This evening I received a rather strange request from one of my playmates back home. It was the shy and mild mannered Sydney, who stayed at a stone's throw away from my house. Sydney and me were good friends and our friendship had begun on the volleyball court of our village. The court was at the busy market place which boasted of a thriving, boisterous business on all Mondays and Thursdays. The land for the market place was donated by my paternal grandfather who was clear that the residents around would interact better, when they met each other at such a place. The patch of land also boasted of an open air theatre where cultural activities were performed, at frequent intervals, round the year. For us, it was like viewing a kaleidoscope of events from our house as the market place straddled the northern boundary!
My grandfather, even during his final days, insisted upon sitting on his favourite easy chair, at the verandah of his house - the ancestral house was towards the east of the marketplace - for viewing the ongoing activities and the manner in which people went about their chores of buying and selling wares coupled with haggles and banters! I remember that he used to get rejuvenated and happy just by viewing the scene and was ecstatic when people came and met him.
The volleyball field was witness to many spirited and keenly contested matches. It was during one of my holidays from school that I'd joined the frenzy and was fortunate to be part of the winning team. And the combination of Sydney and your's truly had brought in a few crucial points for that win! The one thing that remains fresh in my memory is the manner in which Sydney used to narrate the stories of the Malayalam films that he'd seen. The narrations used to be replete with actions and the sound effects - and for me, it was always fascinating as it gave me a feeling that I was watching the movie with him!
Our friendship had taken off from that point. It had gone on for another three years or so, after which we'd lost track of each other as Sydney had gone abroad in search of work and had almost settled there, but the lure of his village and his fond memories of childhood eventually brought him back, about five years ago. Soon after, on hearing that I was home on leave, he'd called up to find out as to whether I was free(?) to meet him and our subsequent meeting, after a lapse of many years, was awkward to begin with but soon attained the hues of old and we're interacting as though there wasn't any chasm of time after our last tryst on the volleyball field!
Tailpiece.
Sydney's request of me, this evening, was to bless his son, Mervin, who's gonna write the NDA entrance examination next week. I was flustered at him having put me on a pedestal and had conveyed to him my awkwardness. And of course, I did speak to the young man and gave him a few tips!
My grandfather, even during his final days, insisted upon sitting on his favourite easy chair, at the verandah of his house - the ancestral house was towards the east of the marketplace - for viewing the ongoing activities and the manner in which people went about their chores of buying and selling wares coupled with haggles and banters! I remember that he used to get rejuvenated and happy just by viewing the scene and was ecstatic when people came and met him.
The volleyball field was witness to many spirited and keenly contested matches. It was during one of my holidays from school that I'd joined the frenzy and was fortunate to be part of the winning team. And the combination of Sydney and your's truly had brought in a few crucial points for that win! The one thing that remains fresh in my memory is the manner in which Sydney used to narrate the stories of the Malayalam films that he'd seen. The narrations used to be replete with actions and the sound effects - and for me, it was always fascinating as it gave me a feeling that I was watching the movie with him!
Our friendship had taken off from that point. It had gone on for another three years or so, after which we'd lost track of each other as Sydney had gone abroad in search of work and had almost settled there, but the lure of his village and his fond memories of childhood eventually brought him back, about five years ago. Soon after, on hearing that I was home on leave, he'd called up to find out as to whether I was free(?) to meet him and our subsequent meeting, after a lapse of many years, was awkward to begin with but soon attained the hues of old and we're interacting as though there wasn't any chasm of time after our last tryst on the volleyball field!
Tailpiece.
Sydney's request of me, this evening, was to bless his son, Mervin, who's gonna write the NDA entrance examination next week. I was flustered at him having put me on a pedestal and had conveyed to him my awkwardness. And of course, I did speak to the young man and gave him a few tips!
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