Metras nalla metras - 1
PHEW!!
At last am back to where I started. Lots of good things happening. Hari is settled in his school and Bala as usual enjoys going to Porur listening to "idhu sema hottu machi" :-) I am waking up to how Madras was and is - the same... no difference. Just that I am older and no wiser.
Hey! don't go away! This is not going to be a page in my diary!
We had a bunch of people coming in and going. I am not talking about relatives, but about workers and officers of all sorts to set things up like gas, phone, pest control, watchman, etc... Before marriage when things were under my parents' control. It was a different story. These people would come twice every year (they still do) asking for money. It was always a big spectacle for me. If the workers were lucky, they met my mom who said a word or two but gave them money. If their stars were not aligned properly, and my dad was at home, they had it.
The worker or community helper (as my son refers them) would come a few days before deepavali or pongal. He would look at my dad, tilt his head slightly, scratch a bit and say, "saar, deepavalikku kaasu?" My dad would look up at a point somewhere above the fellow's head and grunt, "enna?"
"illai saar, hmm... paisa..."
"enna paisa?"
" deepavali"
"deepavalikkum unakkum ennayya sambandham? adhellaam kudukka mudiyadhu."
"edho paathu kudunga saar"
By this time my mom might interfere and give a 20 rupee note.
"ennamma paathu kudunga ma"
My dad "if I am giving, I will give what I want, you cannot dictate what I should give". etc. etc. etc.
The conversation would proceed along these lines till the fellow says, "aalavudunga" and run.
Okay! the above conversation may not have happened along the same lines, but definitely in a similar manner.
Today, the BSNL officer came with a wire in hand and fixed the telephone. I was dancing from hall to kitchen, talking to Sundu, a word here and a word there. All the while, avoiding that fellow's eyes, in case he asked for money. But sorry, he did not get the hint, did not budge from his place and said pretty much the same thing. I gave him a hundred and he said, "why so less? give me more." The only difference I see is the way in which people DEMAND extra money.
At last am back to where I started. Lots of good things happening. Hari is settled in his school and Bala as usual enjoys going to Porur listening to "idhu sema hottu machi" :-) I am waking up to how Madras was and is - the same... no difference. Just that I am older and no wiser.
Hey! don't go away! This is not going to be a page in my diary!
We had a bunch of people coming in and going. I am not talking about relatives, but about workers and officers of all sorts to set things up like gas, phone, pest control, watchman, etc... Before marriage when things were under my parents' control. It was a different story. These people would come twice every year (they still do) asking for money. It was always a big spectacle for me. If the workers were lucky, they met my mom who said a word or two but gave them money. If their stars were not aligned properly, and my dad was at home, they had it.
The worker or community helper (as my son refers them) would come a few days before deepavali or pongal. He would look at my dad, tilt his head slightly, scratch a bit and say, "saar, deepavalikku kaasu?" My dad would look up at a point somewhere above the fellow's head and grunt, "enna?"
"illai saar, hmm... paisa..."
"enna paisa?"
" deepavali"
"deepavalikkum unakkum ennayya sambandham? adhellaam kudukka mudiyadhu."
"edho paathu kudunga saar"
By this time my mom might interfere and give a 20 rupee note.
"ennamma paathu kudunga ma"
My dad "if I am giving, I will give what I want, you cannot dictate what I should give". etc. etc. etc.
The conversation would proceed along these lines till the fellow says, "aalavudunga" and run.
Okay! the above conversation may not have happened along the same lines, but definitely in a similar manner.
Today, the BSNL officer came with a wire in hand and fixed the telephone. I was dancing from hall to kitchen, talking to Sundu, a word here and a word there. All the while, avoiding that fellow's eyes, in case he asked for money. But sorry, he did not get the hint, did not budge from his place and said pretty much the same thing. I gave him a hundred and he said, "why so less? give me more." The only difference I see is the way in which people DEMAND extra money.
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