It has been long since I've picked up a book and read! I never found the time since I started earning! In the younger days, Mum came home like an out-of-season Santa, after her recent visit to our age-old bookstore Gangarams! (Yet wonder why it closed down) A bag full of Enid Blyton would be devoured in no time! The book-shelf in my room was stacked to capacity with all shades of colour! And years passed, more books different authors. They were piled up to a dangerous height.
I would attribute my love for reading and English to my Trivandrum Ammachy (Grandmama)! She was a not the old clichéd Grandma who'd make sure her grand children were pampered till they'd wish there was no more such love in this whole wide world. She was the strict one among my Ammach-ies. She negotiated that I'd stay with her for a month out of my 2-month summer vacation . She'd roam around the lil town of Trivandrum searching for the best Math and Hindi teachers to get me trained for the new year. A normal child after the summer vacations would return to the new Grade with truck loads of fun stories. A new hobby, old cousins, long hours of play, a new riddle, a funny joke! Yeah! and a lot of pampering. But me, I had a strict schedule for a whole month and none knew about it.
Trivandrum, was a happy and a laid back town. With lotsa kokonut trees and crows! Everybody had a smile etched on their very sweaty faces! My Granny was a school-teacher and a principal in the near-by school until she retired. The auto drivers and the office-workers in the locality, yet have a tone of fear in their voices when they shout out "Teacheraeaea!! Lift vaeno?"(translates as Teacher, do u want a lift?) But, yeah! they all loved and respected her. My Ammachy zoomed across town on her 2 feet with me hanging on to her. I'd be running to keep up with her pace. She took me with her for morning purchases , conventions, prayer get-togethers, market ventures etc. All through her travel she'd constantly reminded me to recite my bible-verse for the day! Together we sang, spoke and prayed while we ventured through the city.
Back, to my love for books, it started roughly that time during when I could start reading words together. I was packed away to my grandma's, the day my final exams were over. In my little suitcase were freshly bound hard-cover books which my mum had picked out for me for the summer. Each day of my vacation, at almost 4'o clock, I accompanied my grandma to the terrace. There we sat on a little step, till late dusk, till the sun slipped away into the horizon. We read the books one by one. I was transported into the land of fairies and goblins and little animated animals. We paused after every paragraph for her explantions on it. She always asked me to picture it out and feel it alive. And as exaggerated my mind was at that tiny age, I loved the world I was transported to. She paused and explained every new word we encountered. We never knew how the time flew by. As the birds headed back to their homes for the day, there I was reading my favourite stories. Everything was quiet and calm around. Our voice resounded through the silence. This went on, for many years, until I came to a phase in life where I just didn't feel like reading aloud. Until then, every year, many new stories, multitude of parables. It gave us company through the night while we slept.
Even now when I visit Ammachy in Trivandrum , I'd go sit silently on the little step in the terrace. The silence of the place brought back the stories I read. I don't remember many of them but yet it brought me the much needed joy. Now when I do find time, I take a book to read. I can feel the happiness of turning the next page. The words are what takes the reader through the world of heaven and wonderland.
You'd wonder how was my Ammachy doing now. She is 84 years old. The Lord has been leading her strong. He keeps her company through the long day and silent night. She refuses to rest much. She yet zooms across town with the same pace. She yet corrects my English with a sharp tone. But yeah, She is not very strict now. I wonder if I'd be able to be that cheerful and energetic at that age in my life. Thank You, Dear Lord, for being with her through the day. Lord, Thank you for making her the Ammachy she is. Please continue being her Guide and her Friend .
I would attribute my love for reading and English to my Trivandrum Ammachy (Grandmama)! She was a not the old clichéd Grandma who'd make sure her grand children were pampered till they'd wish there was no more such love in this whole wide world. She was the strict one among my Ammach-ies. She negotiated that I'd stay with her for a month out of my 2-month summer vacation . She'd roam around the lil town of Trivandrum searching for the best Math and Hindi teachers to get me trained for the new year. A normal child after the summer vacations would return to the new Grade with truck loads of fun stories. A new hobby, old cousins, long hours of play, a new riddle, a funny joke! Yeah! and a lot of pampering. But me, I had a strict schedule for a whole month and none knew about it.
Trivandrum, was a happy and a laid back town. With lotsa kokonut trees and crows! Everybody had a smile etched on their very sweaty faces! My Granny was a school-teacher and a principal in the near-by school until she retired. The auto drivers and the office-workers in the locality, yet have a tone of fear in their voices when they shout out "Teacheraeaea!! Lift vaeno?"(translates as Teacher, do u want a lift?) But, yeah! they all loved and respected her. My Ammachy zoomed across town on her 2 feet with me hanging on to her. I'd be running to keep up with her pace. She took me with her for morning purchases , conventions, prayer get-togethers, market ventures etc. All through her travel she'd constantly reminded me to recite my bible-verse for the day! Together we sang, spoke and prayed while we ventured through the city.
Back, to my love for books, it started roughly that time during when I could start reading words together. I was packed away to my grandma's, the day my final exams were over. In my little suitcase were freshly bound hard-cover books which my mum had picked out for me for the summer. Each day of my vacation, at almost 4'o clock, I accompanied my grandma to the terrace. There we sat on a little step, till late dusk, till the sun slipped away into the horizon. We read the books one by one. I was transported into the land of fairies and goblins and little animated animals. We paused after every paragraph for her explantions on it. She always asked me to picture it out and feel it alive. And as exaggerated my mind was at that tiny age, I loved the world I was transported to. She paused and explained every new word we encountered. We never knew how the time flew by. As the birds headed back to their homes for the day, there I was reading my favourite stories. Everything was quiet and calm around. Our voice resounded through the silence. This went on, for many years, until I came to a phase in life where I just didn't feel like reading aloud. Until then, every year, many new stories, multitude of parables. It gave us company through the night while we slept.
Even now when I visit Ammachy in Trivandrum , I'd go sit silently on the little step in the terrace. The silence of the place brought back the stories I read. I don't remember many of them but yet it brought me the much needed joy. Now when I do find time, I take a book to read. I can feel the happiness of turning the next page. The words are what takes the reader through the world of heaven and wonderland.
You'd wonder how was my Ammachy doing now. She is 84 years old. The Lord has been leading her strong. He keeps her company through the long day and silent night. She refuses to rest much. She yet zooms across town with the same pace. She yet corrects my English with a sharp tone. But yeah, She is not very strict now. I wonder if I'd be able to be that cheerful and energetic at that age in my life. Thank You, Dear Lord, for being with her through the day. Lord, Thank you for making her the Ammachy she is. Please continue being her Guide and her Friend .
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