Dream Weaver

One of my recurring dream is owning a place all my own at my native place. If I had done something right away to translate that dream into a reality, perhaps I would now have been a proud owner of a small place, but I feel now that I wasted much time thinking about the pros and cons of owning a small place.

I visualized many problems and instead of finding solutions for that imaginary problem, postponed my dream to a later date when I could invest more money into my dream of owning a place at a better and more decent locality. This was my constant stand that more money to invest in a place would automatically solve some of my identified problems like security, open space, playground, recreation space etc to mention a few things. But the condition of the housing market is such that the increase in the price was never predictable and skyrocketed, while my budget to spend on my favorite item remained more or less static over the decade. While I almost purchased and sold many places in my another favorite pass time, you guessed it right, day dreaming, I never seriously did pursue my dream, and whenever I attempted, those attempts failed to materialize mostly on account of funds.

Few days ago, we were on a trip to Mumbai and one of my friends mentioned about a flat (apartment) at my native place. He casually mentioned all particulars of that flat and as it was within my scheme of things, I immediately started liking that place. I went to my native place recently and saw the flat for myself. Though the flat has some draw backs, it satisfied some or part of my expectations till I learned about the price that the owner was actually looking for it. It ended my one more sincere attempt of owning a flat at my native place.

Now I am again doing the same thing in which I have excelled all along, day dreaming about owning a nice cozy flat or place at my native place, now better known as God's own country.

An adventure in vacation

My son-in-law, daughter and grandson came over on a very short visit after a long gap of two years. The vacation was over soon enough and when they left yesterday, the house looked empty and lifeless. The days were full and each day started with detailed planning for the day, but at the end of the day, there were discussions why the days did not go off as per the planning. Anyway, it was fun and we enjoyed every bit of it.

We had made an elaborate plan when my daughter mailed their program. We did some shopping and dusted and cleaned the entire house to welcome them. We even made a mental note of items to be prepared for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After making all preparations, we traveled to Mumbai in time to receive them when they landed there and spent few days with them at our Son-in-law's place. But even with our detailed planning things did not go as planned, when we finally landed at our house. We arrived late in the evening and after much discussions, had to order curries from the hotel, being hungry and tired with the cleaning we still had to do. The next day morning, we all got up late and again we had to buy dosa batter from outside to prepare dosas. This set in motion a cycle for the days ahead, it seemed we were lucky when we we were able to make the food and enjoy it all together.

I remember my earlier vacations when I traveled to native place. Getting the rail reservation itself was a big hurdle and once you succeeded in it, the train journey through the hot summer days, drained your energy. But the very thought of spending the days with your family gave you the added spirit to journey across and forget the small inconveniences. Those days, there was no pantry cars in the train and one had to depend upon the wayside stalls for tea and food, if one had not taken the trouble of packing it from home. As soon as the train entered the platform, there was mad rush at the stalls for the eatables as no one was sure how long the train will stop at the particular station. Only the bigger junctions on the way provided good food and more stalls and where the train would stop for a longer amount of time. At other smaller places, one had to endure the mad rush to obtain anything that was needed. But one thing was different from now and that I seemed to have had more days of leave to spend.

Once the vacation was over the return journey began with items that are available in plenty at home. But invariably I heard my grandmother telling me that she could not do many things for us when we were with her. She had planned a trip to some place or wanted us to go to a relation's house or some other similar things. We returned to our work place promising her that during our next visit, we will definitely undertake that particular task.

Over the years, I find that the concept of vacation has changed. It has become very short and sweet. But to this day, the best part of vacation is the advance planning which we undertake in leisure, in the comfort of our home. And as it turns out, despite all the advance planning we could not meet some of our relations nor visit places of tourist attractions, as the vacation was very short, or some other unexpected delays along the way. Packing being the last minute thing, we even found that some things were left behind - some items which we had bought even before the arrival of my daughter so as not to forget it to carry back with her when she returned, were left behind.

I am sure my daughter made a mental note, as I had done after each vacation, for a longer, leisurely vacation with the family. But as is my habit I know that at the end of the vacation, I will find it very short and still complain about the unfinished items during that vacation, just like my grandmother did before me.

Best laid plans

For me the last days of every year are perhaps the most memorable days of the year. Last two years, we had spent the Christmas and New Year in the States, with daughter, son-in-law and grandson. That feeling and joy of spending the time together with family and loved ones could not be experienced this year. However, the fact remains that I consider the month of December as one of my favorite time of the year.

