An Unexpected Visitor

It is 8 am in the morning. I just woke up hearing maid had come to clean the house. The summer morning sun was quite sharp and the rays penetrated through the the vintage wooden window of my ancestral house. It is quite an old building. It was just yesterday, my cousins and sister were telling that they spotted a snake under the jackfruit tree.

I couldnt quite open my eyes. My granny had to come and pull me out of bed. I walked out of the room to forlorn to see my old and sick grandpa sitting on the furniture. He asked me when were we leaving, I replied in sometime, as my sister need to get into her campus before 8 in the night. And it is going to be a 6 hour drive. Grandpa was better than the last time. He necessarily was not so healthy or happy but looked like he was gathering all energy to fight pessimism. After all he would have realised after 75 years of optimistic fighting for life, a moment lapse on pessimism was a mistake and had to do better now.

And we smiled to each other as I walked towards the front door. I turned back to smile at him. There he sat with genuine love and care. I just had to run back, hug him tight and kiss him on his old and grey cheeks. They were very soft and hanging. He is old... getting very old. Unlike older times, he wont come running  behind us. He wont be able to water his mighty garden. Nor will he be able to splash water with the water hose under the coconut trees. All nostalgic now. The memories I have made. A lot of them.

There was some brighness outside the house. I walked out. It was morning sun, trying to penetrate his rays around all nook and corner of the house. Down the gate on the main road were the vehicles that were busy canvassing for the comming election. Two opposite party would cross each other, the drivers smiled and waved at each other, however the recorded tape that was connected to the speaker came from two enemies... two different political parties.  I think this is the thing about villages, they might work for money, but the people are still together and united. No politics, relegion or caste can keep them apart for a long time at least during celebrations. Easter is around the corner as well. A buzz about home made vine keeps happening here and there... ha...

Further as I walked out of the house, to the left is our mighty Mandharam (Bauhinia sp.) plant, with her green cordate leaves and dazzling white flowers. The Radha of our house, my Karthumbi (Granny) used to pluck them and use them to worship Krishna everyday once upon a time. I used to constantly fight for plucking the flowers... as she would not allow us to pluck and play but she could pluck for god... hah... but funny days are bygone .

As I gazed on the details of its yellow pollen, I heard something, a bird call perhaps, a familiar from the past. A turned towards the corner of the plant, and saw a bird. I couldnt identify instantly. It had brown black body, white breast with yellow shades, a small one with a very familiar call. A SPARROW!!.... Oh My God... It was very happy moment. I instantly thought of a read I had in Kannada some 15 years ago about Dr. Salim Ali and his love for sparrows.  Amma and I used to watch out for sparrow nests in the garden. Akshara was always assigned as the guardian of it, as she would strictly not allow any of our friends to metres around the nests. Good old memories!!

I ran back into the house to find my phone, so that I could capture the picture. It instantly flied to the Murraya sp. (Curry leaves) tree behind. My phone was a 100 percent charged, I changed the power save mode while running back to garden so as to access camera, as soon as I reached, the bird flied to the distant leaves of coconut in Ramankutty uncle's garden. Actually felt bad that I could not capture and verify it with Soundar or Gautam at my office. But it is okay I guess. Another time may be.

I am among those who says that the birds are gone, their population is less etc. I think there is a serious issue about it. But birds are there. They are hiding. May be afraid of us. I always thought my cousins arent quiet lucky that they did not get to see what I saw... But actually, they are not in the habit of looking. Kids nowadays have a multiple things to keep them going. For me it wasnt like that. So there is a difference...

However, seeing that cute thing is a good start for the day I guess...