Nurungukal..2..contd…

      Mithuna our grand daughter is just seven years old now. She is sprightly and have all the prangs of her age. As time changes  children also adapt to novel activities attune to the changing lifestyle. For instance in our time we were satisfied with what was provided by he parents. Our toys were made out of things available locally, say a ball or bird made out of a coconut leaf or at the best a rubber ball purchased at a festival market. And all this depend on the time elders can spare or the availability of funds. But now things have changed. If we fail to satisfy  their demand, which sprout according to their moods you are in a danger zone staking the peace of your home.

        Mithuna, if she do not have any one of her age group to play with the choice falls on my wife, who at her age 70 has to play the roll of a student often, or that of a patient or of any other character. The teacher student scene is enacted in perfect harmony with what happens in a her class room. With a cane in her hand and a black board on the dining room wall,she makes my wife  to learn what ever she has been made to in the school, starting from the morning greeting, in exact sequence. At time she appears to be very angry when my wife’s attentions wanders to the food on the stove. The enactment is meticulous in details to that of a very temperamental teacher. I always used to wonder whether she is imitating her class teacher in true sense and how much anger the teacher might have transmitted to the the tiny tots.

         She can perfectly show you the Baratha natyam mudras in the correct order while reciting the relevant sanskrit sloka. Similarly  she has learnt many Tamil film songs ,many of them having tongue twisting lyrics and can also perform some items in the gyrations the heroines make.

        During this vacation she learnt cycling within a few hours herself. I have seen my daughter persevering for hours to teach cycling of other children a few years ago. I think human capacity to adept a situation increases as generations progress. My children were faster than me in learning cycling ,swimming etc.

         When they are at home my computer and mobile phone  are at their disposal. In fact I have learnt many of the applications of these gadgets from them.

       Now they have returned leaving us once again to our solitudes, devoid of laughter. With many of their demands remain unfulfilled we bid good bye looking yonder for the next holidays.