While I was working, there were some casual leaves that had to be availed of, as otherwise it would lapse. I used to spend time planning vacations clubbing my casual leave with the national holidays when I would get the new year calender. And when the year comes to a close, I will be explaining to my family why I could not make those short vacations and racking my brains for finding a plausible reasons for not taking the casual leave.

Reasons for not taking the leave came easily to me but the funniest was always the one that I liked to keep the leave to the last minute. There were others in the office who thought exactly like me. They did not take the leave till the last possible minute and announced their plans to take leave at the eleventh hour. While at the beginning of my career, I was at the bottom at the office hierarchy and naturally I was persuaded not to take leave as my immediate higher up wanted to enjoy his leave. But when I got promoted to higher grades, my luck as far as taking leave at the year end, remained more or less same. It was my juniors who wanted to take the leave and as I was afraid of their ire , I was invariably the one who managed the show during the last few days of the year. Later on I found that I need not hunt for reasons for not taking the leave, as office amended the rules of casual leave and one could accumulate the unveiled portion of their casual leave of a particular year, for a maximum period of three years. This arrangement saved my casual leave, but it did not save my face in the family.

I was determined to make good the lost opportunities of vacation after my retirement. Here also, something or the other, always crops up in the way of my taking vacations. The irony is that it is not confined to year end plans, but applicable for the whole year. I am required to find someone to look after my house whenever I plan any vacation and more so persuade my sister to take care of my aged mother who loathes any changes to her routine. Security considerations demand that I keep someone to look after the house in my absence as I had lost valuables, more of sentimental value when we were away the year before last. That time sister had agreed to take care of my mother after some dramatic scenes and moral persuasions.

Now I find a silver lining, as the Government have come out with a bill whereby children are required to look after their aged parents in their hour of need. The Act even provides stiff penalty if children are found wanting in this area. Maybe if the Act also amended to take care of situations where the parents require attention for short time when the regular care giver needs some respite and vacation, I would be merrier.

The Bus Ride

I had a month long trip to my native place in Kerala with a definite purpose behind it. I wanted to get some certificates, and only had a rough idea on how to go about accomplishing it.

My first and foremost thought was about the place to stay as it would decide the travails of our daily commute, as I could not afford individual transport. In the interior places, it is still a trapeze act while traveling in the mini-bus (often referred to as the kutti-bus). While the 'kili' will push you inside as soon as you are able to board the bus, the 'conductor' will urge/implore you to move along the way where there is already a human mass. This exercise is a continuous one and will cease only when you have to get down jostling for space while guarding your valuables lest it is picked up by expert hands. In the privately operated buses there is one more character, who is called checker, who asks you about your destination and ensures that the conductor collects the fare from each passenger.


The drivers of these mini buses are a peculiar lot too. He is a person whose sole responsibility is to see that there is no other moving object in front of his vehicle and he ensures that the bus reaches the places/stops ahead of other buses. And by this, he ensures that his mini bus, picks up the crowd of people at that particular stop. He seems to have no time for a smooth driving experience, nor is he bothered about the hapless commuters who are precariously struggling to balance inside the overcrowded mini bus. He negotiates the sharp curves in such a fashion that the passengers get swayed violently as he has not reduced the speed of the vehicle. And then he looks back at his hapless captives with a inviting smile on his face expecting an applause for his action.

The bus owner in his wisdom has provided seats in which you cannot get in, as the space between each seat is just too little. Instead he has provided more vacant space for passengers to hang on to the overhead steel rod for their dear life. I had a few words with a fellow passenger about the nature of the seats provided in the bus. He blamed lack of supervision from Government authorities who issues the license for the bus. When I pointed out the bus owner could have on his own could ensured comfortable seating arrangements in his bus, my fellow traveler was of the firm opinion that it was the responsibility of the Government authorities. As usual, I lost the interest to continue with my point!

Now there is also reservations made on the seats - some are reserved for ladies, some are reserved for senior citizens and handicapped passengers. In buses which are operated by transport corporation managed by State Government one seat is even reserved for conductor. In one particular bus the seat next to the conductor was reserved for 'andhan' (a sightless person), though how he would locate the seat in an over-crowded bus is beyond me.

The good thing about these 'kutti' (mini) buses are that they connect the interior places in the state with the nearby towns and provide a cheap and fast means of transport. While doing so, the majority of passengers endure the small irritants which only encourages the bus operators to solely look at their profit margin only.

