Swinging in the moonlight – The Hindu

The young and old like to get on the swing.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

During my childhood, some 50 years ago, a coir rope, about an inch in diameter, used to lie curled in our attic. Every summer, we would take it down and tie it to one of the horizontal branches of a massive tamarind tree in our neighbourhood to hang a swing. The days would then be spent in endless play, swinging with neighbourhood boys and girls. Even passers-by would pause for a moment, tempted to take a turn on the swing. The place would transform into a hub of joy, buzzing with laughter throughout the day.

One midnight, I woke up to the sound of someone singing the popular Tamil song “Senthoora Poove Senthoora Poove”. Rumours had circulated in the neighbourhood about a ghostly woman haunting the tamarind tree in the evenings. As the song floated through the air, I hesitated, torn between curiosity and fear. I wanted to peek through the small window that faced the tree, but I couldn’t muster the courage.

The singing returned the next night as well. But this time, it wasn’t a lone voice — I could clearly hear at least three women singing together. Mustering all my courage, I finally opened the window. To my astonishment, I saw a group of adult women, including my mother, taking turns on the swing, laughing and enjoying themselves in the moonlight.

Until then, I had assumed that grown-ups had no interest in the simple joys of swinging. Mothers would often scold us for spending too much time on it, and I believed they had no soft spot for such childish fun. But now, it seemed they had been secretly indulging in it at night. How long has this been going on? Nobody knew. Did they deliberately float the ghost story in the air?

I quickly woke my siblings, and together, we gathered our neighbourhood friends. With playful mischief, we marched up to the women and, in mock seriousness, announced, “It’s time to sleep! Your merrymaking is disturbing our sleep.”

Caught off-guard, they blushed at the unexpected confrontation. But soon, laughter filled the air as adults and children alike played under the moonlight, swinging and singing together.

That night left an unforgettable lesson in my heart — playfulness and joy aren’t reserved for children alone. Deep down, we all remain children in some way or another.

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