One day, a famed vocalist was rendering his kutcheri in a Sabha. He had a good voice and strove to give his best. The accompanying artistes were also very enthusiastic and made one wonder whether it was a dance in progress ! So beautifully were they all synchronized. When the alapana came in Raag Kambodhi, I forgot myself. I do not know how long I remained in that state, but when I finally recovered, I saw a young child hugging me with his dainty arms. He endeared with an easy familiarity and I couldnt help but catch him in a tight embrace. He was so pleased with this that he kicked his short legs in the air.
“Pokkiri ! How did you come here ?” I asked
“I saw you, and came running immediately” he replied.
The peppermint he was chewing in his mouth appeared like a small mound in his cheek. Then he opened his palm and showing a sweat drenched peppermint offered “Do you want it ? Come on, have it.”
“No my dear. I am satisfied if you tell me another story.”
***
I talked about Appa the other day. You dont know him. He would be very respectful, very helpful and obedient to elders. But he did what he considered right and will not heed anybody else.
Amma had adjusted herself and kept everything ready as per his needs. When he goes for his bathe, water at the right warmth would be kept ready with soap and oil. When he finishes his bath, his bath towel, comb, mirror, baniyan and veshti would be waiting for him in his room. After dressing, when he sits down to eat, Amma will stand with the fan in her hand. She know exactly when Appa would start sweating ! When he starts for office, she would have kept warm water, the tonic he takes, betel leaves, money purse and hand-kerchief all laid out for him to pick up on his way out. She used to ensure there was some loose change in his purse so that he is not inconvenienced for lack of it. The bus conductors were not always polite if you didnt have the correct change for the ticket ! Before he starts, she would go out and make sure the signs are all auspicious. She would know when his soiled clothes require to be given to the laundry and when is it due for return. She also knew exactly when his fountain pen required to be refilled with ink.
When Amma is not home for a day or two, it was a sight to see Appa struggling in all sorts of problems. Shaking his hands and legs, he would create a racket in the house, shouting “I will take sanyaas. There is nobody to look after me !” But is renunciation so easy as that ? One has to wash his own saffron clothes !
Amma would taunt him, “Please take sanyaas right away - I will become your mail follower ! Just let me know what all we need to carry with us. Safety razor, talcum powder, mirror, your favourite flannel waist coat - wont you need it ? Then of course you need to have coffee four times a day, else you would get a headache !” Amma will thus make fun of him. Though Appa used to shout, he would also become docile very swiftly. Amma knew exactly how to maneuver him. Sometimes, if Appa shouts too much, she would serve tiffin silently. Appa will consume the tiffin and become normal.
Sometimes she will concede and say, “Okay, I was busy with something else..” while on other occassions, she will pretend to get angry herself, matching Appa in a shouting contest but finally bring him around. All is well that ends well !
Things became a trifle difficult for Appa after I was born asAmma had to spend more time with me and Appa never liked atending to his own needs, He started losing his temper more often and shouted much more often. I suspect that he became a little jealous of me.
One day, when coffee was delayed, Appa got upset and started complaining that his routine had been spoilt, Immediately Amma said, “The baby overslept.. so your coffee got delayed a little. Is it so big a issue ?”
“Aamaam.. the baby has become a convenient excuse for you to cover up all your lapses.”, Appa would mumble and calm down as he sipped his coffee.
On another evening, when Appa returned from office, Amma was playing with me in the verendah making me laugh at her ittachu. Father quietly stood and watched us play. Later when Amma brought him his coffee, he angrily said “I dont need it. You dont have the understanding to give coffee immediately to a husbandwho comes exhausted from office.”
“Whats this ? You also saw how divinely the baby laughed ! If you look at the child’s face, all your exhaustion will vanish. The Paati from the opposite house had come. She told me, ‘Your child is so beautiful. Dont show him to all and sundry. Beware of the evil eye.’”, so Amma would manage to divertthe subject.
“Oh yes - that the opposite house Paati said and this house Paati listened to it”, Appa would retort pointing to Amma, “Pure humbug !” but then his anger would have vanished.
Before I was born, a punyaaga vachanam was held at the house of a close friend but they did not invite my parents. They gave some lame excuses later but Appa knew the reason - “Its because I dont have any child and he thinks I may cast an evil eye” he told Amma, feeling much hurt.
I had a stroke of fever the day after my birthday. Everyone seemed to know the reason behind it. “So many guests yesterday, so many saw him, hugged him. That is exactly the cause of this.”
“Sshh.. silent.. all of you” Appa said. But he did not get to sleep at all that night. “There is no other reason for his fever.. were all those old ladies right after all ?” he asked Amma. “If you think it, thats what it will be.” she said.