There is another class of passengers in the bus who deserves our sympathy the most -- the students traveling to their schools/collages. As they are required to pay only a fraction of the normal fare, they are not allowed to board the bus, at least at the starting point, till the normal fare paying passengers board the bus and fill it up to its full capacity. These students are never able to get a seat, as at any time a normal fare paying passenger may signal and board the bus. It is a struggle to travel in the crowded buses with a small load of books in the backpack. The only consolation is that backpack allows free movements of both hands to hang on the overhead steel rods. No marks are given for the correct guess on how short, small students could reach the overhead steel rods for an uneventful ride, though.

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Picture taken from KSRTC website.

Movie Nights

It nearly four years since we went to see a movie in a theater. Looking back I cannot find any reason for this lull as I am an avid moviegoer. Perhaps, the main reason was that there were not many theaters nearby that were screening movies in Tamil/Malayalam, and even if they screened the movies in these languages, it was at odd hours causing much inconvenience. More over, their charges for the show were exorbitant.


Thinking about the charges,I could still remember vividly the excitement when one of my cousins offered to take us to a movie way back in 1962. He had come on vacation and the theater had newly come up. The pricey tickets were at Rs.1 and he took us all by bus for the movie. But after seeing the movie we had to walk down more than 7 kms in semi darkness as there were no street lights worth mentioning. However, it was pleasant to walk during the night amongst a group of people listening to their discussions on everything under the sun (that time the moon) on the earth. This was my second movie experience, the first being a Hindi movie which I had seen along with my classmates when we were taken to a show by the school authorities. As I did not understand anything in that movie and I returned home cursing the moment that I decided to join the group for I had to pay a hefty contribution of 25 paise to join the excursion.

After these two movies, I did not watch any till I started earning. My friend & I used to go for the last show in the theater and we cycled down the distance without worrying much about traffic rules. We had no light on our cycles and it was sheer luck we reached home safely every night. I remember we did this exercise thrice in a week, as by that time, three theaters had come up in our village and they would change the movie every week.

Later I shifted my base to Bombay & on getting the job there we patronized the late night shows once again, so as to accommodate my friend who worked in shifts. We did not leave a single movie which came to the theater for a number of years. The movie going madness finally ended with my marriage and there was some lull in my movie seeing mania that I again resumed with a vengeance in an unexpected manner. This time around we bought a vcd cassette player and our living room turned into a tiny theater during successive nights. The number of movies we saw during this time was so huge, as we saw movies in three languages. The surprise was that we still found time to see some good English movies in the theater as well.

Coming back to the present, after my retirement, we restricted our movies to the ones we came across on TVs and thanks to power cut and black out of cable, we either saw the first half or the second half of movies. I am waiting for the day when the channels, instead of repeating the movie, would just continuously run the same movie on the same day - something similar to the "All day runs of Law and Order" that we have seen in US televisions. We then just might be able to see the movie in full until of course the power situation improves.

Today's movie which we saw in the theater was 'dashavataram' and in spite of my eagerness, I reached the hall 10 minutes late.The culprit was the advertisement for the movie. In it, it was mentioned that the matinee will begin at 10.30, but the theater people started the movie at 10.00 for reasons known to them. The movie turned out to be a good enjoyment with some good action scenes and excellent photography. For a change there was no separate comedy track in the movie but the characterization of the heroine turned out to be irritating at times. While returning from the movie, traffic was light and there was a dip in the air& the ride was pleasant.

I may resume my movie madness yet again!

The journey back

We had a beautiful and pleasant stay with our daughter, son-in-law and our grandson in the States. The climate was great, and with no power failures, no non-working telephone and above all no traffic jams we completely forgot about home. We counted the days we were there as we knew good things never last forever. Soon it was time for us to return & what an eventful return it was!

Reaching home, we decided to hail a taxi (cab) to get ourselves home. The first taxi we hailed quoted a price for which we could have traveled 4+ times to our house and back! Even before we could react to this demand, he looked at our luggage and said he had made a mistake and revised his quote. At this time an auto driver came along and quoted his price. But we knew our luggage won't be safe in an auto as we had 4 large suitcases that will not fit inside an auto. Looking at the luggage, he started to suggest that one of us travel with the luggage and the second engage another auto to travel. With a quick calculation (even without calculating the fare for the second auto) I realized that the fare quoted by him would have been half the price of the taxi, which we had originally thought of hiring.

In the meantime, I called my friend who came with his car, and after loading the luggage in the car, it was obvious that only one person could travel with him. I sent my wife and waited a few meters away from the airport for that elusive autowalla to take me home.

