India Currents
December 2008
To begin with, I threw to winds my customary dress code, and switched over to shorts. Back home any senior citizen in that attire would attract a second glance - less in admiration than in ridicule.
We knew we should say Hi when there was an eye contact with a passerby. We practise this, more so during our daily morning walk. One weekend our son decided to join us. When we greeted unfailingly all the six or seven morning walkers who passed by, he clarified to us that when he briefed us what he actually meant was that if there was an eye contact then we should greet, and not make it a point to establish eye contact with everyone that passed by. “You are too late,“ we corrected him. All of them were regular walkers and that we had already established rapport - not only with them but with their accompanying dogs as well.
Speaking of dogs, the other day during our walk, a lady stopped her car and asked us if we saw her Beagle which had been missing since early morning. We said we had not seen one, but promised to get back to her on spotting it, if she cared to give her mobile number. The very next day, we spotted a dog - or, the dog spotted us, to be precise - and it followed us through all the rounds, and up to our doorstep. We guessed this must be the dog, and rang her up. She rushed in, but said this was not Beagle. We felt sorry for her. The following weekend, during the course of our window-shopping in a Mall, we stumbled upon a shop that traded dogs, cats and other pet animals. We went in, and saw that one cage marked Beagle. ‘Here is the Beagle that the lady had lost’, we told our son victoriously. Guessing that I was all set to dial the lady’s number, he hastened to clarify: ‘Dad, Beagle is a breed and not the name of a dog.’ Saddened though, we consoled ourselves that we had at least the intention to be helpful – and well intended is half done.
Within the national community, we got opportunities by the dozen to interact, thanks to the host of ‘bring your parents also’ kind of invitations that my son and daughter-in-law received. On all such occasions my solitary aim was to look around for someone to make friends with; somebody in my age group – the senior citizen clan or thereabouts. So far the count has reached three. One is a scientist on oncology, with quite a few publications to his credit. If he wrote scientific books to enlighten his specific medical community, I marketed, until last year, those very kind of health-related publications (with no clues whatsoever on their contents), to the unsuspecting. Thus there was some common bond. The second is an industrial engineer by qualification and electronics engineer by profession – a replica of my second son’s bio data. An area of commonality, again. The third is an eighty-year old, and music brought me closer, with a slight difference – he was good at singing and I, at listening.
The neighbourhood. The take-off was a little slow but sure. Confined to home as we are for most part of the day, the interaction has been more with the homemakers than with their spouses. Beginning with a hi, how do you do guys, the weather is pretty hot isn’t it, the relationship has graduated to exchange of home-made eatables each one specialized in, followed by exchange of information. One of them has adopted two African-American children, and two Caucasian kids. Another has sponsored the education of two Nepalese children up to the college level. The senior is about to reach college level and she sought our views on getting him admission in a medical college in India.
With the date for our departure nearing, Cathy, Sandra, Julia, Eleana, and the other neighbours have all become so friendly with us that they, on their part, pine to visit India, and we, eager to welcome them. They no longer identify India with snake-charmers and elephants. As for my wife she has already mentally re-decorated our guest room for such a possible visit. It is a small world, isn’t it?
V.V. Sundaram
16 August 2006
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