Bertie Wooster. (26)

         Last evening my youngest brother Sampath on a visit accused me of  not being true and hiding things that showed us in a bad light. No I am writing everything warts and all I said. Then why did you leave out that incident where you bluffed me. When? I was 4 or 5 years old ,you three gave me an orange ,asked me to sit at home and you went off to see that flubber movie .Even an elephant will have a shorter memory.

         Mrs Tara Singh ,Jatinder 's mother calls me aside when I go to their house on the way home. A one month old Tibetan cocker spaniel pup  is passed on to me. He easily  fits in the palm of my hand. She wraps him up in a flannel cloth and I take him home in the pocket of my coat. I am slightly anxious about the reception. I need not have worried. Bertie Wooster is given a warm welcome. He is so tiny that we have to spoon feed him. Find sun spots for him to lie down in .He thrives. Only a person who has a pet dog will understand the happiness and camaraderie we feel.

             End of December and we are going to Trichy  via Arakkonam. We leave Bertie with our next door neighbour who is also Appa's junior.  Mrs Tara Singh gives us food to carry along. At least my carrier will go by flight she says. Yes from Guwahati to Calcutta we go by flight . Our first one. Dakota the boys say knowledgeably. Or was it Fokker friendship? Cuts our travel time by two days.

                 Arakkonam is where Amma's parents have settled down after retirement. Few days there then we are in Trichy. Patti is there to make us welcome. So many cousins.They are  coming and going. Aunts and uncles, second cousins, Appa 's school and college mates . It seems the whole world is there.The house itself and the grounds are just huge. Yet we are able to feel that warmth and love when Patti makes special dishes for us and tells us her stories. We just love it when she makes us sit in a circle  around her . A vessel full of curd rice and another with vaththakulambu . Her stories are always enjoyable. 

              Some days left for the holidays to end and I remember that I have assignments to finish. Crafts  and sewing classes end with class 9 . ( boys have some electrical maintenance classes instead. Gender Bias ! ) We have to submit so many samples. A full size sweater and crochet pieces included. I sit there in the hall busily clicking my needles with people stopping to stare. Click ,click click I am a fast knitter even though I say so myself. Now with people watching I over do it. I am a veritable performing monkey. No applauses though.

                We are still there in Trichy in Feb' 69. Annadurai dies. I remember the continuous flow of lorries filled with sorrowing party workers and general public. A week later we return home. 

                 Where is Bertie? Our neighbour has gone to inspect the border outposts . We wait for him to return.