This time, it was a little different story, as I was waiting for the auto away from the airport. More over, I was alone and without any luggage. Many passing autos did quote a smaller amount, but I was hoping to get an auto within the amount I was willing to pay. Finally an autowalla told me that he would charge me by the meter and as is the norm and approved by Government for the night travel, I will have to pay 50 per cent over and above the amount shown by the meter. I agreed to it, as it was not a number the autowalla thought of at the moment which he might change once reaching the destination but by the meter which with some good faith I assumed had not been rigged.

He brought the auto into life with a blast of noise and continued making noise by blowing the horn, seemingly at the insects flying around as there was no one else on the road at that hour. The street dogs welcomed us home with their load barks, waking up the neighbors’ in the process as well. Next day we were told by our neighbors’ that whenever the street dogs bark continuously at night they check because with so many burglaries taking place at night, the noise made by the dogs have turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

After entering the house, I checked on the telephone to tell my daughter about our arrival, but the telephone was dead. There was a thick layer of dust that had settled all around the house and it was next to impossible to get any sleep. Instead we sat down, reliving the days that we had spent at the States sitting amidst the noise of the street dogs and the smell of dusty surroundings.

You could say we had finally arrived at home!

Till Death

Today’s morning paper had a good surprise item for me. A news item transported me back to the "good old days". The article was about a yet to be marketed item called a “TwoDaLoo”, which can be used by two people at the same time. It promises to promote savings in usage of water and harmony among its users. According to the report, couples more often than not, go to the toilet in front of one another. In that scenario if toilets are made for use of two, as claimed in the report, it promises a world of good for the couple, while saving precious natural resource.

Reading the article took me precisely half a century back. In those days, there were no toilets in our house. I and my younger brother used to go the open fields together for our morning chores and I still vividly remember unless we were called at least three or four times, our job was not finished. During those moments, we talked about everything under the sun, unmindful of the chore we were in.

Having read this news item, I had only one regret. If these multiple user toilets one day become the norm, I should have gone for the patent of the original idea, in this matter.

Costly lessons

In life, there are many instances when one might feel cheated –a lost opportunity that nags your mind forever. I paid a visit to my home town in connection with expediting the work of obtaining the certificates, and in my anxiety to get them done sooner, we entrusted the work to a retired person who was doing some consultancy work in his new found free time.

When I first met him along with my wife he was all business like and assured me that the work will be done without much loss of time. He made us believe that as he is not familiar with the subject, he will inquire about it and go about the same strictly as per the rules. It took him more than a month to find out what needed to be done. This instance itself should have made me extra cautious.

Another incident came by at the time of handing over the applications, which he drafted in front of us. Whenever I questioned him about the steps to be followed in the matter or the language of the draft, he brushed aside such matters. He had an annoying habit of airing his views. If I put a question to him, he may not answer me at all, but would start explaining the same matter to my wife or to others who happened to visit him at that time without explaining the background of the matter to them. For example, when I asked him about his fees, instead of stating a sum, he started narrating a story. He had taken a work for some other person and had incurred quite a large amount of money, which the other person was now not willing to pay. This person, according to him, went to the extent of explaining his clout in the society and he questioned about the genuineness of the bill. In short he was not willing to quote an amount that he would charge me, but wanted me to assure him that whatever may be the final amount, I would settle his bill without any hesitation. I was not willing to go with such an arrangement. I had seen many agents who would agree to do work without quoting their fee - this method is to allow you not to think about the payment but only the work to be done. But when the work is over they will extract their pound of flesh before they part with the product. They will later on explain why their bill is so high, as they had done the work the way you wanted or you directed. I wanted to avoid that pitfall, as I have been a victim of such things in the past. But he did not quote a figure and in spite of my initial reservation, we went ahead with the matter.

Of course I never got my work completed through him, as every time I inquired about the matter over the phone, he had a ready made answer, such as he is on the job! It went on for sometime and when I happened to personally meet him later, I found to my dismay that he had not moved an inch in the matter. He was saying that he did not meet the desired person, as he wanted to be sure about the work will be done, as rejection of the request from a person of his status, will spoil his image. He was more worried about his perceived image than the certificate which I wanted.

In the end, I did not want him to test his ability to get the certificate using his image and the clout of the post from which he retired, while all along adding the expenses to my account. It left me poorer by few hundred rupees, but I learn't a good lesson from that experience.

Tharavadu

Recently I was in Kerala in connection with obtaining two certificates connected with my life - one a birth certificate and the other my marriage certificate. I never felt the need for both till this day but my daughter suggested that I obtain them in case it may become necessary to apply for a green card.

