It's dad's third remembrance day as per the Malayalam calendar. I'd gone to the 'Thiruvenkata chalapathi temple' nearby to do the yearly ceremony under the directions of an unassuming gentleman by the name of Ramakrishnan Ilayathu. He'd conducted it for me last year too. Badly diabetic, he hasn't lost his sense of humour and has an elephant's patience.
It was of an hour's duration where we - there were thirteen of us - were made to go through the entire procedure. Sitting down has begun to be a problem for me and I got over the discomfort by alternately stretching each of my legs for the entire duration.
On my return, my mom asked me, "What did dad say?" and I'd replied that he'd told me not to send her to him anywhere in the near future as he was savouring his peace! This is a personal dialogue between the two of us on the occasion.....just goes to show that she misses him every moment!!
* * *
Today was Nina's son, Sam's wedding at Thiruvananthapuram. She'd invited us for the occasion quite a while back and had promised dire action if we didn't attend. And it turned out to be just that as we couldn't make it due to certain unavoidable factors. Nina's family was our immediate neighbours during the mid 60s and the two families were quite close, so much so, that whenever her dad went on tours, I and my uncle had to spend the night at their house for security and mind you, both of us were in class IV, if you please! Nina's maternal grandmother - whom we used to address as 'Paatti' - was very fond of me as I used to listen to her stories about her life's experiences. In other words, Nina and I were childhood playmates.
My uncle, aunts and cousins who'd attended the wedding rang me up to say that Nina was quite incensed that I didn't make it and has instructed them that none of them should pass on the photographs/video of the evening to me as part of her censure!
Must mollify her next week when I'm gonna be at Thiruvananthapuram on work!!
* * *
Radhan chettan, my relative who lives close by, has been diagnosed with dengue fever and has been admitted in a hospital nearby for medical management. Chechi had asked me for financial assistance last Thursday but thanks to the spate of bank holidays, money could be pulled out only today. They'd sent their regular auto rickshaw driver, named Prasad, to collect the cheque from me.
I was apprehensive about this arrangement in these days of fraud and greed. To allay my fears, I said to myself that no autorickshaw driver would simply knock on my door asking for a cheque, will they? Felt relieved only when chechi had confirmed its receipt, a couple of hours later!
Tailpiece.
Lekha, her assistant Preetha and I went about tying up the loose ends for my mom's birthday celebrations tomorrow. We've invited a small knot of friends for lunch.
It was of an hour's duration where we - there were thirteen of us - were made to go through the entire procedure. Sitting down has begun to be a problem for me and I got over the discomfort by alternately stretching each of my legs for the entire duration.
On my return, my mom asked me, "What did dad say?" and I'd replied that he'd told me not to send her to him anywhere in the near future as he was savouring his peace! This is a personal dialogue between the two of us on the occasion.....just goes to show that she misses him every moment!!
* * *
Today was Nina's son, Sam's wedding at Thiruvananthapuram. She'd invited us for the occasion quite a while back and had promised dire action if we didn't attend. And it turned out to be just that as we couldn't make it due to certain unavoidable factors. Nina's family was our immediate neighbours during the mid 60s and the two families were quite close, so much so, that whenever her dad went on tours, I and my uncle had to spend the night at their house for security and mind you, both of us were in class IV, if you please! Nina's maternal grandmother - whom we used to address as 'Paatti' - was very fond of me as I used to listen to her stories about her life's experiences. In other words, Nina and I were childhood playmates.
My uncle, aunts and cousins who'd attended the wedding rang me up to say that Nina was quite incensed that I didn't make it and has instructed them that none of them should pass on the photographs/video of the evening to me as part of her censure!
Must mollify her next week when I'm gonna be at Thiruvananthapuram on work!!
* * *
Radhan chettan, my relative who lives close by, has been diagnosed with dengue fever and has been admitted in a hospital nearby for medical management. Chechi had asked me for financial assistance last Thursday but thanks to the spate of bank holidays, money could be pulled out only today. They'd sent their regular auto rickshaw driver, named Prasad, to collect the cheque from me.
I was apprehensive about this arrangement in these days of fraud and greed. To allay my fears, I said to myself that no autorickshaw driver would simply knock on my door asking for a cheque, will they? Felt relieved only when chechi had confirmed its receipt, a couple of hours later!
Tailpiece.
Lekha, her assistant Preetha and I went about tying up the loose ends for my mom's birthday celebrations tomorrow. We've invited a small knot of friends for lunch.
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