I seem to have lost track of my story - I started telling you something and meandered on to something else. Till my second year, Appa had to forego much of his comforts. I used to cry in the middle of the night. Appa would be furious. I will also sleep through the day time and Amma would keep silencing Appa asking him not to make any noise. “Why dont you go out with your friends ? The child has just gone to sleep after a long while.” she would say.
I used to smile easily when I saw Amma and never when I saw Appa, He will do all kinds of antics, make all kinds of faces trying to get some smile out of me but no success. I would only scream all the louder !
“Oh please ! The child is getting scared,” Amma will say and take me away. One day she lifted me and lovingly said “Kannaa ! You will grow to be much more well-behaved than your father.”
Stung, Appa immediately retorted, “What foolishness are you pouring into our child ! You dont realize what you are saying and anyway, the child also doesnt understand it. You have really become a blabbermouth of late.”
“Why are you getting so worked up over my simple statement ? It doesnt matter whether the child can understand it or not. There is nothing wrong in what I said, is there chinnakili - thangakili - challakili - kunju rajamani” so Amma would go on pampering me leaving Appa to grumble angrily.
Appa was generally not very careful with money. Everyone knew him to be overtly generous - nay, terribly naive who would readily hand over money when even mildly persuaded. Appa would act a philanthropist and suffer for lack of it himself. Seeing this, Amma ensured he had very limited money in his purse. People who borrowed money from him citing very tight situations would conveniently forget about it once they had the money and Appa could not bring up the courage to ask them to return it even when they visited our house. It is easy to give, makes you feel good too to act the Giver ! But how difficult it is to ask for its return ?
One Sadagopachariar over different occasions had managed to borrow four rupees from Appa. Then he borrowed another ruppee making it five, and then brought it to a round ten by borrowing another five, promising of course to return it on the first of the next month. Once Appa resolved never to lend him another anna. But the resolute Sadagopachariar managed to exert so much pressure that he left richer by ten rupees, saying “I will return it in just two days.” Appa gave him a cheque so that Amma doesnt come to know about this. For the next months. Sadagopachariar was not to be seen. After that, if Appa ran into him, he would just laugh and make no mention of the money he owed. Now-a-days, Appa hides himself if he sees Sadagopachariar coming his way so that he can avoid being cursed with a “This useless fellow is asking for his money back !” by the man. Sadagopachariar for his part has no such reservations. He greets Appa with a vigorous “Jai Hind” whenever they meet.
“Please lend me ten rupees, I will return it on the first” another friend asked him once. He didnt mention which first it was. Appa handed over the money to him readily enough but whenever he reminded his friend about the loan, he would receive a flippant reply on the lines of “What man ! You dont have a care in the world. You and your wife, just the two of you. You deposit everything in the bank and I am sure you have a fat bank balance. Compare that with my state. I married seven years ago. Six kids. The salary gets consumed in just three days.”
After I was born though, Appa’s expenses mounted and his friends also began to stop badgering him. Just as Appa was beginning to feel secure, another friend visited him and enquired kindly, “How is the child at home ?”
“Oh he is fine” replied Appa
“My wife Kamalam had gone to your house yesterday to meet your wife. She was gushing about the baby. ‘Oh ! he is so sweet. He takes after his father ! He plays so beautifully and I did not want to come away at all’ she told me”
“Oh ho ! Very nice” was all Appa commented
“You are a very lucky man ! Wont your son be as intelligent as you ?I have often remarked to my wife that you both are made for each other, and I had to end up with a dead wood like her ! Oh, I almost forgot the matter for which I came to meet you. My father in law has finally agreed to return my old dues of Rs 400 by this month end. I am going to personally go and collect it.”
“Thats good news indeed”
“Yes. Once I get the money, the first thing I will do is to return your dues of Rs 27. I have kept you waiting for too long. How patient you have been with me !”
“Please do as you please !”
“Hey - I still have to inform you the purpose of this talk. I need thirteen rupees urgently. I have no money for the ration. As soon as I get my money, I will definitely return the forty rupees. My father-in-law’s money will come..”
Appa quickly handed him the money before he could proceed any further. If the money is going to go anyway, why also endure the pain of all this ring-a-role talk ?
When he returned home, he received a royal scold from Amma. “Cant you keep some money in your hand without letting it slip through ? Is there any person as foolish as you ? Do you think you will ever get back any of the money from him ? You may as well have thrown the money into the well.”
Appa could not say anything other than, “Whatever.. I have given it to him. He mentioned so many good things about our child and I just melted”
Amma let the matter drop there and extending me to him said, “See how he leaps at you ! Give him a nice kiss !”
Ada ! I keep on talking ! There - Appa has returned from office. He is calling Amma. Can you hear it ?
***
The vidwan’s voice rose clearly. The kutcheri was drawing to a close and he was rendering “raajeeva nayana daayakaa” as mangalam. I looked around. The youngster was nowhere to be seen. He must have silently slid out suddenly.
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