I always wonder about the change of attitude that had taken place in my mind. Whenever I visit Kerala and my home 'tharavadu', I feel guilty that I did not take any worthwhile measures that were perhaps within my means to safeguard it from its present ruins. This guilt is very painful as I have very strong feelings about this house with its once green backyard.

When I felt ready to begin my working life, getting a suitable job in Kerala was considered very difficult. As most others have done before me, I too left Kerala in search of a job and landed in Bombay. But I had the feeling at the back of my mind, that my tharavadu will remain as I had left it. From an age that I could remember, my grandmother did her best to enhance the prestige of the tharavadu without destroying anything that had been built by her predecessors. She in fact spent on its upkeep, from her own meager resources. Her life was one dedicated for the welfare of the tharavdu and I always felt her presence, whenever I visited the house. But on my short trips back I started noticing small changes and even some significant ones.But the desire to stand on my own legs was very strong and left me with no choice. I suppressed my true feelings about the house. I suppose I left those feelings at the very bottom of my heart and never once expressed it. Being a common property with a number of claimants’ to it, perhaps my feelings towards the house was the correct one. I was emotionally attached to the house and prepared to look after it spending from own pocket but like my grandmother I did not expect anything for myself from there.

But those succeeded my grandmother and our immediate group, which we call thavazhi did everything to destroy it. One by one they removed the tall trees and once they finished them, started selling anything which had a resale value from the house. They even succeeded in demolishing one beautiful portion of the house mainly for its good quality teak woods. When I saw the bare grounds after the portion of the building was brought down for its woods, I felt that my grandmother's soul would have left not only from the house but also from its surrounding compound. As per then prevailing practice, she was cremated at the tharavadu, on her death in the early 80s. After her death, whenever I visited the place, I felt at peace while standing at the very ground where she was cremated as I considered it as a sreekovil of the temple. The sight and presence of the ground gave me immense peace of mind.

We also had a huge collection of big vessels that was sufficient to prepare food for a number of people on occasions like marriage and other large functions. I remember during our younger days, we used to get papadams and nenthrakkaya whenever our neighbors came to borrow these huge vessels in connection with such functions in their house. Now I do not find any such vessels in the house. The saddest part of the story is that those vessels were sold for a pittance and its proceeds were spent on day to day necessities.

The processes of getting the certificates are on. Perhaps one these days the papers will come and the desire to be with our grandchildren may take us out of this country. In the meantime, my prayers would be that we save enough money to do something to protect what is left at our home. Should we choose to re-construct the portion of the house that was demolished or go for something say a separate small house in the compound with all its complications? I am still unable to make up my mind. But I wish to could do something at my place which I can say is mine, even though, from a legal angle, may not be entirely mine.

Greener Pastures

Some thoughts never fade away. I remember when I joined the Bank in the early 70s, one of the problems I faced was that I turned out to be underweight. The Doctor recommended re-examination after 3 months. I was told that failing to show improvement in weight would result in postponing confirmation in service and in extreme case, termination of service. The golden rule in this case was the decision of the Bank's Doctor was final.

To improve the weight, friends and colleagues suggested many easy tricks. Sum and substance of most the advice was to eat and eat more, which anyway, I was doing. But the other part of advice, that of doing exercise was not in my agenda, except running for the local train and bus and walking the distance from the station to the office. This last leg of journey daily would often result in a run, as most of the days, either the train was late, or if the train was on time, I happened to be late. Other than this running for train and brisk walking to reach office in time, I was not doing any exercise worth mentioning.

Bank would have allowed even medicines to improve the health, but I was generally averse to take any medicines, as in those days, I saw a doctor only when I could not postpone the visit any further.

On re-examination of my weight, after 3 months, it did not register any significant improvement, and doctor again recommended re-test after 3 months. Most of my colleagues had passed the medical test even at the first time itself and those who were unsuccessful cleared the same by the second chance. I was little worried to receive the note staying that I need to be examined again after 3 months. This time some of my colleagues came with more suggestions.

Someone suggested that I go for a Insurance policy through the assistant to the Doctor, as it was the Assistant who recorded the weight. He had an agency in his wife's name and he could get many insured from the Bank itself, looking at the number of such underweight candidates. Another suggestion was to go for drinking many glasses of water and eating bananas. I decided to go for this suggestion. I remember one of my uncle had told the same thing in a different context to my grandmother when she asked for some financial support to tide over a difficult time.

