I was, as usual, at my laptop browsing through my mail with the FM radio giving some wonderful music of old in the background. Mr. Damodaran Nair's call had come in then and I was irritated that it was intruding into my private time. And to make matters worse, he was speaking in a low voice and I could get snatches of the message that he was trying to convey as, "PN Panicker sir's loyal friend is in a bad state. Shall we go and look him up around 1, this afternoon?"
I'd promptly replied in the affirmative which did surprise me but casually, doing a rethink afterwards I realised that I'd said 'yes' because of the following:-
(a) I'd wanted to get back to my work.
(b) I have not been able to attend a couple of programmes, initiated by him, for reasons beyond my
control and
(c) Something told me that I must follow the gentleman's request!
And thank god I did! It was a must and I shan't forget the afternoon!!
Promptly, at 1, he was at our gate with a chauffeur driven car and without much ado, we'd set off on a journey whose destination was still not clear to me. Sensing the time to be odd to call on somebody, I'd queried as to why we couldn't postpone the trip to sometime around teatime when a surprised Nair told me that we're going to the residence of Mr. KSP Kartha of Varandarappilli to offer our condolences on his passing away and quickly narrated the sequence of events. For the last four and a half years, he was confined to his house at Varandarappilli - about 50 kms from here - due to a loss of memory and as in most such cases, he remembered past happenings but not the present.
I happened to read very recently, in a medical journal, that such a situation comes usually to people who've taken great care to sort out other's problems and bring about orderliness in their lives!
Mr. Kartha - aged 83 - was visited by all his relatives frequently and they'd all returned to their respective places of stay including a grandson working in the US, last weekend since his condition was stable. But over the last couple of days, his condition had deteriorated suddenly, bringing about his end yesterday afternoon.
He was the Head of the Malayalam department of the MA College at Kothamangalam and a litterateur and was a close friend and fellow traveller with PN Panicker on his library and literacy movements. Sarada teacher, his wife, narrated quite a few anecdotes regarding my grandfather, who used to stay in that house, whenever he visited nearby areas on work. I took a good look of the surroundings that were once familiar to my grandfather within the short time available and the constraints imposed upon oneself on such visits. I shan't forget the way she clasped my hands as I took leave of her!
I felt a bit conscious when the whole family made it a point to meet and befriend me. Mr. Kartha's body has been kept in the morgue of a nearby hospital and will be cremated tomorrow morning at 11 when his grandson from the US joins up.
RIP, Kartha sir. I wasn't fortunate to interact with you but I'm glad that I'd the privilege of meeting with your family and I promise that I shall call on them from now on whenever feasible! My humble prayers and tears.
Tailpiece.
My grandfather must have wanted me to make this trip, otherwise, how does one explain the ease with which I made it to Varandarappilli this afternoon, without any prior notice! And thanks Damodaran Nair sir, for making it possible!
I'd promptly replied in the affirmative which did surprise me but casually, doing a rethink afterwards I realised that I'd said 'yes' because of the following:-
(a) I'd wanted to get back to my work.
(b) I have not been able to attend a couple of programmes, initiated by him, for reasons beyond my
control and
(c) Something told me that I must follow the gentleman's request!
And thank god I did! It was a must and I shan't forget the afternoon!!
Promptly, at 1, he was at our gate with a chauffeur driven car and without much ado, we'd set off on a journey whose destination was still not clear to me. Sensing the time to be odd to call on somebody, I'd queried as to why we couldn't postpone the trip to sometime around teatime when a surprised Nair told me that we're going to the residence of Mr. KSP Kartha of Varandarappilli to offer our condolences on his passing away and quickly narrated the sequence of events. For the last four and a half years, he was confined to his house at Varandarappilli - about 50 kms from here - due to a loss of memory and as in most such cases, he remembered past happenings but not the present.
I happened to read very recently, in a medical journal, that such a situation comes usually to people who've taken great care to sort out other's problems and bring about orderliness in their lives!
Mr. Kartha - aged 83 - was visited by all his relatives frequently and they'd all returned to their respective places of stay including a grandson working in the US, last weekend since his condition was stable. But over the last couple of days, his condition had deteriorated suddenly, bringing about his end yesterday afternoon.
He was the Head of the Malayalam department of the MA College at Kothamangalam and a litterateur and was a close friend and fellow traveller with PN Panicker on his library and literacy movements. Sarada teacher, his wife, narrated quite a few anecdotes regarding my grandfather, who used to stay in that house, whenever he visited nearby areas on work. I took a good look of the surroundings that were once familiar to my grandfather within the short time available and the constraints imposed upon oneself on such visits. I shan't forget the way she clasped my hands as I took leave of her!
I felt a bit conscious when the whole family made it a point to meet and befriend me. Mr. Kartha's body has been kept in the morgue of a nearby hospital and will be cremated tomorrow morning at 11 when his grandson from the US joins up.
RIP, Kartha sir. I wasn't fortunate to interact with you but I'm glad that I'd the privilege of meeting with your family and I promise that I shall call on them from now on whenever feasible! My humble prayers and tears.
Tailpiece.
My grandfather must have wanted me to make this trip, otherwise, how does one explain the ease with which I made it to Varandarappilli this afternoon, without any prior notice! And thanks Damodaran Nair sir, for making it possible!
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