We'd set off by a quarter to 7 from my sister's place through a slight, yet persistent drizzle. Passing through the Kuthiraan stretch and the dropping of the coin at the shrine went off without a hitch and we're in time for breakfast at our favourite haunt near the Paliyekara toll. The traffic was at a comfortable volume despite it being the beginning of the weekend!
We passed through Kochi and before entering Alappuzha, had a simple lunch of 'fish curry and meals' at the Motel Araam. There was a traffic diversion in the town but we could continue without any hitch after topping up the Chevy and checking its tyre pressure and were more than half way through our journey. The road was pretty bad at the Alappuzha - Kayankulam stretch and one had to duck potholes with a remarkable regularity. But we we're not so lucky at Kottiyam, where bursting bladders had forced us to enter a roadside eatery whose rest room had seen better days! There was a downpour and we'd our footwear wet - much to our discomfort - as there was water everywhere thanks to the heavy rains.
The stretch between Kollam and the first thirty forty kms through Attingal was bad with real difficult traffic but after that, it was fairly okay. My plan of hitting the city before sunset had fructified but the rains did welcome us. We drove straight to Indira kunjamma's house and seeing her with the nose tube on, to facilitate infusions as she didn't have an appetite, was sad. But her face has really perked up since I'd seen her last, about a fortnight ago, as the medicines have started to take effect. Suresh is back from sea and therefore, Reshmi looked more at ease and less tense but I'd to tell her that I wouldn't brook any let up on being informed about the goings on regarding kunjamma's medical management.
Pepped her up with our conversation and with the message that we'd like her to visit us at Guruvayur once she was fit to travel. Meanwhile I'd taken a copy of her case diary and the discharge summary to cross check with Savio, my classmate and doctor who would be with us for tomorrow's get together - he and Annie have flown all the way from Chicago to be part of the function and that's what the spirit of the Sainik School's class of '72 is all about!
We're at Vijayakumar's place - our night halt - by a half past 7 and a few of us had assembled to spend the evening together. John V-Manisha had fetched up earlier and were staying along with us. Anitha played the perfect hostess. Vipinachandran-Leena, Mohanachandran-Manju, Louis George-Daisy and Josekutty Thomas were the others and it was back to reminiscing anecdotes from school with a sing song session, as always. Really didn't notice how time flew!
Tailpiece.
A long drive through incessant rains and bad roads but it was worth the trouble for being with the ones that one loved being with because you'd broken bread with and grown up together, during the halcyon childhood days. And the best part was that our spouses also had formed a camaraderie!
We passed through Kochi and before entering Alappuzha, had a simple lunch of 'fish curry and meals' at the Motel Araam. There was a traffic diversion in the town but we could continue without any hitch after topping up the Chevy and checking its tyre pressure and were more than half way through our journey. The road was pretty bad at the Alappuzha - Kayankulam stretch and one had to duck potholes with a remarkable regularity. But we we're not so lucky at Kottiyam, where bursting bladders had forced us to enter a roadside eatery whose rest room had seen better days! There was a downpour and we'd our footwear wet - much to our discomfort - as there was water everywhere thanks to the heavy rains.
The stretch between Kollam and the first thirty forty kms through Attingal was bad with real difficult traffic but after that, it was fairly okay. My plan of hitting the city before sunset had fructified but the rains did welcome us. We drove straight to Indira kunjamma's house and seeing her with the nose tube on, to facilitate infusions as she didn't have an appetite, was sad. But her face has really perked up since I'd seen her last, about a fortnight ago, as the medicines have started to take effect. Suresh is back from sea and therefore, Reshmi looked more at ease and less tense but I'd to tell her that I wouldn't brook any let up on being informed about the goings on regarding kunjamma's medical management.
Pepped her up with our conversation and with the message that we'd like her to visit us at Guruvayur once she was fit to travel. Meanwhile I'd taken a copy of her case diary and the discharge summary to cross check with Savio, my classmate and doctor who would be with us for tomorrow's get together - he and Annie have flown all the way from Chicago to be part of the function and that's what the spirit of the Sainik School's class of '72 is all about!
We're at Vijayakumar's place - our night halt - by a half past 7 and a few of us had assembled to spend the evening together. John V-Manisha had fetched up earlier and were staying along with us. Anitha played the perfect hostess. Vipinachandran-Leena, Mohanachandran-Manju, Louis George-Daisy and Josekutty Thomas were the others and it was back to reminiscing anecdotes from school with a sing song session, as always. Really didn't notice how time flew!
Tailpiece.
A long drive through incessant rains and bad roads but it was worth the trouble for being with the ones that one loved being with because you'd broken bread with and grown up together, during the halcyon childhood days. And the best part was that our spouses also had formed a camaraderie!
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