Today's events were preceded with a great amount of hiccups and how I could overcome them to achieve the main task forms the story. Now, consider these:-
- Missing the alarm. Had set the alarm for 4 so that I'd a comfortable time of about an hour and a
half to go through the morning chores. However, much to my horror, had got up at 8' to 5. Again,
my Academy training stood me in good stead and I could be ready on time but had to miss my
morning cuppa in the process!
- Anto's woes. Had tied up with Anto to drop me at the railway station at a half past 5, yesterday.
He rang me up at 0525h as to whether it was okay if he could get his bike to drop me at the
railway station as the battery of his auto rickshaw was misbehaving. I said why not and because
I was dhoti clad, sat ladylike as pillion and clung on to him for life! I'd to put the fare forcefully
into his pocket as he refused to take it and I'd to tell him that it was for the trouble he took to spoil
his Sunday morning for me!
- The journey that was uncomfortable. I was on the dot for the Guruvayur - Punalur passenger but
had got into a carriage where the passengers were predominantly ladies. While I sat on a seat on
which a lady was sound asleep, she didn't seem to like it a wee bit that I'd the audacity to occupy
the same seat. It was a Rs.30/- ride to Kottayam but I found myself disembarking at Thrissur for
boarding a faster train going southward.
- A change of transport. To my surprise, I found that even the earliest south bound train, via
Kottayam, wasn't suitable for me. So, I got out of the station to the pre-paid auto stand where the
youngster, at the counter, told me that it was just walking distance to the bus stand. He must have
thought me to be a thrifty old fool but how could I tell him that the short walk in the hot morning
would see me sweat through all my pores and I detested that?
- A comfortable trip, met a do gooder. I was in time for the low floor a/c coach headed for Vyttila,
Kochi that was ready to move. After settling down, I tried to charge my cellphone from one of the
plug points on the bulkhead of the bus but couldn't get it going. Shinoob, a young IT professional
working at Bangalore and on his weekend visit to his sister, offered to have it charged on his
mobile charger, damn sweet of him. After graduating in Commerce, he was doing this job in a
private firm to acquire an experience certificate as he was poised for going to Muscat in May,
to take up a job out there and his parents were also there. As he disembarked at his destination,
I wished him the best in his endeavour and he's promised to keep in touch...he's noted my number.
- The change over at Vyttila. Upon disembarking, I'd rushed to the rest room to ease myself and
boarded a private bus headed for Kottayam. The bus did take a circuitous route and dropped me at the auto stand from where I reached Viji chechi's ancestral home, the venue of the ceremony.
Sat with Babu chettan, who narrated the story from the start to the finish for my benefit. Viji
chechi's 3rd and 4th vertebrae had disappeared completely, about 41/2 years ago, rendering her
spinal cord vulnerable and she was bedridden from then on. A surgery was conducted which the
doctors said was 90% successful (This was news because to a layman like me, a surgery can be
either successful or not successful. Yet another classic case where the doctors didn't want to
accept their failure!). The last six months were bad, in that, the medicines being administered
didn't have any effect and there was fungal growth everywhere, within. Despite this, she wore a brave, cheerful front hoping that she'd be up and about one day. In fact, she'd promised almost
a year ago that Guruvayur would be her first stop over when it happened!
Babu chettan and Viji chechi have two daughters, the eldest is married, has two children and is an
accomplished actress on the small screen while the latter is working in Madras and whose
wedding is slated for the 5th of May.....at Guruvayur!
RIP, Viji chechi. My prayers and tears!
After being with Babu Chettan for an hour, he'd me dropped at the railway station so that I could board the Bombay Jayanti express at a half past 12 and reached Thrissur by a half past 3. And an hour later, I was at 'The Quarterdeck'.
It was well after my evening walk, that Lekha'd fetched up from Kottarakkara after attending the betrothal ceremony in her family.
Tailpiece.
