Bangles and Baubles....

I loved ,....when they came home! When the city was still a small town !Arrival of bangle sellers,Rangoli girls, Roaming cobblers, Vegetable man balancing two baskets on his shoulders. The best, I use to love was the old man who use to transform tins and cans to small little useful household articles! All these people were really reassuring to families needing to buy a trinket or mend a tear! Of course mom would not buy any and everything unless she would feel its a good or right buy! I loved the colorful ribbons flying in the air as they passed our house ! I would look at those and sigh as they pushed off, by passing me and my bobbed hair!The evening air was filled with fragrant flowers and the flower vendors were respected and given business to, in case the Jasmines go out of stock ! But I guess the best man on the roll was by far the steel utensils guy who made every woman victorious by giving them their choice with an exchange! Yes..he would make the best bargain by simply exchanging old clothes for new vessels. All ladies definitely felt they got the best deal, and all men no doubt hated this exchange..at-least my dad disapproved!But the one man who would get every female attention was the man and the weight of his wares bearing down  one shoulder was the bangle seller!The cargo wrapped in white cloth would come down the minute he gets the attention of one of the ladies! His arrival news spreads like  wild fire and from balconies to terraces the news getting announced! It takes only minutes for ladies to gather in one of the verandahs.  Soon the ropeful of glass bangles carefully settle on the floor, and I would look at the flashing, dazzling catching the light- round miracles, mesmerized. Slender wrists and   roughened hands come forward with equal enthusiasm. Summer afternoon fun for young girls and  grown up women alike! who take their own sweet time to carefully select the size,design  and colours!  For sweaty playful tomboys like me, and the rank juniors, these areas were banished, and at the most only to the outer fringes! shouts and screams are like cold water poured on us when we put an enthusiastic right foot forward ! Of course mom would be petrified  and would worry for the fragile stuff in front, than me in the fear of me stamping on it! I very well remember I was terrified of the hiccuped beggar woman and even now I wonder what disease she would have been suffering to come with such eerie, scary appearance, and I cannot forget those hiccups too! The yellow orange robed Friday freaky singers were like sufi souls of that time, and they definitely gave some kind of message of life! But the gypsy ladies who walked in the streets once in a blue moon with lovely baubles and fascinating stories cannot be forgotten...! Well...I don't see none of these people any more! May be they still roam the streets of small towns? I do hope they do! I sincerely hope the little kids look forward  for  these visitors  and  the houses are still warm and open for their visits.