The time was after the Government implemented the policy of land for the tillers and those who were not farming the land like us; suddenly found that they have no grain to feed themselves, as people stopped parting the agreed share of the produce to the landlord of their produce. We were a large family of nine people, including one uncle, one cousin sister and we three brothers, two sisters and mother and grandmother. My grandmother had the responsibility of finding where withheld for the meals and that was the reason, she met this particular uncle, who while declining to part with any amount of money, advised us to drink water and tighten our belts. My grandmother stoically took the advice but many times she said that we the children will one day earn enough and take care of the needs.

Coming back to the medical test, I did not register the required weight, even after consuming half a dozen bananas, the third time around. That had only one effect, that of increasing my cold, as it was during winter time. As it is, I am allergic to cold and eating so many bananas, worsened my condition for one week. I decided never to go for such gimmicks. I passed the medical test at the fourth attempt, registering a slight increase in my weight and the Doctor must have hesitantly decided not to recommend a further examination, after three months.

But my problem did not end there. I gradually put on weight and now I can say that by the time I turned forty, I had a paunch and I was overweight, by the same standard set by the said doctor. And now my worry is the increasing weight and perpetual cold.

Jinxed!!

Train commute is a big part of city life in Mumbai, and the people in it are always in a hurry – to get to work, to get home, to get anywhere are everywhere. The train system is one of the best in India and offers the commuters speed and efficiency.

While I was in big city, throughout my working life, I traveled in local trains. I used to enjoy travel standing near and close to the window (when I did not get a seat), as this position affords certain privileges in the one hour train journey. One is certain that no one will overtake you, as there is no space between you and the window. People in Mumbai are known for their hurry and that is one reason they try to overtake anyone or anything which comes, their way. More over, there is a consolation that while you could not get the window seat in the train, at least you are traveling standing close to the window. In the overcrowded local trains you need to have some consolation as otherwise you may lose your sanity. But on the flip side, you are often asked by people to put their bags and luggage on the rack at the top of the window – so you are constantly putting things away or pulling things out for them.

After my surgery, I am not able to lift my right hand over my head independently; I had willingly given up the pleasure of traveling near the window, because of the sheer habit of people boarding the train and rushing right behind you. They will nudge you with their bag and baggage expecting you to keep it in the overhead rack. And if you happen to decline, they will kill you with their eyes and the body language, which will definitely spoil the rest of your day.

On shifting my residence from Mumbai to Bangalore, I bought a scooter for my travel in and around Bangalore. I opted for a lighter variety of scooter as I could not afford any weight on my right shoulder.

It gave me immense pleasure and freedom as far as my traveling requirements are concerned. I could go to any place at any time at my sweet will and I enjoyed this new found freedom. Compared to the over crowded local trains which I was forced to take for my travel, the scooter journey was a sheer pleasure. I even avoided the morning and evening rush hour traffic, as I had no muster to sign at the fixed hour. I was enjoying my scooter travel in the city till an eventful travel, last year!

I visited a place in the outskirts of the city and my scooter got a puncture! I was rather new to the place and had a tough time getting the puncture attended to, having pushed the scooter with my weak right hand over a considerable length of dirt mud road. Second time also, my scooter developed a puncture, after I had the occasion to visit this place. This time though my host came to my help, having called the mechanic home and getting the wheel removed at his workshop and putting it back, after inflating it. Today again I had to visit this place and the scooter completely went dead on the road, on my way back. I had to push it on the road till I located a repair shop, where it was found that scooter needs complete overhaul, even though I had the scooter serviced just a week back at its authorized dealer’s.

I am trying to determine whether the place is indeed jinxed for me or does my mind playing a trick? I am now retired and the need to spend money on items which are essential to life with my reduced income, has anything to do with my thinking? I fervently hope it is the later, as I enjoy my retired life and I know for sure, no place is jinxed to a person who loves each day which is the gift of God in this beautiful city.

Bike rides

As I had started to work very early in my life, I always had the feeling that I missed out on certain things in life. This was one of the reasons I decided to take voluntary retirement from work. I wanted to recreate those days of youthful exploits. But I found that though my mind is willing, body is not in that condition. However, I still do not regret the fact that I traded about 7 years of working life for pure simple fun.

Today I have absolutely no worry about time. I go for long morning walks and spend hours together reading -- newspapers, magazines, and novels. I spent time surfing and I don’t have to keep any fixed time or schedule. I often go on trips to places of interest. I had even a foreign vacation which we enjoyed with our son-in law, daughter and grandson. Those six months was pure joy. During all these activities, the only big concern is to find time to manage my money and some investments.