A hectic day but the mission was accomplished notwithstanding the numerous hiccups!
- Missing the alarm. Had set the alarm for 4 so that I'd a comfortable time of about an hour and a
half to go through the morning chores. However, much to my horror, had got up at 8' to 5. Again,
my Academy training stood me in good stead and I could be ready on time but had to miss my
morning cuppa in the process!
- Anto's woes. Had tied up with Anto to drop me at the railway station at a half past 5, yesterday.
He rang me up at 0525h as to whether it was okay if he could get his bike to drop me at the
railway station as the battery of his auto rickshaw was misbehaving. I said why not and because
I was dhoti clad, sat ladylike as pillion and clung on to him for life! I'd to put the fare forcefully
into his pocket as he refused to take it and I'd to tell him that it was for the trouble he took to spoil
his Sunday morning for me!
- The journey that was uncomfortable. I was on the dot for the Guruvayur - Punalur passenger but
had got into a carriage where the passengers were predominantly ladies. While I sat on a seat on
which a lady was sound asleep, she didn't seem to like it a wee bit that I'd the audacity to occupy
the same seat. It was a Rs.30/- ride to Kottayam but I found myself disembarking at Thrissur for
boarding a faster train going southward.
- A change of transport. To my surprise, I found that even the earliest south bound train, via
Kottayam, wasn't suitable for me. So, I got out of the station to the pre-paid auto stand where the
youngster, at the counter, told me that it was just walking distance to the bus stand. He must have
thought me to be a thrifty old fool but how could I tell him that the short walk in the hot morning
would see me sweat through all my pores and I detested that?
- A comfortable trip, met a do gooder. I was in time for the low floor a/c coach headed for Vyttila,
Kochi that was ready to move. After settling down, I tried to charge my cellphone from one of the
plug points on the bulkhead of the bus but couldn't get it going. Shinoob, a young IT professional
working at Bangalore and on his weekend visit to his sister, offered to have it charged on his
mobile charger, damn sweet of him. After graduating in Commerce, he was doing this job in a
private firm to acquire an experience certificate as he was poised for going to Muscat in May,
to take up a job out there and his parents were also there. As he disembarked at his destination,
I wished him the best in his endeavour and he's promised to keep in touch...he's noted my number.
- The change over at Vyttila. Upon disembarking, I'd rushed to the rest room to ease myself and
boarded a private bus headed for Kottayam. The bus did take a circuitous route and dropped me at the auto stand from where I reached Viji chechi's ancestral home, the venue of the ceremony.
Sat with Babu chettan, who narrated the story from the start to the finish for my benefit. Viji
chechi's 3rd and 4th vertebrae had disappeared completely, about 41/2 years ago, rendering her
spinal cord vulnerable and she was bedridden from then on. A surgery was conducted which the
doctors said was 90% successful (This was news because to a layman like me, a surgery can be
either successful or not successful. Yet another classic case where the doctors didn't want to
accept their failure!). The last six months were bad, in that, the medicines being administered
didn't have any effect and there was fungal growth everywhere, within. Despite this, she wore a brave, cheerful front hoping that she'd be up and about one day. In fact, she'd promised almost
a year ago that Guruvayur would be her first stop over when it happened!
Babu chettan and Viji chechi have two daughters, the eldest is married, has two children and is an
accomplished actress on the small screen while the latter is working in Madras and whose
wedding is slated for the 5th of May.....at Guruvayur!
RIP, Viji chechi. My prayers and tears!
After being with Babu Chettan for an hour, he'd me dropped at the railway station so that I could board the Bombay Jayanti express at a half past 12 and reached Thrissur by a half past 3. And an hour later, I was at 'The Quarterdeck'.
It was well after my evening walk, that Lekha'd fetched up from Kottarakkara after attending the betrothal ceremony in her family.
Tailpiece.
A hectic day but the mission was accomplished notwithstanding the numerous hiccups!
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