Bits of Life 2

M-12 Words-1125

Sisters and I would rather not observe them it is okay too with my dad and mom.

During summer holidays, we visited our grandparents, my maternal grandparents. The other set of grandparents I mean my dad’s parents lived with us. My aunts that is my dad’s sisters and two of his brothers were also lived with our family.

My father made a wonderful arrangement of our living quarters for his family and that of his parents. It being a big house, both wings where our respective families lived was adjacent. But the kitchen was the same. All cooking used to take place in the big kitchen. There is no separation there. There is no separation anywhere. My siblings and I used to spend our free time with my grandma and grandfather and their daughters and sons.

How life was at that time, when I was seven or eight may be? It was once again a very innocent phase of my life. Everybody loved us, the eldest brother’s children.

Needless to mention that my father supported the family, extended one included. I can’t say that I remember everything with crystal clarity. But I certainly I recall a few important things like the birth of my youngest sister, Indrani. I also recall Birthday parties, marriages of my aunts and the studies of my youngest uncle.

There was general harmony among the family members though there used to be some arguments, some serious arguments between my dad and his mother. What exactly happened was something I can’t recall. Small as I was, my attention or imagination was not captured by things that didn’t interest me.

I had my separate world, where I was free and happy singing or playing with my little classmates. No one controlled us as long as we were within the compound of the big bungalow. My brother tagged along with me because he is only two years younger than me. My other siblings a brother and two sisters were too young to run with us. They mostly kept company with my mom.

I remember a particular classmate of mine by the name Wallsbai. Her dad worked as an employee at my dad’s office. Their living quarters were nearby. She used to come to play with me. We were very close. She had a heavenly voice and she sang so beautifully that I recall us imagining ourselves roaming in the floral gardens like the famous courtly dancer in Emperor Akbar’s court named Anarkali. Oh, how marvelous those days were!

The name of the school I attended at that time was Shade Girls’ High school.

Sometimes my siblings and I would go to the room of my grandpa, my dad’s father. He retired as a schoolteacher and spoke English like an Englishman. Sometimes, I think he smoked cigars, which he himself made with tobacco leaves.
He was always reading or making Ayurveda mixtures for indigestion or common cold and cough. His medicines were quite helpful for us whenever we had a problem with our tummies.

For stomach ache, he would give us Carom seeds or Ajwain or Bishop's weed powdered with common salt. A little water to drink after we chewed and swallowed the powder. To this day I follow this method if there is a stomach problem such as ache or fullness.

Grandpa’s room was like a curiosity shop for us kids. There are books and small little stands on which you can spread the book open to read. It is called the rehal made of wood and it is portable and foldable. He would sit before it and read Sanskrit texts spread before him. I was fascinated by such reading conveniences of those days. But now a days they went out of use because people no longer can sit on the floor. Many of them suffer from knee problems and leg problems too.

Grand father used to come to our school to collect us sometimes. He used to take long evening walks with a walking stick in his hand. A very tall and cheerful man, he came from a big family himself.
Sometimes, he would gather us children and teach us some Bhajans. A bhajan is a musical composition in praise of God. I remember I enjoyed them. It appealed to my mind.

My grandfather was devoted to the Supreme without form or material representation.
Aniconic: The absence of material representations of the divine.

He had a big picture of OM hanging on a wall in his room. He also used to make us chant OM when we visited him in his room.

At that time I didn’t realize that my grandparents had a tiff that lasted almost a lifetime. Of what nature it was, I will never know. But I know it was a pity. They had many children together and finally didn’t speak to each other. What a tragedy! I was so shocked and I know for sure it must have been due to an ego clash.

Anyway, life went on like a stream not stopping for anyone in its own rhythmic and spontaneous way.

After three years, my father got transferred to another city. His parents and siblings stayed back in a house that my father got built in the town. After the expiry of my grandmother, my grandfather moved with us and stayed with us till his last day.

I don’t remember him suffering from any serious ailment. His last posture was sitting in a chair before the chart on which there was the image of OM. He didn’t fall from the chair. He just sat there and passed away. I think it was a peaceful passing. It was also said that it was a blessing to die without the least awareness of death. A smooth passing from life to death and we will never know to where else.

These events, big and small or happy and sad have had their impact on my tender mind. I used to observe everything around me with a keen eye.

I said goodbye to all my schoolmates and moved on to yet another school, to other friends as well. This time around it was a catholic school run by mother superior. Our headmistress was Sister Mary. A very kind person who looked after the wards very well indeed.

There was a large church in the school campus. Every afternoon, after lunch we used to go to the church, drink holy water from a small metal bowl placed at the entrance of the church and proceed to the altar where Mother Mary’s statue was on display. We used to kneel before her and closed our eyes. And then come out to attend the afternoon session of the class.

My classmates and I were Hindus but .