Much Ado About Nothing

We were anxious when our friend's wife  requested us over  phone that she would like to meet us in their house on an urgent matter.

When we went there our friend  Krishna, a happy go lucky man, was not the usual self and his glum countenance did not augur well. His wife was the one who narrated the happenings.

She said that the routine health check-up they did every 6 months was a bit disturbing and in Krishna’s blood analysis indicated a high sugar level and a visit to the doctor was imminent.

"Doctor I go for a 3 km walk every morning. How is it that my sugar level is high? May be we could do the test again in another lab?" her husband seemed anxious.

"You are using a first class lab my friend." the doctor said. High sugar can be hereditary. Is there any history in your family?

"My grandpa and grandma  had the condition..... But my father did not have." Krishna said

 "Sometimes it can skip generation. Stress is another  significant factor for sugar condition." the doctor said."  You cannot do anything with 'nature' but 'nurturing' is in our hands. Can you follow me?"

"Please make me understand." he requested the doctor.

"Hereditary factor can pass over generations. That is a 'natural' occurrence. But in our life we tend to 'nurture' stress, an important factor in sugar level. We build it up  with unwanted worries anxieties within the family in the work place  and in other relationships. But with little bit of effort we can come out of this negative nurturing and develop a positive one. Try the "Take it easy policy"." The doctor laughed.

"But he is a jovial person..... he can make you laugh at the drop of the hat." Krishna's wife said.

"Mam all of us carry a sub conscious mind. If it is in a conflict all the time it is bound to affect our system."

"Go off  sweets, sugar, salt and tuberous vegetables like potato except sweet potato. I will prescribe some medicine. Take it on a routine basis and you will be fine. Please never ever  stop your exercise.  That's the  free tonic for the  constitution."  The doctor advised.

"Having sugar is the easiest condition to manage Krishna.... Keep your routine, avoid temptations for sweet meats, eat small portions frequently there you are healthy as ever!" my husband said

"Easily said than done Anna." His wife said. "He hates his sugarless coffee and hates his less salt food. " Is a meal worth its salt without a spoon of pickle?" he grunts! He is on a sort of hunger strike. His side of the family is addicted to sweets. For them a lunch or a dinner is incomplete without sweets. Sometimes the sweets go beyond and extend to evening tea also!! A mere glance at the sweets in the shop make them salivate. And the laddus our Trichy  guests bring from Mayil Mark shop is  his ultimate!  I don't know how I am going to manage the show."

"It's a question of habit Krishna." My husband said " With some determination and effort you can definitely come out of it. Take the case of  Magie's sister. Her case is similar to yours. The  'sweet addiction' runs a riot in the family! It starts in right earnest on the new year day. The first of January is  the naming ceremony of Jesus and in keeping with the Tamil tradition every household prepares lot of rice mixed with jaggery and coconut. Vessels full of this sweets rice is taken to the chapel for distribution to the whole village. The visits to the houses to get blessing from the elders on that day is again  a process of eating this sweetened rice and no one minds it!!

On  a daily routine the morning the breakfast in that house starts with hot idli with melting butter and sugar and evening  tiffin is invariably  a sweet dish. Even the sweet potato a sweet one on its own is mixed with lot of jaggery and coconut and served as big balls! The fried peanut is accompanied by a lump of jaggery and puffed rice soaked in milk is a delicacy with added jaggery and grated coconut! The whole show reaches a crescendo  during the Xmas season with plenty of Tamil sweets! But now when  her sugar level shot up her sister  made a determined effort for a big conversion and today enjoys her tea sans sugar. When an old lady can do it can't you a young man raise yourself?

"That's the problem....." He was miserable. " I am young..... should I spend my whole lot of years  without my sweets? Or without my pickle?" He was on the verge of tears.

At this juncture I thought of my very close friend who could be a supermodel  to  youngsters. She is a  person  who enjoys her work, her relationship and her food in short takes the life as a great blessing!  One day as she was relishing her morning decoction coffee she fell down holding her stomach in great pain. Her husband panicked.  Any amount of house hold treatment for stomach pain including copious application of oil would not reduce her suffering. Suspecting  a severe attack  of appendicitis she was then rushed to the hospital. The scan revealed a tumour in the pancreas which had to be operated at once. Of all our organs the pancreas is the most delicate one  which can never be treated directly. She almost collapsed and was put on life saving device. Children living abroad rushed to their sinking mother. Her willpower and the positive vibrations from people around her at last brought her back to life. After days together in the hospital and frequent check-up she survived losing  all the functions the pancreas had to perform. A simple diet of boiled vegetables and a bit of carbohydrates became her daily diet. Not just that injecting insulin thrice a day before meals is obligatory and routine never to be missed.

She was at home for some time for rest and  recuperation. When we called her husband  to enquire about her health he surprised us with the news that his wife was back to her organic farming routine !

"But how is it possible? she had lost 10 kg. and is on a existentialistic  diet. The whole exercise will tire her out." I blurted and was worried

"Mam I am also into that diet, shedding unwanted flab! Not just that we are developing a property and both of us are on the site from the morning till evening. We carry our lunch along and relish it amidst the beautiful hilly ambience!" I was happy for them!

Whenever the couple visited the city it was mandatory that they make a short visit  to our place and that day happened to be the special one for all of us. We enjoy each other's  company, the philosophical yet lively chat.  On the day I received  call from them regarding their visit to our place and that  they were brining organic carrots beans and of course the hill specialty avocado which I love.   I prepared  a very simple lunch for the lady along with a little bit better one for us all. We had another pair of invitee too. 

You guessed it right. It was Krishna and his wife. 

With mutual greetings, all the six of us settled down as the conversation gained momentum.

With this bonhomie, lunch was a relaxed affair. The exception was  Krishna who said that he would be a glutton whenever he came to this house for a meal as Mam always made something special and tasty which he could never resist. But today she has  played a subdued note and her payasam and vadai are conspicuous  by their absence. He said “Damn my sugar." Krishna was a disappointed man.

"Same here too ......" said the lady from the hill and laughingly said, "Whenever I come here mam will prepare a special spicy gravy for me. Alas...... I am missing it."

"But that gravy is just in front of you. Can I serve you?" I said.

It was then that Krishna looked at her plate and was surprised. It was an assorted variety of boiled vegetables with a table spoon of rice occupying a corner.

Her enthusiastic conversation throughout meal did liven up the ambiance which made Krishna wonder.

"Such a tasteless meal....... is it ever capable of creating so much joy in her?"  He was in awe!!

After the couple took leave to catch the train back   the bewildered Krishna asked  me why that lady who was not over weight was undergoing such a diet. "Does she want to make a style statement?"

I spilled out the whole story. " She always counts her blessing Krishna.  For her life is a miracle and   food is for survival and not for taste which is just throat deep."

Krishna now realised  the reason for the luncheon invitation and thanked both of us  for giving him the lesson of life which any number of advisory expressions  can fail to produce.