24 August, 2011
30 July, 2011
Towards to the middle of the night I woke up to some weird noise just below where I was sleeping. There was a sound of breaking twigs, then quiet and minutes later a rustle in the leaves. For a brief moment I allowed my mind to sink and suddenly I was fully alert.” Bears’ I thought. I was almost hyperventilating from the thought of being a bear’s mid night snack. I remember my father and tried to wake him up. I found him sitting upright and listening to the rustling sound. He looked transfixed and frozen.
“Father, did you find the knife”, I asked. He said no and told me to look for it for he had to keep his gaze in that direction should a bear suddenly appeared. I fumbled through the bag and came across the aluminum spatula which I handed to him. He felt the weapon with his hand and then looked at me. “Do you expect me to fight a bear with this” and in saying so, he hit the spatula on my head. The “twank” sound on my head had somehow got magnified by many folds and reached down to whatever it was and the next thing we heard was the sound of the creature bolting out of the place. We both had a hearty laugh and me a big swelling on my head.
Early morning while my father worked on the breakfast, I went around examining the spot from where the nightly creature made the sounds. I found a number of wild boar foot prints. I reported this to my father. Having eaten, we repacked our bags and took to the path. Unlike the previous day’s walk, it was alongside a river. The clear crisp morning mist floated over the water giving it a mysterious feel. We walked through thick pine woods and came across some majestic and spectacular rhododendrons trees in full bloom with crimson flowers. Occasionally my father waited for me to catch up and otherwise he would busy himself whistling song tunes to himself while walking. I trotted behind him like a small goat pretending to be some engine and making different noises myself. We were both in different worlds.
The path was strewn with wandering roots and at one time I tripped on such a root and catapulted spectacularly into a small puddle. Looking like a wild boar myself, I ran to inform my father of my misfortune.
Just before noon, we chanced upon a small hamlet. The people were all working in the surrendering fields. As we passed by, some viewed us with suspicion while some shouted across asking us to stay for tea. Almost every house had a huge mastiff chained to some posts. Mastiffs as big as bears growled and barked at us. I felt the marrows in my shin twitch. We did not stop for tea for we know from experience that people in that region offered only verbal tea and never real tea.
By midday, we stopped near a stream. While my father engaged himself in the preparations of lunch, I sauntered around admiring the different flowers that grew in the small clearing. To name a few, there were purple iris, baby’s breath, birds of paradise and lots and lots of daisies. I checked to see my father bent over the fire. Knowing that there was no one around, I talked to the flowers and even smiled at them at some point. After all I am still a kid and kids do talk to flowers.
“Father, did you find the knife”, I asked. He said no and told me to look for it for he had to keep his gaze in that direction should a bear suddenly appeared. I fumbled through the bag and came across the aluminum spatula which I handed to him. He felt the weapon with his hand and then looked at me. “Do you expect me to fight a bear with this” and in saying so, he hit the spatula on my head. The “twank” sound on my head had somehow got magnified by many folds and reached down to whatever it was and the next thing we heard was the sound of the creature bolting out of the place. We both had a hearty laugh and me a big swelling on my head.
Early morning while my father worked on the breakfast, I went around examining the spot from where the nightly creature made the sounds. I found a number of wild boar foot prints. I reported this to my father. Having eaten, we repacked our bags and took to the path. Unlike the previous day’s walk, it was alongside a river. The clear crisp morning mist floated over the water giving it a mysterious feel. We walked through thick pine woods and came across some majestic and spectacular rhododendrons trees in full bloom with crimson flowers. Occasionally my father waited for me to catch up and otherwise he would busy himself whistling song tunes to himself while walking. I trotted behind him like a small goat pretending to be some engine and making different noises myself. We were both in different worlds.
The path was strewn with wandering roots and at one time I tripped on such a root and catapulted spectacularly into a small puddle. Looking like a wild boar myself, I ran to inform my father of my misfortune.
Just before noon, we chanced upon a small hamlet. The people were all working in the surrendering fields. As we passed by, some viewed us with suspicion while some shouted across asking us to stay for tea. Almost every house had a huge mastiff chained to some posts. Mastiffs as big as bears growled and barked at us. I felt the marrows in my shin twitch. We did not stop for tea for we know from experience that people in that region offered only verbal tea and never real tea.
By midday, we stopped near a stream. While my father engaged himself in the preparations of lunch, I sauntered around admiring the different flowers that grew in the small clearing. To name a few, there were purple iris, baby’s breath, birds of paradise and lots and lots of daisies. I checked to see my father bent over the fire. Knowing that there was no one around, I talked to the flowers and even smiled at them at some point. After all I am still a kid and kids do talk to flowers.
10 July, 2010
A moment to remember….
The moment I sat in a restaurant, a plump waitress tumbled along with a menu book. She smiled at me and placed the menu in front of me. I picked up the menu that ran many pages. The waitress sauntered off to attend to other guests. Before I could even complete scanning one page she was back. "Are you ready to place your order, sir" Not yet, I sounded back in a petulant tone. She again sauntered off.
Two minutes later she was back again, this time looking very grim and with an "I will hang you look". Are you done now, she said. “Sorry, I am unable to decide because I am not used to such a long menu book”, I retorted back. Aggrrhh! "You must be new here" she thundered. Yes, I have been away in the prison for a long time, for murder, I told her.
She took a step back and asked me the reason for going to prison. I placed the menu on the table, rubbed my forehead and said I was imprisoned for murdering a waitress for rushing me up. She half opened her mouth and backed off and never came to take the order.
The moment I sat in a restaurant, a plump waitress tumbled along with a menu book. She smiled at me and placed the menu in front of me. I picked up the menu that ran many pages. The waitress sauntered off to attend to other guests. Before I could even complete scanning one page she was back. "Are you ready to place your order, sir" Not yet, I sounded back in a petulant tone. She again sauntered off.
Two minutes later she was back again, this time looking very grim and with an "I will hang you look". Are you done now, she said. “Sorry, I am unable to decide because I am not used to such a long menu book”, I retorted back. Aggrrhh! "You must be new here" she thundered. Yes, I have been away in the prison for a long time, for murder, I told her.
She took a step back and asked me the reason for going to prison. I placed the menu on the table, rubbed my forehead and said I was imprisoned for murdering a waitress for rushing me up. She half opened her mouth and backed off and never came to take the order.
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