struck five that it all began. We would wait for those precious hours between 5 pm and the 7 pm Angelus bell. Children of all ages descended to play. Infants with maids learnt rhymes with actions to match. "London Bridge is falling down", "Ring a ring of roses", "In and out the sparking blue bells"... It took me fifteen years between learning the rhyme for the first time and actually seeing London bridge. Twenty five years after "all falling down" I learnt that the nursery rhyme was about making wreaths or posies for those put "down" by the plague. It took a Spring in Paris to see my first sparkling blue bells. Rhymes and song gave way to games of advanced physical nature. Toddling steps to do what "Simon says", "Is the lamb at home today?" "Catching Cook"(Dorchenim), "Stick in the Mud (with two dens), "Four Corners"(Konnxeanim), "I spy", "Dog and the Bone". In small rooms with all obstacles removed, games like Hide and Seek (Appa-Lipa) and Blind Mans Buff were a gleeful indulgence. As was a game called Hot and Cold which involved hiding an object. Prompted by squeals of laughter announcing it was "freezing cold" if the person was far from, or "fire hot" once near the object. Mind games included Naughts and Crosses (Tic Tac Toe), Chinese Checkers, Ludo and Snakes and Ladders. The latter is a game of Indian origin with auspicious numbers that could bring good or back luck. In later years one learnt the all important, brilliant Indian game of the Chess. At any time, the playgrounds (now often barren) had many games played out in different parts at the same time. On a single evening group of boys played Tops or Bouro (the loosers top was split in two at the end), Chor Police (Cops and Robbers ), Kabaddi, Gulli Danda (or Gilli Danda), Hockey, English Cricket and French Cricket. Girls played Skipping rope, Hopskotch (Paryani or Lobbio) or Aeroplane, threw a tennikoit rubber ring (Ringanim Matanca) or two girls faced each other and sang while they clapped their own, and each others hand, in a "high five" style chanting "Mr. D, Mr. I, Mr. FFI, Mr. C, Mr. U, Mr. LTY...", Queen of Sheeba, frozen in mid motion games like "L.O.N.D.O.N." or "Statue", Fugdi and games such where five pebbles or Kowri shells were thrown on the ground and flipped in the air while the others were collected in one accomplished slight of hand (Fatranim in Konkani). In Cats Cradle, a loop of sting or elastic band created patterns between outstretched fingers. Boys and girls shared the joys of "Seven Tiles" (Logorio) and Kho Kho (also called Salts). Some games made the transition from Sports Day to entertainment at picnics. These included teams that vied for a prize over "Three legged race", "Lemon and Spoon" Race, "Relay" and "Tug of War". In the absence of a formal game or a lack of playmates children were content to roll a wheel with a stick or hook up a tin can for a ride. Some games were played by the seasons. At different times of the year flying kites, Badminton, Carrom (during Summer holidays), Basketball, Volleyball and Football were popular for a few months. During marble season, Bombay kids drew a square and scooped out a hole (gull) against a wall . While the white(dubs) marbles were thrown in the square, the steel "ainee" was aimed at the indicated ball. If the marbles were closer than a hard span, it was called a Koibaa and the steel marble had to hit one of the white marbles without touching the other. At each throw, chicknees (glass marbles) were traded. At the end of the season we accumulated large bottles of glass marbles. Some found their way to the bottom of the fish tank so that friends could admire the loot. In Goa, goddem (marbles) are played by throwing marbles in a circle (bodo). A similar game is played all over India called "Raja Rani". When I look back I am amazed that there were such a wide variety of games children played. Some games like "Ducks in the Water Quack Quack Quack", "Name/Place/Animal/Thing" and "Two and Threes" were supervised by older kids or elders. Often games involved choosing one child as the "Den". If a sporting person did not offer to be the Den, one resorted to a rhyme indicating each person with each word to choose a den...In Goa they chanted "Ram Rai, Sai Sutt-li". In Bombay they intoned "Ina Mina Myna Mo, Catch a nigger by his toe. If he cries let him go. Ina Mina Myna Mo!" Today the words sound politically incorrect; back then everyone just wanted to get on with the game. Get on with a game we did indeed. There were mind games even when travelling: "I went to the market", "Dumb Charades", "Speaking Charades", "Word Building" and "Antakshari" ,where the last letter of a song became the first letter of the next song. When games were hidden pleasures away from disciplinarian teachers or parents, someone was chosen to signal the arrival of the elder. This job was called "Giving KV". If took me way past my teens to realise that KV translated as "Keeping Vigil". Often I play card games with my mother. Naturally we do not play "Donkey" or "Pairs". A good game of Seven Hands, Rummy or Bridge is intellectually stimulating. My father was a card sharp who taught us to indicate cards and guess opponents cards by watching the pattern of cards which were collected or dispensed. Only when he felt we were competent enough were we allowed access to "Whist". A game still played in Gymkhanas or Clubs where tables of four and teams of two either stay back (loosers) or move ahead to victory from one end of the room to the next. It is surreal to see hundreds of tables playing to a fixed time per "Seven hands" game. Today I carry a small pack of cards in my backpack and often indulge in the solitary game of "Solitaire" in aircrafts or on holiday. Each Christmas before Xmas lunch we play Bingo or Housie with the studio staff. Prizes are "donated" by close friends and everyone vies for the grand "full house" prize of five hundred rupees. Invariably there are second and third houses with content seamstresses, embroiderers and tailors; all flush with Christmas cash. When I enquired about games in Goa, Cecil Pinto sent me an article written by Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa in the Herald newspaper. She explained various games such as Bhianim (with cashewnuts), Goinda-bhal (stump and ball) Fottas, Langdi (hopping), Cartaim, Lenco (isket and tasket), Mitt Follio (Attya-Pattya), Tabblam, Tiktem and Daminim or Draughts. A gentleman called Jamie D'Mello replied to Lourdes da Costa's article with his memories of playing games with a robon (also called a Katty) where a Y-branch of a guava tree was attached with a rubber sling to create a slingshot. D'Mello recounts making musical sounds with rolled leaves and the stalk of a Papaya leaf. In a heart warming description, he described how he imagined a bicycle tyre as a bus, wheeling it about to the Posro (grocery store) with virtual bus stops on the way. He played the role of the conductor, yelling at passengers : "Fatim voch ghe, hanga matshi, thuim matschi" to fill the bus. Today, friends ask if I play Tennis, Squash, Pool or Golf, I reply that though I can thrash a mean ball at the Goa Marriott Squash court the other games were for rich kids. Thank God for middle class backgrounds. If we had the luxury of video games, computer gameboys and wealth, a large, wonderful part of games we used to play would never have entered our lives and enriched us with the memories of those joyful days. (ENDS) ============================================================ The above StyleSpeak column appeared in the September 2009 edition of Goa Today
