The staid journey.(39)

        Next year Appa retires. Annual holidays see us at Madanapalle. Yes Madanapalle famous for Rishi valley school and Banganapalli mangoes. He is in the NCC there.

      We stay in the library of a church. The Father’s family lives next door. The library is stacked with books from floor to ceiling. We go for it with glee. Huh ! All of them deal with sermons and religion. 

 As usual we have a good holiday with visits to nearby places. Horseley hills and the Rishi valley school which is self contained. 

         We get right of entrance to the Basant college library and that makes us very happy. 

             

     Later that year Amma   sets up house at Trichy and the boys come over from Chennai. I leave the hostel and become a day scholar in my 3 rd year. The youngest brother gets the national science talent scholarship.

               After 2 years in NCC Appa joins an industrialist friend 's company in Chennai. 1975 we shift to Chennai. Except  for staying  for  2 years after my marriage in Mumbai I have always been here. Appa during this time has been  busy gardening . Voluntary service at the public health centre West Mambalam for more than 35 years. It’s Vice President for a decade. 

               The boys of course have done very well in life  and have their own stories.

              Friends before ending my memoirs(?) I would like to thank you for accompanying  me in my journey. Writing this  has made me relive the past , remember the happy times .Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

             Just can't resist adding this one incident though.

           We are here in Chennai in 1975  , living in rented houses. Our house which is under lease to the army is not getting vacated. The army asks us to wait. A cousin of ours is staying with us to write his CA finals. He makes a deal with Appa that he will get the tenants to leave but  don't  ask me my methods he says.  One information he gets that the tenant has had a small scooter accident .

                 This cousin goes to our Ashok Nagar house in the guise of a clerk in the army and an ardent numerologist. The lady of the house  comes out and he gives his numerology pitch. They are about to enter the house when the other inmates come out.  " 3 punjabi college girls all as tall as electric poles. " "I don't remember what I said after that, I started running then and haven't stopped since".

            We do get back our house soon inspite of all this Tamasha . 

             

The rifle club certificate at Trichy.