Grandpa

Every other person is blessed with grandparents, there is always something special about them. The way grandparents care and pamper is quite different.  One will have to live with them to experience it; Kirthi was one such fortunate girl.

Kirthi’s grandpa- Krishnan was a retired Indian army officer and had a personality of Albus Dumbledore as in Harry Potter novels. He was well built, with a clam face, long nose and broad lips. Kirthi had always seen her grandpa with a well combed hair and he always presented him neatly dressed.

Kirthi (Ki) was the first grandchild of his family tree, so he address her always 'kutti amma', as he believed that his beloved mother had reborn. Naturally Ki was pampered, and nobody dared to raise their voice against her in the vicinity of her grandpa. Ki's actions were always correct and her words were laws.

Ki's and Krishnan’s daily routine would start with a small walk around the park. The reason being Ki's mother would have to attend to Ki’s 6-months old younger brother. Krishnan did not want his granddaughter to feel bad for the lack of care from her mom even for a brief time, so he took her for a walk.  By the time both of them would come back Ki's brother would have slept in the cradle and her mom will be able to attend to Ki.  Such was his care.

Ki's dad would drop her at the school in his bi-cycle, and in the afternoon Krishnan would come to pick her up.  At times when her dad was busy, Ki's grandpa used to drop her at school. Those days were special for Ki and her friends.  Krishnan never leaves his granddaughter at school gate, unlike her dad. He goes all the way into her K.G class and helps her to find a good wooden chair (Ki's preference was wooden chair, than the metal one, because the rust would spoil her white uniform). After making her sit in her favorite chair, he wipes off her sweat with his hankie and said good-bye only when Ki's dearest “Padma-miss” arrives to the class. In case he finds out that her teacher was on leave, he takes her to the next K.G section where her second dearest “Sheela-miss” takes the class.

In the afternoon Ki's teacher would  say “Un Thatha Vandhachu”  (Your Grandpa has come) and  Ki used peep out to see his big umbrella and always ran happily to him. Grandpa and grand-daughter used to walk till the bus-stop holding each other’s hand.  At the bus-stop stall, Krishnan used buy a chocolate and two bananas. Chocolate was Ki's choice and bananas were his choice. And he used to feed her one banana while waiting for the bus. Their stop was just 6 stops away, but in that short duration too Krishnan used to speak well with other passenger and their conversation never stops, that was the magic of Krishnan; He was the Babuji of the locality he lived-in.

After getting down at their stop, both of them used to walk another 2 Km. As soon as they cross the main road, Krishnan would open his big umbrella and instruct Ki to walk under its shade. It was a game for Ki, she used run in and out of the shade. Then after few minutes, under a big pupil tree on the way home they used to stop and Krishnan used to feed her the second banana (which she often refuses) and some water.

Then after having meals Ki used to sleep with her grandpa hearing Tenali Rama stories, Panchatantra stories, Ramayana and Krishna leelas. Ki would play with his scaly, fleshly and strong fingers until she falls asleep. It was a daily routine for Krishnan and Ki.

Evening again they both would go for a walk, this time it is through the railway lines to see the trains and the engines. They would walk in the rails chatting and singing holding each other tightly. Krishnan used to explain how trains work and how it helps people. It used to be an electric train lane and so there would be big stacks of round tiffin-box like structures hanging from the pole, which Ki used to imagine as food for engine drivers. And always her grandpa corrects by saying that they were power-battery boxes. (But even till now Ki is fascinated by her child-hood fantasy, and taught her daughter the same).

Years passed happily. Ki's grandparents went to Mumbai to take care of their youngest grandson. Ki's family too moved to Kerala.

In 1996 Krishnan passed away because of massive heart attack. Ki was in her eighth standard and during the funeral she came to know a truth from her mom.

Ki’s grandpa had a paralytic attack in his early 50's. But still he never took a bus to her school, he used to walk all the 9-km just to save his bus fair and buy Ki her favorite chocolate and banana. The depth of her grandpa's love sunk deep into her heart and she cried and cried...

Krishnan might be gone from this world, but his memories are always with Ki. The passion and moral taught by him would never vanish from Ki's heart. Ki still has the tradition followed in her place, where her daughter is brought back from school by her grandpa and groomed under the shades of grandparents. The family morals and values were not taught to Ki, but were shown to her and they are rooted deep in her heart. Ki missed the chance of saying “I love u grandpa”, she missed to hug him but, she made a promise to her grandpa, that she will never turn her back for her kids when it comes to family values and their grandparents love.