Dateline 23 May.
Was up at 4, thanks to Lekha’s cellphone alarm. As she’d
granted me a half an hour respite, I’d turned off to sleep only to get up at a
quarter to 5. We went through our chores and was ready to take off when my
friend had called up. He has had a heart attack a couple of days earlier and
was speaking to me from the ICU bed in one of the nearby hospitals. His
condition is okay but he will have to undergo an open heart bypass surgery next
Monday, at the Sri Chithira Thirunal hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
Listened to him as he went through the details and I didn’t
have the heart to stop him and the conversation took over a half an hour.
This time, strangely, Kittu wasn’t seen around though Lekha
had kept his feed at the verandah. His two kids were given their food. I turned
off from our part of the highway which brought me straight to the Convent and
from then on to Kottappadi jn, Kunnamkulam, Thrissur and onward to the NH 66. We’d
breakfast at the Saravana Bhavan, near the Paliyekkara toll – the time was a
half past 8!
We resumed our drive soon after and the journey was smooth
except at Kalady, where I’d a brush with an auto taxi. The driver made a lot of
noise and I told him to park a few yards ahead so that the motorists, behind, weren’t affected, to sort out the issue. We went a bit ahead and as I was getting out of my Chevy, he
simply scooted away. Probably, his vehicle’s papers weren’t right!
The thrill of the day’s drive was lost because of the small
dent on my car’s port bonnet.
We, then, passed through Ernakulam and Alappuzha and stopped
at the Kalpakavadi Inn for lunch. The ambience was nice and the lunch – fish
curry, meals – was okay. We arrived at Kottarakkara and after parking the Chevy
with Lekha sitting inside the car, I’d gone to the Dish TV, recharged the Airtel Digital
and exchanged the remote control of our set top box. The attendant had asked me
to inform her on switching on the television.
My sister, Mini was at home but couldn’t do the needful
because there was a power interruption since lunch time. I do not have to
report as to how dejected I was and drove into Raj Nivas, by a half past 3.
As the house was opened, there were a few guests who had called
on. Felt nice interacting with them. It was then that I realized that I had
forgotten my bifocals either at the Dish TV office or at the bakery next door! Didn’t
get through both the shops and it’s yet to be confirmed as to whether my
spectacles is really there or not which will be confirmed at 10, tomorrow
morning. So much about having state-of-the-art-technology – when it comes to
actuals, one can be in a real helpless state!
Spoke to Dad and mom about our programme and felt at peace, as usual.
Could only watch the Malayalam news and entertainment
channels as my account hasn’t opened up completely. To make matters worse, around 9, there was a power interruption
because the fuse, between the main switch board and the connections
into the house, had blown off. So, it was a night of neither lights nor fans!
The first day at the Raj Nivas was tempestuous to say the
least! Hope to get the error sorted out, first thing in the morning.!!
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