Seniors, in Our Own World

 Elderly people make up a third of Japan’s population – and it is reshaping the country, says a World Economic Forum report. I can’t vouch for the percentage of seniors’ population in SFV; nor guess if we contribute to the wellbeing of the complex. But I do know we are a formidable number, and are in our own world.

If you see a 6 feet tall, single-piece guy walking erect, you are right, it is my friend Kocheppan, of Ebony. A retired Flt. Lieutenant, he was a volleyball champion and coach. The Air Force stadium in Pune is named after him. Also, I had seen him coaching some volleyball enthusiasts in SFV

 

Another person who keeps his head high is Professor Venkatachalam, of Alder. He is a retired professor from IIT-Madras (Chemistry, with Electrochemistry as specialization), having published over 120 articles in peer journals. He was adjusted the best teacher consecutively for five years (scoring 99% in the evaluation). Cooking is his hobby. To be honest, we looked forward to more Rudram-Chamakam classes in his house, for we get to taste the Prasadam that he prepared himself.

 

During the morning walk have you observed a gentleman picking biscuit- or chocolate- wrappers lying in the complex and dropping them in the nearest dustbin? He is Krishna Murthy Aithal of 6243. By his habit I thought he would have been a civil engineer. Because as he walks he also re-adjusts the alignment of the bricks kept at strategic borders to prevent children riding bicycles into the grass area. “Sir are you by chance a senior?” I asked him, before including him in this piece. “Yes of course. And guess my age?” he asked. “Would 63 be close to the mark?” I asked him. “Add 10 more,” he said. “And, my father staying with me will hit 100 soon,” he added with pride.

 

L&T Krishnamoorthy, as we call him to distinguish from the host of Krishnamoorthys, is a man for all seasons. He organized a one-day trip outside Bangalore for seniors, with well-arranged lunch, snack packets, and what have you. Alas, his stay with his daughter was only for a few months; he has moved back to his own house nearby. But his heart is in SFV, and comes here at the slightest pretext.

 

Shri Rajashekar is a retired principal of a Pre-University College in Hosadurga taluk. Can you believe, he has written 17 educational books in Kannada meant for B.Ed and M.Ed students. He is one of the most unassuming persons you will come across. If this doesn’t help you to place him, he is the one who moves around in the morning calculated to draw the minimum of attention; and his slow steps are so hesitant as not to hurt the bricks on which he treads. With the Kannada class having met with an abrupt ending, he plays for me the role of a Kannada teacher, minus the accompanying cane, and I resort to English only when stranded.

 

To SFV Malayalees, Col Paddy of Oak, is the darling Uncle. To me, we are from the same village in Palakkad. Yet, when Aunty and I meet Col and Nalini on an evening stroll, honestly I  avoid a stop-by for a chat. Reason? He would share with us the long pleasant drive he and Nalini had to Kochi, Munnar, Trivandrum or other places. Back home, I face the music with Aunty to venture a similar trip. As for my record, the longest distance I have driven is from Delhi to Ghaziabad; or, in Bangalore, from SFV to Devanahalli.

 

I call Lakshminarayanan a walking encyclopaedia. Ask him if it will be Joe Biden, or Trump again. You can get his analysis. Why India’s GDP is at a low ebb, he has an answer. Or, is an end in sight for the China-India North Eastern military movements, or occasional skirmishes? Or back home, what are the ingredients of a herbal tea.

 

After a five-month gap, we seniors have resumed our Rudram-Chamakam class – but Online. Everyone having adjusted to a new lifestyle in the interim, I feared many would opt out. No, all are on board. Vishwanathan, of 3161, managed a smooth sail on day one. We hope to improve session after session.