I have now purchased a bicycle and every morning I go for a ride. Though my legs started grumbling, I did not give up and now I am able to ride for one hour or so in the morning and again in the evening. I remember I had a cycle when I was young which I used to ride to watch movies in the town. Riding back to the house after the movie, during moonlight, was sheer fun. When there was no moonlight, it was little risky. Once the cycle fell into a ditch, and we had to push it rest of the way, as both the wheels got punctured.

It is still fun to ride the cycle again. But in the city where I live, roads are crowded with traffic even in the early morning and other drivers do not give much attention to a poor cycle traveler. This I find it very painful.

The Negotiator

My routine in the big city continued without any surprises. With the monotonous nature of work at office and the routine I had set for myself, I started to dream for something to happen, anything which will break it!

I had not given up my habit of replying to advertisements in the newspapers. But now I cut down and replied to only those posts, where I felt I stood a better chance. I also advertised myself in the situation wanted columns of the newspaper and got a good response for my first insertion. There was an offer from another transport company for the post of Stenographer, which I though would be better suited to me and I decided to appear there for an interview.

It was exactly after two months at my job and I received my second pay packet on the last working day. Next day was a Saturday, which I had chosen to appear for the interview. I went to the office early on Saturday, dressed in my best. The interviewer happened to be a Keraliate and he immediately liked me. He gave me a small dictation and asked me to type it out, which I did, without much difficulty. The dictation was good, as I could follow the words, without any difficulty as he expressed himself more or less in a manner, which was familiar to me. Then followed the interview, which was routine and at the end, he asked me what I would expect as salary. As I was getting only Rs.100/ in my previous post, I blurted out Rs.200/- a 100 percent jump, which according to me at that time was a good amount. He agreed with it after a brief consultation with his boss, the proprietor of the company, over the intercom, and he asked me to join from next Monday, which I readily agreed.

I had not attended my office that day and I phoned up them saying that I will not be coming to office any more. I also told my Manager about the offer from the new company and he wished me well. As I had received the salary, there was nothing to settle and I enjoyed the Sunday, thinking about my new post and company.

I was very happy to work in the new office, as the work was different. I had to type out the letters, which my boss dictated and this as the days passed, fell into a routine. The letters were more or less similar and I could cope with the workload too.

One time, when my boss went on leave, the company proprietor called me for dictation. He had a funny way of dictation - he never paused while dictating and went on dictating his replies either chewing the paan or smoking the cigar, while sallowing the words in between!

My joy of landing a good job with a reasonable pay was short lived. I received my first pay packet, which exactly contained Rs.200/-, as I had asked for. But next day my boss casually told me that the proprietor was prepared to pay Rs.400/- to who ever he appointed to handle the correspondence. Since I settled for Rs.200/-, he chuckled and said, that I got it.

To this day I cannot forget his mischievous smile when he told me that he could have recommended a higher pay, but I myself was to blame, for the loss!!!

The Golden List

I had prepared a list of things in my mind which I should do when I get my first pay. In fact I had this list ever since I was a small boy. I could say I grew up with the list, constantly updating the things I should do with my first pay. Since in those earlier days, I had no perception of the value of those things, it was easy to find fund for such expenses, within the limited income I had in mind. I was careful about the size of the pay packet that I may receive keeping in mind the level of education that I could get and our family background. Then suddenly, came the first day in my life when I got the first pay packet.

We were a family of three brothers, and two sisters, I being the eldest. While my grandmother managed the financial matters, my mother confined herself to cooking and taking care of us. This was the arrangement ever since I remember, as my father did not support our family, as is understood today. In this atmosphere, something more unknowingly had taken place. Whenever my grandmother found something out of her reach, her constant refrain was that I will be able to do it for her once I grew up and started earning. As I was very fond of my grandmother, I readily agreed with her and added those things to my ever growing list of things to do, once I attained that magic goal.

My grandmother used to receive the interest on her fixed deposit amount, and this amount, she used to keep in a beautifully carved wooden box, which had small, detachable closed partitions of varying sizes. These different sizes of small and smaller boxes offered her an opportunity to keep the money for different purposes. She never allowed herself the luxury to spend the money which she had reserved and kept separately for a purpose, however, pressing the need and the occasion. For those purposes, she had always some amount which was stored at the bottom of the box in small 'madisheelas' which she reluctantly took out for those unforeseen expenses. Those occasions rose quite frequently when all of us started schooling. On rare occasions, she went out to get some old yet small debts, which others had taken, but conveniently forgot to return as promised. During those trips, if it happened to be little away from our home, I used to accompany her. She treated me as an adult during those outside trips, but, in reality, I was only a child. On these trips also, I silently added one or two things to the list of things I will attend to, once I started earning. Her life was a constant struggle to adjust to ever growing demands with the constant limited income.

