Reciprocal Gratitude

This is the English version of
காலத்தினாற் செய்த உதவி 

Our newly rented house at Chennai had a big front veranda where a room can be be easily constructed by today’s standards. All our readings and other day to day activities usually took place here. Included in those activities consisted of an entertainment too i.e watching the road!!

He was a heavy built man with a dark complexion wearing a sola(r) hat. Whenever he rode a bicycle boys used to shout “circus elephant, circus elephant” From my veranda I used to watch with amazement at the rider and the ride. It was as if the man is riding a baby’s cycle. Every day morning his cycle took this tortuous journey.

I was new to the city of Madras and wanted to familiarize myself with all the shops in the neighbourhood. One day I decided to walk to the vegetable market. We were in those days when the super markets were non-existent. At one of the  fruit stall in that open  market, there was a big crowd and I could hear a man shouting at the top of his voice. “May be there is a big discount” I thought. But as I peeped through the crowd  I saw our big man  standing in the middle helplessly and the fruit seller abusing him. “You have come to my fruit stall and picked up the best fruits and when I wanted you to pay, you have the audacity to tell me that you have forgotten your purse and do you know that this is my first business for the day? With your empty handed dealing you have spoiled my day’s business.” He would not stop. He was adding plenty of Tamil expletives which can  humiliate any one. He would not allow him to give back the fruits too. The crowd was enjoying free show at the expense of that poor man. I could not tolerate it. I went near him and told him “Uncle I would pay the cash for you.” But he would not accept it. He said that he did not know me. I told him that I was new to this place and that I am living in the same street, just a house away from him and that this money was no  gratis and I would collect the money from him later. He accepted my offer, profusely thanking me.

It was the starting point of our friendship with Dr. B.W.X. Ponnaiya, the emeritus scientist (horticulture) which was indeed a blessing at  every crucial period of our life.

It was raining heavily one evening. The electricity went off as usual. We were having a a cosy time sitting around the lighted candle with our children  in the  days of no power backup! And in the process we didn’t hear our gate being knocked. When we realized that someone was at the gate, my husband rushed with the candle to find out that uncle Ponnaiya was waiting there with his umbrella in one hand and a bunch of flowers on the other. In spite of his  umbrella he was fully drenched in his safari suit. “I wanted you to enjoy this fragrance” he said with joy “this Jerusalem lily blooms only when it rains.” Our entire hall was filled with fragrance by the bunch of yellow beauties!! We did not know how to thank him.  He need not have come in the rainy darkness at his age. “I want to share with you what I enjoy like you shared my agony the other day” he said gleefully. When we said that we would take a snap of him with the flowers he pointed to our daughter Anne and said  “My granddaughter would be right person to pose with these beauties.”

The tiniest help rendered to him at the most crucial juncture was beautifully remembered by this great man!!

We will share more about this person with much more interesting anecdotes.