I am a school playground and this is my life story. I began my life as a barren patch of land on the outskirts of Mumbai City. The population increased more and more and people started to move to the suburbs. A school was built right next to me. The school building had seven floors and was expected to have a thousand students.
When I realized that I was to become a school playground I was very happy. I had been very lonely living all alone by myself without any company. The thought of observing children playing and having fun made me very happy.
Let me tell you about how the first grade students used to play on me. The children used to play on me during the designated sports period. The Sports teacher was a very strict person who would make the students practice marching in a straight line for at least half an hour before they were allowed to play. After the military marchpast practice was over the students would be very happy and play whatever games they wanted.
The most popular game that the students played was dodgeball. The students would form a circle and one student would stand in the middle of the circle. The other students would try to hit that student with the ball on his knees or waist. If the student got hit in the knees or waist then he would lose and another student would take his place.
Let me tell you about a dangerous accident that once occurred when the ninth grade students were playing basketball. One of the students was about to jump and score a goal in the basket when a student from the opposing team jumped to block his way. They collided with each other and one of them started bleeding profusely from his forehead. Thankfully the injured student recovered from the bleeding without suffering any complications. I always pray for the safety of the students who enjoy playing on me.
The month of December is my favorite time of the year. This is when the annual sports festival happens. All students are divided into four teams Red, Blue, Green and Red. They compete with each other in events such as 100m run, 200m run, long jump, shot put, etc. I feel very happy when I see students trying their best to win for the sake of their team. The hard work and passion of the students is inspiring. I hope that I can continue my life as a school playground for a long long time!