When I got my first pay packet, I opened it and slowly counted the money. It contained ten; ten rupee notes. I knew I cannot attempt even a part of the things which I had in my mind. On one side, I was feeling happy for the first pay I had, and on the other, I felt very miserable. On reaching home, I felt very sad and went to sleep early, without my usual small talk with my cousin brother, who was doing his engineering degree. I thought of my grandmother, and all the things I wanted to do for her. Next day morning I went to my friend and handed over him a sum of Rs.45/- to be sent as Money Order to my mother, and handed over the balance amount to my uncle.


When I thought about my list I found that even a fraction of things have not moved at all!

L [Cube]

Learning Life's Lessons

I get very anxious whenever my relations do not return home at their usual time. This can easily be avoided if they chose to communicate, but rarely do they do so. Often you don’t visualize the anxious moments which your loved ones faces until you are older, a bit wiser.

I remember an incident which was of my own making. I appeared for an interview, in a transport company, at the instance of my friend who had worked their earlier. He had a good rapport with the Manager and had spoken about me. The interview was quick, as I often had one word answers for most of his questions. Anyway, he took a sympathetic view and asked me to report to work from next day. I was overjoyed and started working there immediately.

I had quite a different picture of office in my mind perhaps from movies where working was pleasant and enjoying. Here I found the atmosphere totally different. The office was in a crowded part of the town and the building housed many firms like the one I had joined. For the first few days, I could not sit through the long office hours, so the question of finishing the work allotted to me became a difficult task. I had no habit of sitting at one place for a long period of time doing the same routine work allotted to me.

It was my duty to match the consignor and consignee copy of one particular consignment from each bundle and mark off in a register that the consignment booked at one place had been delivered at other end. Most of these documents had six digit distinct numbers and memorizing those numbers and finding the relative copy from other bundle, proved a difficult task for me as I am not really capable of retaining in memory six digit numbers. This slowed down my work considerably! The Manager was not very pleased about my work, as I had not shown any significant improvement even after one week.

But the funny thing was that I was also not too eager to continue in the post, having come to know from my colleague that he gets paid an amount of Rs.98/- even after continuing little more than one year in the post. He said he got a starting pay of Rs.95/- and an increase of Rs.3/- after a year. He usually had to borrow a sum of Rs.2/- on the salary day to be in order to get a note of hundred rupee denomination. [Though I was lucky again as the Manager gave me a starting salary of Rs.100/- I worked for him for little over two months.]

Anyways, after I started going to work, my uncle allowed a pocket money of Re.l for two days. I used to take this money from one corner place in the kitchen where uncle used to leave his entire salary. I used to take lunch from home and this money was sufficient for two days' bus fare, and tea, having purchased a season ticket for the train journey.

But one day, I spent the balance amount during lunch break over fruits and peanuts, which I was fond of. I had just 15 paise left in my pocket, which I knew will be sufficient for next day's morning bus fare. I thought, evening I could take a walk home, instead of taking the bus.

Next day, towards evening Manager had a round and he pulled me up for being slow. He insisted that I finish the work allotted to me, before I leave. I could not to say no to him, and this made me late. I missed my usual train as I reached the station late. Next train was late and it was around 9.30 PM when I got down at my destination. My bus stop where I boarded the bus was next to a shop where only 'Karumurai' was sold. This shop was in the process of closing. I wanted to buy a packet of peanuts from the shop, but it struck me that I have no money, even to take a bus, let alone buy an occasional packet of peanuts, which I used to indulge. I started for the long brisk walk home.

Unknown to me, my uncle had come home early from work and seeing that I had not returned home even after 9.30 PM, he set out immediately on foot in the direction of railway station. He was very concerned as I was quite new in that big city and he knew that I had no extra money, in case some unexpected things happen. I met him almost at the mid point of distance between our home and station. I still remember the look of relief on his face when he saw me first. But at the very next moment, he scolded me for being so late. When I reluctantly explained the situation, he shouted at me in anger and then asked me to take enough money from the kitchen from now on, so that I never face a situation like this.

I had learnt a great lesson on that night and I still fondly remember my uncle for the concern and that extra care he had shown.