Weary of working for the day and needing a break, I took a walk around the neighborhood. I happened upon a bunch of youths playing cricket in an abandoned lot. I thought I could watch inconspicuously, but a few of them saw me and shouted, "Which country?!?"
"America", I replied, somewhat embarassed at being seen.
They invited me to join them. I didn't really want to play, just watch. They peppered me with all sorts of questions....what I did, where I lived, how much money I make, how much did it cost to fly to India, etc. I, in turn, asked them about their school, home, and of course, how cricket is played, which they were more than eager to share. One thing I learned is that they were playing "gully cricket", a variation of the game meant for smaller lots. Mom warns me about some of the shady characters that wander around their neighborhood, but this group seem to be a nice bunch of kids.
When they finished and started for home, they said, "Come back again....we play 4:30 pm here".
Maybe...maybe next time, I'll try my hand at the bat.
