Bath

Loofah, showers gels, bath oils & salts, bubble bath and what not. What happened to the simple task of bathing? The only objective was to scrub yourself squeaky clean and boot out the grime collected all day.
Winter's were the most painful. Early morning school along side mom's hygiene-craze meant there was no respite from the chilly waters. And washing those tresses while carefully balancing them on the top of the head after shampooing was such a tangle. Unfortunately, they hadn't begun producing silicon serum for lustrous silky hair after-washes.
And just when classrooms and benchmates seemed like a lot of fun, came the final exams, and heated up the scenario. Mugs of water streaming down every limb seemed like an exercise which brought a comfort like none other. We only sucked on mint rings to cure parched throats. Bathing with bars which spread an icy sensation on the skin were still unheard of. Sometimes brother & I did try globs of ice to chill out.
Cycling round and round the compound ringing the shrilling bell as we turned each corner, cricket on the beach, a quick dip in the sea and then back on the bicycle dripping wet, with the breeze cutting our pickled faces.
A schoolmate once took us to her newly furnished house. The first place we landed into was her colossal bathroom, which had a majestic bath tub, standing on four regal lion paws. I had never had a bath tub. Did take bath in a tub though, the one used for keeping clothes after they came freshly washed out of a spin session from the washing machine. I wondered - How do you soap yourself, if your body is immersed in water, neck downwards? 'I bathe under the shower silly!' Then what's the bath tub for? 'Uh, you know, special days...I sit and relax with a book sometimes.' Wouldn't you prefer reading on your bed where the words aren't threatened to drown...? Before my thought was completed, we were ushered into her mom's bedroom and the tub walked out of my thoughts.