"...Yokozuna Went To Poona On His Luna Eating Chuna..."

"...Yokozuna Went To Poona On His Luna Eating Chuna..."

...the clamour kept getting louder.

Our school had just ended and we were all waiting in a queue to board the school bus. We were all relieved that our favorite bus [no. 1292] was allocated to our route today and not a khataara (as we called it) bus [no. 117]. 1292 had tinted windows, nice foam seats and a music system. 117 had none of these. It was an old ragged bus.

While we were waiting, we witnessed something unpleasant. Our bus driver was yelling at someone. Apparently, the guy he was yelling at was an auto driver who had just brushed the side of the bus while recklessly overtaking another vehicle. The argument concluded and he opened the bus door for us to get in.

A few mins into the ride, some of us kids sitting in the first few rows started talking about WWF (later rechristened to WWE). Hulk Hogan was my favorite, while my friend loved Bret Hart Hitman. Out of the blue, one of the kids blabbered what I quoted above. Yokozuna was another famous wrestler from WWF. A sumo wrestler and a fabulous performer. Soon, we all started yelling "...Yokozuna Went To Poona On His Luna Eating Chuna..." [Poona is a city near Mumbai, Luna was a moped brand in the 80s, Chuna is a white paste used in a pan].

The driver was already in a bad mood after the altercation. So the cleaner sitting in the cabin next to the driver Sshhhed us a few times, but in vain. To everyone's surprise, the driver suddenly joined the chant, smiling, probably not even aware who or what Yokozuna was. 

It's amazing how, in any situation or place, a burst of positivity/joy transforms the mood of that one individual who is in the exact opposite frame of mind. I am sure we all know of such co-workers and friends who can lift our spirits with their banter/pranks no matter what situation we are in. These guys are life savers.

The Yokozuna chant abruptly ended just a minutes later at the next traffic signal. Our bus came next to 117. The chant immediately switched to "117 khataara bus". This time, the driver knew better not to participate in the vilification of the poor old bus.

On that note, wish you all a fun filled and joyous 2023.

P.S.: Agatupu Rodney Anoaʻi (1966 – 2000) wrestled in the WWF under the name Yokozuna, a reference to the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling in Japan. [Wikipedia]