Anita, Rohan, Molly and the
kids drove Srini to the airport. He was
first headed to India via Singapore, to visit some close family and friends.
They checked in and spent some time waiting, letting the kids wander and play
in the large spaces at the airport. A little while before the flight was
called, Srini got up and after the farewell hugs and kisses, picked up his
wheeled carry-on baggage and walked towards the door leading to the immigration
and security check. He turned and waved. Suddenly he appeared a little frail to
his children. He saw them and the twins waving ‘bye-bye’ and blowing kisses.
They watched each other until the doors shut.
Srini spent a couple of
days in Singapore with his close friend’s family. They went around their
favourite and familiar sights. They went to a new restaurant and show that had
come up recently. It was an enjoyable yet relaxing and slow paced tour. He had
not told them of his condition when he arrived. He intended to quietly let them
know as he was leaving. He asked them not to tell others ahead of his visit to
see them.
Srini flew into India to
see his own family in India – his own parents had passed away and he had
siblings, close cousins, aged uncles and an aunt and many close friends. There were many nephews and nieces and some
had children of their own. Srini spent about six weeks visiting them all. He
made it a point to spend a few days at each of his sibling’s house. They all
saw him relaxed, slowed down a bit, taking his medications but seemingly
otherwise fit and fine. Srini spent time listening, talking, playing with each
of his nephews and nieces and their children. He seemed to quietly take in as
much of them and their spirit. He did not seem to be in any hurry, no other
business meetings as he used to have in the past. He played hopscotch, card
games, walked them to the market nearby to buy them little treats.
He got involved in cooking.
He sang and organised a party for his teenage nieces’ friends. He got up and
danced, surprising everyone, when one of the teenagers joking suggested it.
“Srini-GrandUncle, are you
retired now?” asked his nephew’s little son who remembered him from a previous
visit when he was running all around town on important ‘business’.
“Yes, you could say that. I
still work, but I have taken time off now.”
As they passed through
landmarks in the cities that Srini had grown up in – big fair grounds, circus
arenas, sports stadiums, parks and museums, memories came flooding back, images
of how somethings remained the same while others had changed. Srini was drinking
in all the sights with quiet but hungry eyes. They passed by, quickly, one last
time, giving him a fleeting glimpse into his past.
“It is as if my whole life
is flashing past before my eyes,” thought Srini with a smile.
Srini had let his siblings
know ahead of his visit that he wanted to visit a few temples and places that
they had been together with their parents, as kids. They had all planned to do
a little round trip of those special places now. They travelled in a large van
they had rented. No one knew Srini’s time was running out. They just felt glad
he found time for this now and that they all could do this together. It was a
fun, loud and boisterous long drive from the big city to the distant village. They
had booked a hotel in a town near the village they were headed to. They reached
in the early evening, rested and woke up fresh next morning. They all bathed,
dressed appropriately and set out towards the temple.
They all walked in a group
towards an old temple near a village in the south of India. It had a history
involving Srini’s great-grandfather and his family. There were still some
branches of his family and families of their friends living nearby. As it does
in a small town, word got around that Srini, from overseas was visiting. People
came up to them on the street, as they walked, introduced themselves and often
showed surprising knowledge of details of Srini’s life, even overseas. Srini realised that the gossip network was
more ancient and predated Google!
People inquired after Srini’s
kids and grandchildren. They invited them to their homes nearby for a little
coffee or drink. The fact that they were over a dozen in the group did not faze
them one bit. The temple priest had been notified in advance and he had spread
the word. After visiting and having atleast a sip of water from each house, the
group went over to the temple where they had a special prayer organised. A
whole lot of people – Srini’s distant relations, friends and just interested
on-lookers came and joined in.
Srini and his siblings were
touched. As they perambulated one of the altars in the temple they paused to
sit down under a tree, where they had sat down many, many years ago with their
parents, when Srini was a young boy, barely a teenager. He remembered seeing the crows and sparrows
nearby then. He saw some now. Suddenly, he had a lost expression in his eyes
and accidentally called out to his father,”Appa! Look at that crow, he is
coming over.” He had said this very thing when he had come here as a child.
