That is a beautiful morning, and a girl of age eleven is all set to gear up for the day at school.
Despite the chilly cold weather in the hilly town, Vanaja Amma wakes up around 6 in the morning to set up the firewood to boil water for the large joint family of 10 people. Yes, there are no geysers or water headers during that time. After finishing the Kolam in front of our four main doors, Buva Amma joins Vanaja Amma in the Kitchen around 6:30 to brew the palm jaggery coffee for the family, farmworkers and the guests. Sekar Nayna wakes up before the Sun, make his bed in the dining-cum-bedroom, sometime around 6:45 in the morning and starts to our cattle shed behind our house, where we raise our two cows and a horse. My Sounder Nayna joins Sekar Nayna at around 7:00 AM in the cattle shed for performing chores like cleaning the dung, foddering the animals and milking the cows.
Vanaja Amma and Buva Amma tries to wake me up in the intervals of 15 minutes each, but they are helpless until I hear the bass voice of Sekar Nayna after he finishes his work in the cattle shed. As soon as I hear his voice, I go into auto-pilot mode to clear up my bedding first thing as he instructed and opens the windows in our living room-cum-bedroom at 7:30 AM. I raise, flush my constipated bowels, finish brushing my teeth. My Vanaja Amma gets my perfect cup of filter coffee, I rush through the morning newspaper from the sports page to the front, My dad sets the hot water to the right temperature for my bath, My Buva Amma gets my uniforms and towel ready, While my Buva Amma feeds me dosa with red coconut chutney, Vanaja Amma plates my hair with uniform ribbons and my dad help me with my shoes and the bunny knots that stays intact until the end of the day. Yes, they spoil with so much love, and I still enjoy it.
The school van is supposed to pick me up from my stop, a 5-minute walk from my home by 8:20 AM, but I often make it late that the driver has to wait a couple of minutes for me before he accelerates, as I come running from my home hearing the unique horn. Just be mindful that it is not a luxury for every other kid who is impunctual, thanks to Sekar Nayna’s spotless political career and popularity. Looking back, I wish I am more punctual. But wait, I am right there at my stop waiting for the school van.
An uncle, who is a distant relative of me came to have a small talk about the local body elections of 2001 in which Sekar Nayna is contesting for the post of Chairman of the town panchayat. He knows my affinity for politics and wants to pull my legs. He asks me if Sekar Nayna can retain his post in the upcoming elections. For which my answer is, “With his remarkable administration skills and clean political history, he will win the election again in a huge margin”. The uncle responds, “This time we are going to win”, denoting the party he belongs to and the contestant, a relative of mine who is much closer to him. By the way, the verdict of the election is a story for another time.
Sharmili unplugged....... 