"Sir, are all the ceremonies connected with your mother's passing away, over? I still can't believe that she's no more amid us. To me, she's still there, right in front of my eyes," so spake Bhadran of the Kalpakavadi restaurant that we frequent on the highway. We'd just got out of the vehicle after parking it on one of the porches! His eyes had welled with tears as he said this. One of the many, awestruck by mom's pleasant countenance. We'd our lunch of 'Fish curry meals', feeling her absence all the way.
* * *
Earlier, Rema and I'd gone to the Village Office by a half past 8, this morning, to give our complaint about the 'missing land'. For that, we'd to pay up the two years' arrears of land tax and armed with the receipts, their xeroxes along with a court fee stamp were appended to our official complaint! While she was getting the job done, I'd sat in the 'prayer hut' of the nearby temple and recited my prayers for the first time after my mom's passing away. Meanwhile, a lot many children came and shook hands with me, wonder why? They wanted to be friendly as I spoke to each of them, inquiring about what they felt best about their school days.......and the most interesting answer was, "It keeps me away from my home!" His parents had better mend their ways.
* * *
By the time we'd handed over our protest officially - the guy who wrote out the complaints in the normal course, had still not fetched up - and Jayakumar, the one who sat at the counter to accept them, helped us with the filling up of the form. In the process, could befriend Thomas, a classmate of late Appukkuttan kochachchan, who'd struck a conversation as I resembled my late kochachchan! He, also, happened to be one among the many complainants awaiting his turn. We'd returned to Raj Nivas, picked up Lekha and the luggage and were off to Padmakumar's house to drop Rema where she's gonna be for the rest of the week. Pidavoor amma gave us a tearful farewell as she remembered mom. I saw her praying for us with folded hands, through my rear view mirror - as I cast off from the place. A wonderful lady, overflowing with kindness!
Time....1130 hrs!
* * *
Had called up Sreekanth Mallan and told him that we'd not be able to make it by 2 and that Lekha could be given another appointment. The nice guy that he is, he'd promised to meet us at 3 and we reached his clinic, this time on the dot! Lekha's dental furniture was finally put in place and we'd resumed our journey an hour later. We couldn't meet up with Maheswari peramma as was planned earlier but I've prevailed upon her to come and stay with us for tomorrow. I'll be able to look up Radhan chettan in the hospital and pick up peramma and her daughter-in-law from there.
Tailpiece.
We're back at The Quarterdeck by 8 and did our unpacking and attendant work. A trip in which I could finish up the jobs that I'd planned.
* * *
Earlier, Rema and I'd gone to the Village Office by a half past 8, this morning, to give our complaint about the 'missing land'. For that, we'd to pay up the two years' arrears of land tax and armed with the receipts, their xeroxes along with a court fee stamp were appended to our official complaint! While she was getting the job done, I'd sat in the 'prayer hut' of the nearby temple and recited my prayers for the first time after my mom's passing away. Meanwhile, a lot many children came and shook hands with me, wonder why? They wanted to be friendly as I spoke to each of them, inquiring about what they felt best about their school days.......and the most interesting answer was, "It keeps me away from my home!" His parents had better mend their ways.
* * *
By the time we'd handed over our protest officially - the guy who wrote out the complaints in the normal course, had still not fetched up - and Jayakumar, the one who sat at the counter to accept them, helped us with the filling up of the form. In the process, could befriend Thomas, a classmate of late Appukkuttan kochachchan, who'd struck a conversation as I resembled my late kochachchan! He, also, happened to be one among the many complainants awaiting his turn. We'd returned to Raj Nivas, picked up Lekha and the luggage and were off to Padmakumar's house to drop Rema where she's gonna be for the rest of the week. Pidavoor amma gave us a tearful farewell as she remembered mom. I saw her praying for us with folded hands, through my rear view mirror - as I cast off from the place. A wonderful lady, overflowing with kindness!
Time....1130 hrs!
* * *
Had called up Sreekanth Mallan and told him that we'd not be able to make it by 2 and that Lekha could be given another appointment. The nice guy that he is, he'd promised to meet us at 3 and we reached his clinic, this time on the dot! Lekha's dental furniture was finally put in place and we'd resumed our journey an hour later. We couldn't meet up with Maheswari peramma as was planned earlier but I've prevailed upon her to come and stay with us for tomorrow. I'll be able to look up Radhan chettan in the hospital and pick up peramma and her daughter-in-law from there.
Tailpiece.
We're back at The Quarterdeck by 8 and did our unpacking and attendant work. A trip in which I could finish up the jobs that I'd planned.
No comments:
Post a Comment