It was the same as it has been over the last few days - got up at about 4, recited my prayers but as it had happened yesterday, sleep was hard to come by. I did a bit of exercising during the period. Since Manu, the driver, had to take his daughter to the hospital he was gonna be late. His eldest daughter suffers from cerebral palsy and is undergoing ayurvedic treatment. So, I'd driven to the office, dropping Chambu at Pulimoodu junction, enroute.
There wasn't much work at the office except for revising the work already done like:-
(a) Informing all concerned about the 'Aazhchakkootam', tomorrow afternoon and reminding the
guest who was gonna be the moderator.
(b) Firming up the audience for the 'discussion forum' on Sunday.
(c) Passing the question bank to all the district co-ordinators for the smooth conduct of their
respective quiz comps.
(d) Tried to silently go through my speech for the evening's meeting in remembrance of
PN Panicker.
Meanwhile, Lekha and Rema had started their journey from Palakkad to Guruvayur. After seeing Lekha safely at 'The Quarterdeck', Rema had returned soon after lunch. Lekha reports that it's raining cats and dogs out there and here, at Thiruvananthapuram, there was no sign of rain making it humid and uncomfortable!
We're out of the office by a quarter past 4. I didn't want to be late for the meeting and reached the venue 10' before the start. The place had a lot of significance, in that, my Maman and Ammayi had both worked there, once upon a time! The meeting started off in right earnest and the publication of the five books - all in Malayalam - was formalised by the chairman handing over each of the first copies to me. The books were thin paperbacks but packaged well and they were:-
(a) The translation of Tagore's Gitanjali Kottukaal S Vijayakumar.
(b) Ghar Wapasi(A collection of poems) Dr. DK Kayyaalethu.
(c) Daiyva vishwaasathinte charithramuthukal Sasi Muttathara.
(d) Chithalaricha pusthakom Thonnackal Ayyappan and
(e) Jwaralikhitham Manuel Nesan.
Thus, I've five new books added to my personal library! Simply great!!
I'd narrated a few anecdotes of my Muthachhan which was lapped up by the audience. There was a humbling moment when the elderly Dr. Augustin - he'd been with Muthachhan during the Library and Literacy Movements - insisted on my autographing his personal copy of one of the books, just published! He was dropped at his bus stand in our car and he seemed to be visibly thrilled.
Chambu and I'd picked up dinner from a restaurant near Vellayambalam. I let the youngster do the pick and choose.
And it was a, comparatively, early evening. Couldn't take the youngster for the movie, 'Tubelight'.
Tailpiece.
Maman, from New Delhi, had asked me as to how it had gone. And I told him that he must collect the feedback from the others!
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