UNCLE MOON

In malayalam, little children are taught to call Moon as 'Ambili Ammavan' which translates as 'Uncle Moon'. There are poems revolving around Uncle Moon in every Indian regional language. In Hindi literature, moon faced or chanda sa mukda or chandini (moonlit), chand (moon) are all terms used to address someone absolutely dear and loving. 'Chand ka tukda' which translates as 'Piece of Moon', is referred to a child by it's mother when the heart is so fondly overflowing with love for the child. As a child I used to read the childrens' magazine Chandamama (Uncle Moon) which is available in so many Indian regional languages. A malayalam version 'Ambili Ammavan' was a favourite among Keralite children. There was children's movie made by the same name by Vinayan in 1984.

Uncle Moon remains in the sky and children make fondest wishes looking at the brighly lit moon. Mothers tell stories of 'Uncle Moon' to the children who eagerly envision those stories with gleaming eyes and all ears. As a child, I too was fascinated by the unreachable moon. My mother told me stories about a real 'Uncle Moon' who was her cousin who loved children and laughed a lot and gave little gifts to the children he favoured most. I must have been around ten when during a vacation in Calicut, I was playing with my cousins and friends one morning, oblivious to the world around me, when my mother excitedly shouted, 'Look who has come to see you' and I wondered who is this person who came as an interruption during the end of my carrom board game and I was supposed to be winning. It was none other than the living legend, 'Uncle Moon'. He had a round face and a bald head and was of a short stature. True to what my mother said, he laughed a lot and obviously was very fond of children. He gave me a bag of goodies and he asked me, 'Do you know who Iam?' and I went, 'Yes, Uncle Moon', to which he roared with laughter quite pleased with my answer. Uncle moon was an Income Tax Officer and was held in high esteem by all. Uncle Moon always wore white clothes only. When I asked him if he didnt like any other colours, he merely laughed at the question. Several visits to his house was filled with a fascinating time. Uncle Moon was an excellent story teller and his stories were laced with humour and he had not only the children but adults spell bound.

Sadly Uncle Moon passed away quite early in life that saddened the whole family for a while. I heard my parents say, 'There is no one so wonderful as uncle moon' and his death was a terrible loss. During my last visit to Calicut, I met Uncle Moon's only son, who was the exact physical replica, with the round face, bald head and quite short. I found myself wondering if he purchased his clothes from the Children's section of Retail shops. I found my friends and cousins laughing as he approached us at a relative's wedding. I wondered why they laughed, but then I realized, my mischivious cousins and friends spared no one when it came to physical attributes, not that they were unaware of their own flaws. I did find Uncle Moon's son quite an amusing character. He wasn't like his father at all. He lacked the charm, the exuberance or the ability to laugh or lead or get a crowd going like Uncle Moon did. Why am I comparing I thought, 'He is just another individual, quite unlike his father'. However, Uncle Moon's son did take up the same profession as his father, he too is now an Income Tax Officer. He introduced me to his rather tall wife who was definitely a couple of inches taller than him and his daughter who towered over him. I wondered whether Uncle Moon's son was just plain serious or was he suffering some depression. Some said, he was queer, some said, he is a funny man, some said he is good at his work. We both talked about his father and I realized, his father whom we fondly called 'Ambili Ammavan' passed away when he was just a school boy.

The Uncle Moon I knew would have been delighted to know that India sent Chandrayaan spacecraft to the moon.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Sometimes we mistake a person for someone else. Has it happened? It can be quite embarrasing and humourous as well.

I recently chanced to meet a friend in Calicut, whom I have'nt met in 12 years. However, my friend looks the same, even weighs the same (or so it appears) and smiles the charming same. My friend shook my hand and said, 'It's good to see you after so many years. How are you?' and we exchange endless pleasantaries and my friend enquired, 'So, when did you arrive from Mumbai?' And I was rather suprised. 'Mumbai, no I came from Trivandrum' . With a puzzled look my friend said, 'So, you are not Tanuja?' and I said, No, Iam Aruna'. My other friends were giggling and laughing away. My friend was both shocked and excited to know who I really was. It was a wonderful revelation and reunion. Those were Kodak moments!

I remember when my son was in 5th standard in Kuwait, I took him to a school which was the venue for violin competition in which he was participating and I met this look alike of someone I know very well and walked up to that person and wished her and she wished me back and we were talking about the competiton and we both sensed a bit of wierdness and then she asked me, if she knew me....and thats when it struck me, its a look alike of a person I knew. But we had a nice laugh though.

Once a child came up to me, saying 'Amma' and I turned around and I think I scared the child as it gave out a squeal when she found out, I am a total stranger and not her mother. I felt like giving out a squeal too.

It was 2004. My friend was walking hand in hand with her husband in an exhibition ground amidst a huge crowd. After a while she turned around to talk to her husband and found herself holding on to the hand of a total stranger, in the crowd, to her horror. She left the stranger's hand and practically ran from there, and frantically searched for her husband. He found her first and held her hand to which she jumped thinking it is yet another stranger. She expressed to me how relieved and joyous she was to find her husband. They still hold hands while they walk, but tighter!

