Playing the game!

“Hiya. Sachi! What happened to you?” Ruwi and Shaz chorused in horror as they set eyes on their friend. The girls’ screams soon drew a dozen of eyes towards V3.

Poor Sachi, with grease all over his body, had to relate how he was caught red-handed by some of his mates in the village and was forced to climb the grease pole.

“My! Awesome experience, isn’t it, Sachi?” Shaz’s casual grin only fanned Sachi’s destitution.

“Maybe for you Shaz, but not for me. It was damn awful. Thank god, I didn’t loose grip on my phone.”

Sachi was still sweating and glistening with grease. Poor guy! Nobody was around to help him out! Not even his V3 mates, least of all. “These Avurudu games need modification. What do you think Ruwi?,” Shaz glanced at Ruwi but Sachi, who had received the worst impact of the Avurudu celebrations, was quick to respond.

“Of course and it’s high time as well. Rule number one should be not to force anyone to take part in some of these silly games. Some of these games are really stupid. I mean really stupid.” Ruwi chipped in. “In a way you are right. Some games put your life on the line. The grease pole is the best example. Forget about getting to the peak, what will happen if you lose control?” “Exactly. I mean we are in modern society, and that means there should be room for new games as well,” Shaz added.

“I remember a game that is practised at some Avurudu festivals. It was called ‘find the coin’. There are a number of trays loaded with flour and a couple of them have coins hidden within the layers of flour. You have to blow on the tray and locate the coin to win the game. Though it is amusing to see the participants covered in flour, you also inhale a portion as you take part in the game. I bet it is not health friendly in the least,” Ruwi recalled.

Sachi also thought: “That is one thing and what about the ‘fastest bun eater’ then? Gulping down food for the sake of winning a competition is not a good example as we were advised to eat slowly and chew properly before swallowing our food,” he noted, trailing off with a slight shrug as V3 spied a group of children getting ready for a sack race. After a pause, Ruwi picked up the conversation: “Wait till you hear this! This is a modern game invented by some villagers last year and aired on TV. A woman has to light the cigar that is on a man’s mouth.

Once it is lit, the man runs towards the finishing line. Such nonsense! Isn’t it shocking to see things like that when smoking is frowned upon in every corner of the Earth?”

“Still the worst game I have ever seen is ‘cart race’.” Shaz gave Sachi a curious look. “What is ‘cart race’?” “A bull is tied unto a cart and it has to pull the carriage.

The fastest carter is rewarded. So the carters flog the bulls to keep the carriage at a fast pace.” “Such a crime! We must not encourage animal cruelty,” Our animal loving Shaz is thoroughly irritated. “I wonder how these inhuman games pulled through.” Ruwi grimaced.

V3 were lost in thought for a minute. You know, some of these Avurudu games have their positive effects too. Kana Mutti (let the blind smash the pot) has its pros and cons. You are more likely to smash someone’s scalp with the stick while you are blindfolded - unless you have someone to tag along. Still as long as you watch your step and make a few alterations the joys of the festival could be kept intact.

“Basically the aim of Avurudu games is unity among communities but I doubt if competition builds up unity.

There should be fun and friendship in an equal weight, what do you think?,” Sachi questioned.

“Hmm… Competition spoils unity as well as the community, but isn’t that free for all?,” Ruwi shot back. “One of the Sunday schools I know had an Avurudu festival. At the end of the day, everybody got a prize despite being a winner or not.

The monk in charge told me that he expected ‘participators’ more than ‘winners and losers’,” Sachi said.

“That’s true. Take Avurudu Kumari competition for example. Such a discrimination as the losers are left feeling small. Every woman has her own beauty. What do you say, Sachi?,” Shaz asked doing her best to hide an impish grin.

“Yes of course. How can they judge beauty? What is beautiful for you may not be for me; beauty is in the beholder’s eye,” Sachi quoted with wisdom.

Suddenly Ruwi signalled Sachi to be silent. “I think I heard our names on the loudspeaker. Mine and yours, Shaz,” she explained.

Both girls held their breath as a guy appeared out of nowhere to invite them to be a part of the Avurudu Kumari jury. After a couple of squeaks of protest they finally surrendered to fate and left Sachi to deal with the ‘slippery’ task of getting all the muck off his brand new batik sarong and shirt.

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