The day had begun on a fast note as Lekha had to visit her doctor for another review. That the whole process of registration, dressing up of the wound and the briefing about how to do it at home, meeting up with the doctor to understand his observations and clearing our doubts to the buying of medicines and bandage material took just over an hour, showed that we'd mastered the system much to our relief! There were cases right in front of us where doctors hadn't fetched up despite the patients' long wait.
We're, therefore, back home much before lunch time.
In the evening, there were two of my classmates from school who'd dropped by along with their wives. While I've been frequently meeting one as he works here, at Guruvayur, it was the other whom I was meeting for the first time after passing out of school in May '72. A simpleton to the core, he used to be at the receiving end of everybody's jokes and pranks. Disarmingly simple in his outlook, he believed everyone blindly to a fault. The following narration of an incident will highlight the fact.
He was a good footballer and he fancied himself to be the school's goal keeper. A rumour, therefore, was floated that he'd been officially bracketed to keep the goal for the school's team and he was told that he needed to practice hard so that there was no proverbial miss between the cup and the lip. To hone his skills, the practice was to be carried out with a fruit('Punnakka' is its Malayalam name) since its much diminished size would make him sure of his 'goal keeping' skills! There was a small crowd that had egged him on in this endeavour and I, too, was a villain of the piece in being part of that crowd. An hour or so of this wicked game on our part, he had realised his folly and I can still see an uncontrollably sobbing Mohandas sad at the thought of his hopes of becoming the school's keeper crumbling and dashed for ever. And the beauty about the whole thing was that he wasn't angry with any of us for befooling him!
That, in essence, is Mohandas Kollodi and I must confess that we weren't great friends at school as each of us moved around in our own circle of friends. We're bonding after so many years and by doing so, that wrong on my part was being righted, so I presumed.
But he'd the last word which again highlighted his sterling personality, "Oh, Rajeev, just forget it. That was the work of a schoolboy's pranks and no, I have no ill will towards you, in fact, I'm glad that this evening was possible. Now that we've met, we'll keep meeting up again".
Tailpiece.
He'd retired on 31 May after a blemishless and meritorious service in the insurance sector. Mohandas, it's people like you who're worthy to have as friends and who make life worth living! Take care and never lose your simplicity!! My Maman, who was passing by and boarding the late night train was also able to meet him.
We're, therefore, back home much before lunch time.
In the evening, there were two of my classmates from school who'd dropped by along with their wives. While I've been frequently meeting one as he works here, at Guruvayur, it was the other whom I was meeting for the first time after passing out of school in May '72. A simpleton to the core, he used to be at the receiving end of everybody's jokes and pranks. Disarmingly simple in his outlook, he believed everyone blindly to a fault. The following narration of an incident will highlight the fact.
He was a good footballer and he fancied himself to be the school's goal keeper. A rumour, therefore, was floated that he'd been officially bracketed to keep the goal for the school's team and he was told that he needed to practice hard so that there was no proverbial miss between the cup and the lip. To hone his skills, the practice was to be carried out with a fruit('Punnakka' is its Malayalam name) since its much diminished size would make him sure of his 'goal keeping' skills! There was a small crowd that had egged him on in this endeavour and I, too, was a villain of the piece in being part of that crowd. An hour or so of this wicked game on our part, he had realised his folly and I can still see an uncontrollably sobbing Mohandas sad at the thought of his hopes of becoming the school's keeper crumbling and dashed for ever. And the beauty about the whole thing was that he wasn't angry with any of us for befooling him!
That, in essence, is Mohandas Kollodi and I must confess that we weren't great friends at school as each of us moved around in our own circle of friends. We're bonding after so many years and by doing so, that wrong on my part was being righted, so I presumed.
But he'd the last word which again highlighted his sterling personality, "Oh, Rajeev, just forget it. That was the work of a schoolboy's pranks and no, I have no ill will towards you, in fact, I'm glad that this evening was possible. Now that we've met, we'll keep meeting up again".
Tailpiece.
He'd retired on 31 May after a blemishless and meritorious service in the insurance sector. Mohandas, it's people like you who're worthy to have as friends and who make life worth living! Take care and never lose your simplicity!! My Maman, who was passing by and boarding the late night train was also able to meet him.
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