Last year when I was travelling by Sri Lankan Airlines from Kuwait to Trivandrum, there was this husband and wife in the next row. The man was delighted with the number of drinks being served and he seemed to be constantly quenching his desire to drink. He finally looked a bit disoriented. He dragged himself to the toilet and as he returned, he sat next to a beautiful, lone lady, 2 seats away from his wife and the lone lady screamed at him in vain, as he had plunged into deep sleep. The stewards shifted him to his rightful seat and as he snored in his sleep, quite oblivious to his actions, his dear wife shifted her hang luggage and sat elsewhere.

I used to teach two boys, who were twins, and by God they were such perfect look alikes. I never knew who was who. They always had to correct me when I addressed their names. Their mother taught me to differentiate them by their character. One was a bit hyper and the other very quiet. The hyper one was talkative and the quiet one would speak far less.

Mistaken identities...can be funny, shocking and sometimes embarrasing.

WEDDING JOURNAL

An invitation to attend the wedding of a close relative in Calicut meant an opportunity of meeting relatives settled in various parts of India and abroad, who came down for the wedding. These are people, whom otherwise I wouldnt be able to see, besides the huge number of relatives from my maternal side. Weddings always promise a memorable and exciting time, besides sumptuous vast array of food two days prior to wedding, the wedding and for coming few days as well. For weight watchers, the temptation would find them succumbing and throwing away all the self restraint and the underweight will begin to look quite healthy. Perhaps its the loving, humour filled and enjoyable company of friends and relatives that ignites the joy and endless happiness, a chapter in one's life so unforgettable and unknowingly one consumes more food in good company.

As the Air India flight landed in Calicut and I disembarked, I couldnt wait to meet everyone. It was soul touching to meet every uncle and aunt, cousins and friends. Uncles and aunts have aged, but not in spirits. Their sense of humour has never died. They are in their hearts exactly as how I remember them as a child, full of love and hospitality. For a week, it was like a vacation for me, where I had so many people doting and doing things for me, labour of love!. I was introduced to some relatives I have never met and the bond was formed immediately. It was suprising to know a favourite female cousin of mine was married to a person from my father's Tharavad.

The wedding went beautifully and I was busy all the time. The bride and the groom looked resplendant. Its a most memorable and important event in a person's life, when he/she gets married. The bride and groom , techies employed in Technopark looked their very best. I didnt know how the bride managed the weight of a heavy brocade saree, vast amount of gold on neck, hands, hair. I never quite understood the need for our kerala brides to adorn so much gold.

One of the most memorable experience was catching up with old friends and cousins, an unforgettable reunion. As kids we used to run around in Grandmother's vast premises, play badminton, climb walls and trees, share secrets, squabble and make up, play carroms, sing hindi and malayalam songs, draw and paint. Now all of them are married with grown children. Yet we go back into time and behave like children in each other's company, which we perhaps never do with anyone else we meet later in life. Childhood friends and cousins are special and will always will be.

I spent a memorable time with my brother and his family. I felt proud to have an absolutely talented little 4 year old nephew who can sing a variety of malayalam songs. Iam a fan of children who love to sing, dance, draw, paint...any form of art. He sang a number of songs for me and the little boy is endowed with a beautiful voice, a gift he got from my brother and father, the gift of singing. My uncles reminded me of how my father used to have singing sessions with musician Babu Raj whenever my father came down on vacation during his Army days as they were good friends. A Mohammed Rafi song rendering from my brother took me back into time, when my father used to sing for pleasure and enthrall friends and family. I especially used to enjoy his Mohammed Rafi songs and other ghazal renditions.

I was fortunate to spend such wonderful time with my favourite uncle from Ireland and his Irish wife. She enjoyed the wedding so much and revelled in a pink saree and moved around in utter comfort to my surprise. I made a new friend, a Konkani lady , close friend of the groom's father my grand uncle. She looks asif she has walked right out of a Raja Ravi Varma painting. The konkani lady had lost her only daughter who had some genetic growth defect and was bedridden from birth till age of 9. I feel touched as she showed me pictures of her child. A miracle that replaced her child is a young man, her nephew, whom she adopted as he was given to her to overcome her pain of loss of her child, by her cousin brother. Her nephew calls her 'Maaji' and that makes her a proud and fulfilled mother. He visits his biological parents once a year and lives with this lady and her husband.

With sufficient memories and experiences to write a book...I returned to Trivandrum and as the Kingfisher flight took off from Calicut - Karipur airport, I felt a strange void leaving the land where my parents and their ancestors hailed from. As much as I enjoyed the wedding, I had enjoyed being with all the wonderful people I hold close to heart. The void faded as soon as I saw my son waiting for me at the airport with a warm smile.