‘Had I remained a bachelor, I would have been happy, Ammalu’ ‘Yes, if you had twenty pair of extra hands and an extra tommy, a big one that!’ ‘For what?’ ‘For carrying out my duties’ ‘And a dozen additional tongues too’ ‘Yes, you may need, as you won’t be able to manage with one tongue … Read more
‘Oh, ‘great!’ ‘amazing!’, ‘enjoy!’, ‘ what a relief, Appa!’ etc. were their comments in excitement when I told my children in USA that Meenasister’s cook Laksmi has reported for duty yesterday. Why a cook for two people and what is so exciting about it? God knows, perhaps, other than my children! But there were more … Read more
Anja is a baby and she has a baby! ‘Can she make kAppy?’ I asked her mammi ‘My pearl plays with puppy’ She said, all were happy!. My tongue never in locker And I’m always talker. ‘Teach her to make sambar Idli, Dosai, chutney Love comes from food Atchu loves all good’ Anja rushed … Read more
Thunderbolt and lightning Shook me to my root, I screamed in fear. What a fool I’m, to forget You’re my root, You the thunder, And lightening ! While trucking thorny, stony woods Unable to bear the wound, ‘Where you are?,’ I screamed, What a fool I’m to forget The wound was on your feet! … Read more
The cost of living has skyrocketed in these four years of my absence from the country. The plantain cart wallah came near the gate. ‘Babu, dozen entha? How much a dozen?’ ‘Dabbhai. Seventy rupees, Sir’ ‘Seventy rupees for a dozen banana!’ I couldn’t believe. I tried to calculate the cost of each plantain. 70/12–? 5 … Read more
Sometime ago my son Sharath said that he was applying for a Permanent Resident status also called, ‘Green Card’, for me so that my stay in USA won’t be restricted to six months, as permissible in the normal course. Only condition is, I should stay here for a minimum period of 181 days every time … Read more
‘A’ is for AmmAlu Not for Ammini. ‘A’ and an expanded ‘A’ for me, And a useless ‘A’ for her And two ‘ii’s, both bore. Days and nights have flown An inch you have’t grown. Untrustworthy your eyes Untrustworthy your sighs. Your smiles can’t deceive me, Look for others; remember Others means, not my … Read more
Sharath, who took me to the USCIS office for the interview enquired the officer whether he could be with me inside, as I might have problem to follow her pronunciation. ‘Don’t worry,’ assured the charming lady smiling, ‘your dad will be fine’. Here, all officials smile and speak sweetly. Even a doctor conveying to the … Read more
Funny is your ways, ma patting me with right hand And beating with your left! You bash, at times, black and blue Or kiss me on my head, Am I a football for you to kick Or a flower to wear and throw ? On cloud nine, for a moment I’m The next in ferment, … Read more
More than three years ago when I landed in America, I had no plan to stay for more than 6/7 months, as was my earlier practice, but various developments made me to stay, so long. But for the necessity of taking care of my sick brother, I will not be going even now, as … Read more