Only one young child and
one of Srini’s siblings noticed this and wondered. They did not say anything
out loud since they could not make sense of it. It took Srini a moment to come
back to the present time. He looked the approaching crow and it seemed to look
him directly in the eye. Another crow
called out from a tree branch, looking down on him, with tenderness, it seemed.
Srini felt the spirit of his parents. He scattered some of the ‘Prasadam’ (treats to eat , that sacred offerings to God
and are given out to anyone). The crow came over and picked up a bit and flew
off.
Srini’s group moved on too.
They spent a pleasant, joyful week in their old home town. They went to all the
well-known temples nearby and attended famous annual festivals. There were
public lectures and concerts that were a part of local tradition for many
hundreds of years. Srini was lost in them, along with memories of having seen
some of them when his parents were around. Everywhere he went, he spotted
atleast a pair of crows around. He tried to feed them. It was as if his parents were accompanying
him around this time too. Soon, everyone observed his bond with the crows.
They all returned to the big
city from where he was to depart on his onward journey via Dubai to Africa and
Europe and then on to the USA. He planned to visit some more of his friends and
family scattered over the world, with the exception that he wanted to visit a
couple of cities he had never been to before, where he knew no one. He had planned
the itinerary with a few special features in mind. A couple of days before he
was to depart from India, as his siblings were all gathered around, chatting
after dinner, Srini broke the news about his medical condition to them.
They were all stunned and
their faces registered a devastation that he could not bear. He had been calm,
composed and even appeared happy when he started to tell them. But the look on
his sibling’s faces and their reactions melted the steel of his heart. Silent
tears flowed down his cheeks too.
“Look, I did not want to
get you all into a sad mood before. We could not have done what we did this
past month, if I had told you earlier. There are still a couple of days for you
to bid me a proper farewell. After all, we will meet again. Do you remember
those crows that I was bonding with in our hometown? I felt they were our
parents in spirit. I don’t know what the future will be beyond the boundary of
this body, but if at all I can, I will be around you, maybe as a bird for some
time. I would dearly love to be born again into this family. I have promised
Anita that if at all it is possible, I will come back as her child or someone
who will remind you of me.”
There were many hugs and
long chats in the next two days. Most of his siblings could not sleep properly
for the next two days. Srini realised that they did not have enough time to
recover from the news and do somethings together for the last time. He called
up the airlines and postponed his flight out of India by a week.
They were all relieved that
they still could say things to each other and do things that were important,
knowing it would be last time. The children were told the news and it took them
a little while to get to grips with it. The very young ones were the most
accepting and calm. There were many tears, hugs and games.
Srini’s siblings took some
walks down memory lane and actually down a lane they used to walk to school a
long time ago. There was sadness in the atmosphere within the family, but also
some happiness and gratitude that they had this time together with Srini fit
enough to do things. They realised that not all were fortunate to get this kind
of time and opportunity.
A couple of his siblings decided to plan a visit to see Srini in the very last days at his home, and to be at his side until the very end.
One day, Srini and one of
his siblings were talking about their past passionately and got into an
argument. Hurt feelings from childhood and teenage surfaced. Everything was out
in the open now, but with a loving spirit behind it. Srini asked for
forgiveness and so did his siblings. Everyone noted how Srini had changed and
become more open, direct and spoke without trying to sugar coat anything, but
at the same time they could feel the strong love in every word, tone, gesture
and expression. Life and perspective about life changed for everyone in his
family. Even children seemed accept upcoming death as a natural part of life. The
week passed quickly.
With much affection, hugs,
kisses and wishes to see him off at the airport, Srini walked through the door
toward the security and immigration check before boarding his flight to Dubai.
He saw a large group of his family with their eyes on him, everyone waving,
smiling and crying at the same time. He had a smile too and he waved goodbye.
They kept watching until the doors closed.
His flight took off and he looked out the window down at India, his land
of birth. It was teeming with life. He wanted to return as one of the creatures
there if he could.
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2015
All rights reserved
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2015
All rights reserved
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