My Grandpa

By Fathima Huda P

"When grand parents enter the door ,discipline flies out the window" says Ogden Nash.

Grandparents are that adorable and do care for us endlessly and selflessly.Wonder what will happen if grandparents were not that adorable!Wonder how our boyhood days would mould into if there were no grandparents to tell us cute little stories, to bring us the most needed, spicy-thus-delicious sweets which would be the so-feared- unhealthy-sweets to mammas and aunties! Wonder what will happen if there were no earth to dwell into when I and you find ourselves in petty predicaments!Wonder how it would be if we had no grandmothers, no grandfathers, no both!!

To call a spade a spade, my grandfather (mother's father) should never be called as so if the foresaid conventions are surely attributed to the social group he belongs to.During all our visiting days to my mother's home , I rarely spoke to him.

He would greet us salam when we enter there , and gently fondle our heads and at times the very little ones would receive his kiss on forehead .But still we, the cousin children feared him for he only spoke something to advise us.

My grandfather was silent most of the time and was violent in rare times( while scorning us for 1.crossing the threshold of the 'poomugam' as it was so close to the NH, 2.for watching movies as (they believed) it can influence us in a bad way, 3.for yelling out in loud voice as our home was adjacent to the masjid there). He seldom confronted us for any matter other than these.

There were some funny incidents happened due to his unpredictable nature back then. We, the whole cousins (can be categorised into three batches viz; the kids gang who were addicted to CN, Pogo, Discovery, Animal Planet etc kind of television channels. Secondly of those who loved cinemas and music more than anything( I included in this, LOL) , and thirdly of those who controlled us, by commanding like do this,do that, go there,bring it,etc...etc to the infinity. My elder sister belonged to the third team and my little brothers go to the first )used to sit altogether before the TV which was placed in the dining hall. The kids would sit on the floor, my team on staircase and the elder villains would claim the dining chairs.We usually played malayalam movies and other celebrity shows. At times grandpa would come for rounds ( some other times these little creatures would creep into his room and spy us watching movies,so that they could acclaim the remote controller).Seeing him approaching us from far behind the door the elder ones would cunningly get up and place the remote near us and disappear in no time. He would see (the poor) us and hear the cheesy movie dialogues and get maddened by wrath. HARAAAMIIIIIIIIII.........!!! He would scream out.

Some of us would run to kitchen, some to bathroom and some others try to get the grip of the remote to change the channel. At times for their bad luck, the situation gets more weird, vulgar and dangerous when the surfing stop at any goddamn fashion channels .The rest is history!!! Later the curtain rises in a changed setting where one could spot the little batch sitting cross legged on dining chairs watching Tom and Jerry!

He had used to give us gifts and sweets..He had deeply loved to see us pleased. He really cared for us, selflessly and endlessly .But never showed it in a manner an immature kid could easily understand and reciprocate to.He never joked, never told folklores, never laughed with us. We alone did all these. He alone watched in silence.

Years bloom and wither, so we.

Once in every year he visits all his children's homes. And today, as part of his year schedule he came to see us with the same sweets he used to bring all the time.He looked at us, smiled, and greeted salam. My parents spoke with him. We just listened,listened and listened. After having breakfast he hastened to return home. I heard my mother requesting him to stay till afternoon. But he refused :"I must leave soon".

He gently patted on my head as he used to do and left. I remained looking at the distance where he was loosing. My heart was yelling out in silence in a sound that could make his soul turn back and drop a tear full of beautiful untold-children-stories and love giggles.

Who knows to love more than you do, my grandpa.

When love could become more adorable than in silence,my grandpa.

By Fathima Huda P