For children: Four friends are on a camping trip in a grand amusement park, but something is fishy

The Funmania campgrounds were huge! According to Riz, they were the size of three football grounds put together. Even though Palash argued with that estimate, he did admit that they were quite large. This was where they were to set up their tents. It was decided that Anvita and Tiana would share one tent, Riz and Palash another, and Jeet would have one all to himself. The perks of being the eldest!

“Gather around! Gather around, good people!” said a thin man in a yellow suit as he walked atop a stage that was set up at one end of the camp. His long wavy hair flopped over his face, and he had a big, toothy smile. His assistant brought him a mike. “I am Jamal Sheikh, the park manager, at your service. Please make yourselves comfortable. These are the campgrounds where you can pitch your tents. Your spots have already been marked.”

The visitors responded with cheers.

Jamal went on, “As you know, we are celebrating ten years here at Funmania! T e next three days are going to be a carnival filled with fun, fun and more fun! Please do make the most of the rides. Our ferry will be back to return you to the mainland in three days. All meals will be served here, and follow the buffet system, please. Have fun and take care of your children!”

With that little speech, the park manager got off the stage and vanished into the crowd, his assistant running after him.

Soon, the campgrounds saw a flurry of activity as tents and canopies of all colours popped up as far as the eye could see.

Palash fretted and fumed. He had thought the tent would be easy to install, but he was having a hard time of it. If only Riz would lend a hand! Where is he, I wonder, Palash thought as he came out of the half-erected tent to look around, and when he saw where his friend was, his nostrils flared with rage.

Riz was at the tent right across them, which belonged to the Bookwala siblings. He was laughing with Zenobia over some joke while pretending to pitch her tent. Cyrus was working on the tent by himself, ignored by them both.

Palash stormed over to Riz. “Rizwan Ghadiwala! There you are. How about putting up our tent before you help everyone else in the camp?”

Zenobia’s laughter vanished. Riz turned to look. “Of course, of course,” he said, stumped. “I’m only …”

“Go on, Riz. Do your tent first,’ Zenobia said.

Cyrus stared at the scene with confused, beady eyes that made him look something like a cartoon bug, especially with his curly red hair.

“I’m just showing them how,” Riz said. “Their instruction manual has errors.”

“Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem!” Palash shot back. “Brainiac here can easily figure it out.” He pointed at Cyrus, who was now even more confused.

Riz handed over the strings, cloth and pole to Zenobia and walked away. Palash followed him without looking back at the Bookwalas. He could feel them watching him as he walked back to his tent.

“What’s wrong with you?” Riz asked when they were out of earshot.

“Why? What did I do?” Palash asked. Anvita, who had come up with Tiana upon hearing the commotion, said, “Here you both go again! What’s the matter now?” Palash lost no time in telling them exactly what he had seen. As he spoke, the haphazardly installed pole of their tent fell on his head, which only proved his point further. “Riz, why wouldn’t you finish installing your own tent first?” Anvita asked.

“That’s not true. Zen had a problem with hers and …”

“So, she’s Zen now?” Tiana scoffed, her glowering eyes burning holes into Riz.

Matters could have gotten even worse if not for a timely interruption. As the four stood watching each other, ready to explode, a pair of sturdy hands lifted the fallen pole and placed it upright in the correct position.

“Having a problem fixing up the tent, are we?” said a familiar merry voice.

The man stood taller than all of them. The uniform he wore – the colourful park shirt with the monkey logo – told them he was a staff member.

“Laxman at your service, dear young guests,” the man said. “Any problem, you reach out to Laxman. You may call me Lambu Laxman; that’s what everyone here calls me.” He added that last factoid with a grin.

“Thanks, Laxman … Uncle,” Anvita said.

“Ha ha! Not uncle!” Laxman laughed. “Do I look that old?”

Riz tried to place the man’s voice. Where had he heard it before?

Laxman had a distinctly easy-going attitude about him. He was athletic and spry and worked expertly with the tent cloth. “Lambu Laxman is a man of many talents!” he exclaimed as he worked.

“Oh, yes! You’re the clown!” Riz said suddenly.

“Of course I am! As I said, a man of many talents,” Laxman said. “No wonder the Funmania bosses use me everywhere. Shame that they don’t pay me the wages of ten men, though.”

He did indeed put up the tent in under three minutes. Even the installation manual mentioned seven minutes.

“So that’s done, and now I shall go assist your neighbours!” Laxman said. But when he looked in the Bookwalas’ direction, he said, “Ah, I see they don’t need help any more!”

Indeed, the Bookwala siblings had managed to put up their tent. It was a perfect job. Cyrus zipped up the tent and beamed at the four with his googly eyes.

“Wonderful to have such clever children at the park this time!” Laxman said and walked away.

Palash scoffed again.

“So that’s what it is!” Riz remarked, coming to a realisation. “You’re just plain jealous. Do you still hold a grudge against him?”

“What grudge?”

“Come on, the whole school knows that Cyrus won the interschool spelling competition that you so famously lost when you were in fifth grade, and that makes our little Palash envious of Cyrus, doesn’t it? Did it hurt when he finally brought home the trophy for our school when you couldn’t?”

“Big fat win that was!’ Palash scoffed. “I made one mistake. Just ONE mistake in the final round. Anyone can forget an m in ‘commemorate’. And that was three years ago. Still, everyone remembers! And what did this imp get in his final round? ‘Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia’!”

Riz was bamboozled for a moment. Then he laughed. “You make no sense. How is that ‘hippo’ word simpler than your word? That’s ten times longer than the word you got.”

Palash rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on! The ‘hippo’ word, as you say, is Spelling Bee 101! Anyone who loves word games knows it. It’s almost the first word we learn! It’s spelling bee for dummies!”

“Whatever!” Riz replied.

“What do you know?” Palash lashed out. “You could never even be eligible for a spelling bee.”

“Well, I can spell ‘dumbass’. D-U-M-A-S-S!” Riz said, right in Palash’s face.

Palash stormed off, disappearing inside his tent.

“Isn’t he just too much?” Riz asked Tiana.

Tiana did not reply either. She only glowered at him angrily and stormed away, too.

Riz slapped his forehead and sat down on the ground.