It's been a while when I wrote a personal post here! And more than a while that I wrote something about Daddu!
I tried a lot to start writing about him, but words deceived me, most of the times!
But I realised, the very art of writing, of expressing in British English was inculcated by Daddu. And if I were to not take that up to write about him, then it would be a sheer waste!
I still remember whenever he used to go to Madras with my grandmother, for a period of a month, away from his dearest grandchildren, he would pack a dozen of postcards in the first place.
Those days, there weren't any mobile phones or any short messaging services available! He would write letters to us. Yes, and that too on the 10 ps postcards! It used to be a pleasure to read him tell us about the journey. How they managed to get seats in the train, what all he had during the journey and how he just wouldn't go to sleep, because peeping out of the window was a merrier task for him and so much more. He would tell us about all the people he would be visiting in Madras, how he had his lunch way earlier than he usually did, how he sat under the tree reading newspaper and having tea and so much more.
He would start his letter with a peculiar style, which later I adopted in school and it became an instant hit amongst my teachers. They praised the way I took letter writing so seriously. I couldn't thank daddu more, for small little things that he taught me.
There was sheer optimism in his writing. He would sound so good and happy about everything, even if it were losing a wallet. There were very rare things that would upset him, and if once he lost his cool, he would gain it back after a lot of pampering.
He would give up food and water to make a point, but would gladly accept his mistakes later and apologize for acting so weird and say that he only meant what we actually meant!
He also taught me to see the time. He had this uncanny ability of telling the time by looking at the position of the sun. When I was a kid, I used to go to play at around 4 pm and my mom would come from office at around 5.30pm. Exactly at 5.15pm Daddu would come down to me, and say that it is time for mom to come, and I should come back home.
I would ask him how did he know what time it was, he said, he just knew! I always wondered HOW.
He was always correct. I would clean up before 5.15pm and wait downstairs to receive mom from work, obviously expecting some candies!
When I grew up, he told me technically, how he saw the position of the sun and concluded the time. I tried hard, but till date I am not able to tell the time simply by gauging the position of the sun.
He also taught me to read the time in the clock. He told me that "quarter to 4 and three forty five" were same. He told me the relation between a quarter, half and three quarters.
I could efficiently read time when I was 6, i.e. in standard 1.
He also taught me to fold my clothes neatly. I have never been able to learn the art of maintaining clothes the way they should be. I leave it to mom or sister to take care of them. But everytime I saw him fold his shirt, his blanket, corner to corner, I would wonder, why can't I do it!
Now I maintain my clothes the way he did. It's just one of his learnings applied in my daily life.
There is so much more. I can go on writing! :) But as of now, all I can have is a "Daddu Tag".
He is not around anymore! He is resting in eternal peace!
Now that I can't talk to him anymore, I better write! He will read it somehow, I feel!
I tried a lot to start writing about him, but words deceived me, most of the times!
But I realised, the very art of writing, of expressing in British English was inculcated by Daddu. And if I were to not take that up to write about him, then it would be a sheer waste!
I still remember whenever he used to go to Madras with my grandmother, for a period of a month, away from his dearest grandchildren, he would pack a dozen of postcards in the first place.
Those days, there weren't any mobile phones or any short messaging services available! He would write letters to us. Yes, and that too on the 10 ps postcards! It used to be a pleasure to read him tell us about the journey. How they managed to get seats in the train, what all he had during the journey and how he just wouldn't go to sleep, because peeping out of the window was a merrier task for him and so much more. He would tell us about all the people he would be visiting in Madras, how he had his lunch way earlier than he usually did, how he sat under the tree reading newspaper and having tea and so much more.
He would start his letter with a peculiar style, which later I adopted in school and it became an instant hit amongst my teachers. They praised the way I took letter writing so seriously. I couldn't thank daddu more, for small little things that he taught me.
He would begin his letters like this
"I am basking here in the sunshine of all good cheers, and hope the same from you all there"
There was sheer optimism in his writing. He would sound so good and happy about everything, even if it were losing a wallet. There were very rare things that would upset him, and if once he lost his cool, he would gain it back after a lot of pampering.
He would give up food and water to make a point, but would gladly accept his mistakes later and apologize for acting so weird and say that he only meant what we actually meant!
He also taught me to see the time. He had this uncanny ability of telling the time by looking at the position of the sun. When I was a kid, I used to go to play at around 4 pm and my mom would come from office at around 5.30pm. Exactly at 5.15pm Daddu would come down to me, and say that it is time for mom to come, and I should come back home.
I would ask him how did he know what time it was, he said, he just knew! I always wondered HOW.
He was always correct. I would clean up before 5.15pm and wait downstairs to receive mom from work, obviously expecting some candies!
When I grew up, he told me technically, how he saw the position of the sun and concluded the time. I tried hard, but till date I am not able to tell the time simply by gauging the position of the sun.
He also taught me to read the time in the clock. He told me that "quarter to 4 and three forty five" were same. He told me the relation between a quarter, half and three quarters.
I could efficiently read time when I was 6, i.e. in standard 1.
He also taught me to fold my clothes neatly. I have never been able to learn the art of maintaining clothes the way they should be. I leave it to mom or sister to take care of them. But everytime I saw him fold his shirt, his blanket, corner to corner, I would wonder, why can't I do it!
Now I maintain my clothes the way he did. It's just one of his learnings applied in my daily life.
There is so much more. I can go on writing! :) But as of now, all I can have is a "Daddu Tag".
He is not around anymore! He is resting in eternal peace!
Now that I can't talk to him anymore, I better write! He will read it somehow, I feel!
Daddu,
I am basking here in the sunshine of all good cheers, hope the same from you there!
Mini :)
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