This were days of late 80s .........
Every year come summer, I n my sis were packed off to Kerala for two months. The train journeys thou meant a tiring 2 days trip with a 12 hour halt in Chennai. Mostly we were accompanied by our no-nonsense grandmother. But the rare times when she couldn't make it, velachan(which literally means elder-father - fathers bro or moms sisters husband are called so) would make this trip to-n-from just to accompany us. Now u know how fun a 48 hour train trip can be with two restless, boisterous under-10 year olds!
Now those were the days when we couldn't really afford to buy sweets n other goodies from market on a daily basis - which meant laying hands on bakery items - ice creams were meant to be 'treat'. Thou as a kid bought up in Hyderabad, I had more access to them than my older cousins back in Kerala. But that dint make lust lesser for these rare treats. So the days when velachan(As uncles are called) would come home with some rare treat - I would throw a tantrum demanding a bigger share. N more oft than not my veliamma - Velachan would oblige. How many uncles will u find who will favour their SILs children over theirs?? N mind u this wasn't a occasional happening....
The trip back to Hyderabad, accompanying us back was this huge box of goodies - each thoughtfully n painstakingly put together so that we carry back a box full of our favs. Today I realise not just the time that went to it but ow taxing it would have been monetarily(N money was indeed tight then!)
Each a V small incident I know, but its these incidents that make for the happiest memories of my life! The knowledge that you are loved......
For my mother, he was not a BIL but more of a bro. At the same time, theirs was a typical Jeeju-saali relation - they continued to rib each others leg s until the last(He was almost 70!).
He was the original feminist - pitching in with all household work, with no qualms whatsoever about his wife taking forefront!
Today(Apr 16 2013) he breathed his last........
PS: This is a back dated post published on 19th Apr....
Every year come summer, I n my sis were packed off to Kerala for two months. The train journeys thou meant a tiring 2 days trip with a 12 hour halt in Chennai. Mostly we were accompanied by our no-nonsense grandmother. But the rare times when she couldn't make it, velachan(which literally means elder-father - fathers bro or moms sisters husband are called so) would make this trip to-n-from just to accompany us. Now u know how fun a 48 hour train trip can be with two restless, boisterous under-10 year olds!
Now those were the days when we couldn't really afford to buy sweets n other goodies from market on a daily basis - which meant laying hands on bakery items - ice creams were meant to be 'treat'. Thou as a kid bought up in Hyderabad, I had more access to them than my older cousins back in Kerala. But that dint make lust lesser for these rare treats. So the days when velachan(As uncles are called) would come home with some rare treat - I would throw a tantrum demanding a bigger share. N more oft than not my veliamma - Velachan would oblige. How many uncles will u find who will favour their SILs children over theirs?? N mind u this wasn't a occasional happening....
The trip back to Hyderabad, accompanying us back was this huge box of goodies - each thoughtfully n painstakingly put together so that we carry back a box full of our favs. Today I realise not just the time that went to it but ow taxing it would have been monetarily(N money was indeed tight then!)
Each a V small incident I know, but its these incidents that make for the happiest memories of my life! The knowledge that you are loved......
For my mother, he was not a BIL but more of a bro. At the same time, theirs was a typical Jeeju-saali relation - they continued to rib each others leg s until the last(He was almost 70!).
He was the original feminist - pitching in with all household work, with no qualms whatsoever about his wife taking forefront!
Today(Apr 16 2013) he breathed his last........
PS: This is a back dated post published on 19th Apr....
My heartfelt condolences to you, thank you for sharing, may his soul rest in peace, he shall continue to live in your memorable moments, nice post !
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