Akshay is 15 years old and lives in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) with his parents, younger brother, maternal grandfather and paternal grandparents. They have a flat in the middle of the city, with a superb view of the ocean. Akshay’s greatest hobby is sailing, and through the balcony window his mother can keep an eye on him and the sailing-boat.
Akshay usually sleeps on the sofa in the living-room, but he keeps most of his things in a tiny cupboard beside his parents’ bedroom. Since the cupboard is not large enough, the brothers’ possessions adorn the whole flat.
This is why Akshay’s parents sleep under a Spice Girls poster, and his grandfather shares his space with storybooks and cricket bats.
“At the moment it’s my school holiday and I’m preparing for the big international sailing race that’s going to start in Mumbai,” Akshay says. “I practise hard every day, from early morning to late evening. And when I’m not practising my sailing I have to look after the boat. So my days are long.” But Akshay does not look as if he is suffering unduly.
“When you go sailing, it’s important to manage everything yourself. Everyone is responsible for his own boat, and if anything breaks the sailor has to be able to fix it himself. ‘You damage, you mend!’ That’s why my hair is full of glue today.”
Otherwise, Akshay thinks one of the best things about sailing is that you can cut a dash: “I’ve got a few different sailing outfits, but the navy-blue one looks best.”
Akshay loves sailing, and he loves the sea.
“However tired I am, I’m never too tired to go out to sea. I have an older cousin who has sailed seven times in the World Championship, and he’s my great role model. I want to be like him.”
Almost all Akshay’s male relatives have been to sea. His father has sailed round the world with the Indian navy several times, and the family have often accompanied him on long voyages.
“My younger brother and I have already seen almost the whole world — Europe, Asia and Australia.”
Akshay’s brother sails too, but in another, rival club.
“There’s no brotherly love between me and my younger brother. We fight all the time. He wants to be a racing driver. He used to want to be a dustman, so you can’t take him seriously,” Akshay says, pretending to strangle his skinny brother. As for Akshay, he wants to be a fighter pilot.
“That’s what I’ve wanted to be ever since I saw pictures of the fighter bombers used in the second world war. In a few years’ time, I’m going to apply for the Army College. For a while I wanted to be an astronaut, but then I was put off by the thought that I might run into some slimy aliens!
“Whatever I do, I want to fly high.”
MARITA LINDQVIST
Translated by Clare James, Språkverkstan AB
