That is precisely what we do now while in San Jose, California, and will continue when we move to Phoenix, Arizona. Like sometimes medical recommendations necessitate a lifestyle-change - from rice to roti, from being a couch potato to be a brisk walker, we have slipped into a different format in the company of our ten-year old grandson Rishi.
When we are not playing cricket at the basement it is either board or card game all the way. The games include Taboo, Monopoly, Apples to Apples, Clue, Sequence, Rummikub, Star Wars, Uno, Risk (the game of Strategic Conquest), Viticulture (grape cultivation), Scrabble, or Book cricket. His favourites are Viticulture and Risk which, it so happens, are at the bottom of the list with both Aunty and me. Still, sometimes we do play these to keep him in good humour. And, on his side, he too accommodates us playing games of our choice.
But when it comes to Taboo where one gives clues without using the disallowed words underneath to let his partner guess the main word in the card, Aunty and I are no match for Rishi and my son as partners. We are no doubt given handicap - that whenever we get a card where we can’t give tangible clues to our partner, we could skip it and choose another card. And so we did liberally with such cards as Gas Guzzler, Mistletoe, Gerbil, Hopscotch… Similarly in Apples to Apples, Rishi gives such convincing, though untenable, arguments that the person playing judge is compelled to decide in his favour. But I am not the one to give up quickly. I am all geared up to avenge on all games on my next visit, and have made no secret of it to Rishi. “Challenge accepted Thatha,” he smiled. with supreme confidence.
His ‘formal dress’ day in the school took place last Friday. Though an afternoon and a working day, one must see to believe how parents throng the small hall to witness their children receive accolades, certificates or commendation. It reminded me of the Parent-Teacher meetings that we ourselves attend when our kids were in school. Hindustan Times carried my piece on it decades ago. The common feature however is the schools trying to pass off their produce to parents. Rishi did two shifts, before and after the ceremony, at the Lemonade counter, as his friends looked after the indoor plant sales. The entire collection will be used to defray the expenses for a planned train-trip of Grade 4 students (Rishi’s class) to Sacramento in early April.
Yes, adjustment is the name of the game. “It’s funny but true that when you start adjusting around what life has planned for you, life starts to move according to you.” So conveys a message compiled by Sri Om Swami ji in a table-diary format for the 365 days a year. He fits in aptly with the description, “the monk who sold his Ferrari”, having renounced the material world of owning a multi-million dollar company in Australia, USA and Canada to enter the spiritual world. He is the family guru of my younger son & family. On the day of our arrival, the message was, “Learn to love if you want to be loved back.” Till then I thought it was Give and Take; that is you give and I take. Now I realise it is the other way round. Anyway.
And today’s message as we leave for our next station is: “If you don’t give up, you can’t fail.” And that is what I hope to do. But let me see what awaits me from the other two grandsons, Rohan (10) and Ashwin (14) at the next port of entry. To begin with, despite a ‘red-eye’ flight, both boys have negotiated successfully with their parents to receive us at the airport. That augurs well for the visit. I have already raised my hands that in the first round I seldom understand a word of what Rohan says. This is true for Aunty also. Last time he did condescend to repeat on a couple of occasions before giving up, “Leave it Thatha,” or “Nothing Thatha.” Hope he will be more patient this time. As for Ashwin, he is now an adolescent, and helps his parents in errands. So I am not sure how much of time he can set aside for me. But I am an incurable optimist and shall keep my fingers crossed.
V V Sundaram
Maple 3195
27 Feb 2018
