“What are you watching on TV so late in the night, sitting all by yourself?” grandma asked. “I am watching world-cup football grandma. Morocco is playing against Portugal!” I answered. Grandma was aghast. Knitting her eyebrows she asked, “If Portuguese people are playing, why are you wasting your time? When is India’s match?”
It was tough to explain to grandma. “India is not playing in
the world-cup. They have not taken India!” Grandmother found it difficult to
swallow. Rolling her eyes and peering through her spectacles, she questioned,
“Why have they not taken India? How can they play a world-cup without India?
Isn’t India part of the world?”
As far as grandmother was concerned, this was exactly like
the matches in the neighborhood. Invariably, the big boys in the neighborhood
were bullies who regularly outcast the most docile child! Many times, she had
to step in and put a firm word, “Next time, you don’t include this poor child
in your game, wait and watch what I do!”
She felt the same bullying tactics were meted out to India!
We were just too nice for the world. I had to tell grandma the truth. “We do
not run fast. You must run fast to play football!” Grandma was more confused,
“Why cannot we run fast? Kapil Dev, Gavaskar and Tendulkar used to run, isn’t
it?”
I was stumped by grandma’s question. There were two problems
to tackle. One was the confusion regarding the sport. The second was a problem
in chronology. The world had moved on, but Grandma’s players still belonged to a
prehistoric time.
Grandma lived in a different universe. Clad in the
traditional 9 yards sari since the age of 8, her days revolved around kitchen,
prayer and temple visits. I took a shot at the answer, “Grandma, we run fast,
but not so fast. Tendulkar played Cricket. But this is football. Here, we have
to run and kick also!” Grandma had a different question now. “I know
Portuguese. Who is this murukku? It sounds like our eatables- “murukku” and “seedai”!”
“Grandma, it is not murukku! It is Morocco…Morocco. It is a country in Africa!”
By now, grandma had left the room. I could hear her trailing
words- “Murukku can kick, Portuguese can kick, but India cannot? What adharma
is this! It is Kaliyuga only!”
The above conversation never took place. It is entirely a
figment of my imagination. Grandma passed away a few years ago. I am reminded
of her child-like innocence and her probing questions. As memory, she lives on.
One part of the mind becomes grandma, and the other part is me. The
conversation continues, some hilarious, some absurd, much like earlier times!
Which grandma. I love my periamma. Soft and ever smiling with such a sense of humor. She was beautiful and varsha has taken over her. She was kind and made home cooked biscuits in the afternoon. She was a a very busy person, bubbling with energy and can do lot of hand n
ReplyDeleteMade handicrafts. She used put decoratve glass dolls, flowers onsidebig bottles for showcase. She used to do painting made of colorful pearls. She used make pavazha malli malai plenty by 11 am for god's. She can use rattinam and prepare cotton threads from cotton and sell it!!! She can sing carnatic songs and very good at it. I cankeep taking about her. She handled Anna like a baby till the end. On her last day, she went to hospital after soaking Anna's clothes. My god. She got such a sense of humor and use to laugh her heart out. Enough now.
So nice to know about grandma!!! So many details! The art in the family must be coming down from her only! But this article is based on maternal grandma!!! I thought of her....while writing this!!!!
DeleteShankar, Knowingly or unknowingly you took the example of the most bizarre match in this world cup. Portugal had the ball possession 75% of the time. They had 600 passes between their players compared to 250 passes between Morroccoeans. Total domination.Yet they lost....
DeleteIs it!!!!? I am as nirakshara-pakshi about football as my grandma!!! But because of football fever, I do keep track of results!!! Somehow, I chose this match! Total coincidence!
DeleteShankar, I have a question. Eons ago you visited India from Edmonton and you narrated an incident from your trip. You were watching TV and some program on Bhagvat Gita was going on. You told me that your grandma came into the room and you were half expecting her to praise you for you interest in the religious sphere. She merely looked at you and the time and said “ I have to watch the serial “Shanti” at 9:30, please change the channel for me” . You were left speechless … Is this the same Paati ?
ReplyDeleteSame paati Raj!!! You remember so much!!!! Only after you reminded, this incident flashed back!!!!
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