A wedding of two hearts, two souls-
A wish, a dream, a life-
For parents and couple;
The attendants come and go;
But the couple makes the difference.
Wedding
Reply
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Francy
When dragonflies hover
Above the pond algae,
Remembrance of one
Who reached fame in the discovery
Of the rare one of those.
Francy was effervescent,
Full of joy in meeting people,
Full of questions
About world politics to home fronts.
As a son, brother, husband,
Father, friend and colleague
He left his indelible mark
As someone whose joyful presence
Meant immortality.
Thressiamma
For six years, you trod this earth
Sprinkling love and light into our lives,
Coating in vivacity in immemmorable ways,
Our daily routines and mundane tasks.
Sometimes it was like the explosion of a weather balloon
When the sound exploded frighteningly in your deaf years
Or it was like the enjoyment of fish curry on your palate.
Your extraordinary reactions still stay indelible.
The radiant smile that reflected in your sparkling eyes;
The warmth of your glance reached with affection everyone around.
You have left us bereft for more than sixty years;
Yet, yours is the image that floats over the pages of my mind more frequently;
The dark short curls bobbed and mischief lit the eyes
I feel grateful to have lived in the time of Thressiamma.
Tale of Elijah
Elijah was a twelve year old elf inching towards adulthood. He was an affectionate, sensitive elf who was always ready to help any one in need. What was remarkable about him was his readiness to face any situation.
When Elijah was not working in Santa’s workshop, he could be seen in solitary rambles in the nearby woods. There were no distinct paths in these wooded areas. It is easy for one to get lost in the meandering pathways. In these extensive areas, one could see small woodman’s huts provided for the wayward wanderer for shelter and provisions. Often lives were saved because of these simple forethoughts.
One day, Elijah was in one of his moods of wanderlust. There was a soft snow fall and the evergreens looked as if they were dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Footfalls were muffled in the soft, dusty snow which lay pristine because no one trekked that way after the snow.
Elijah’s walk was peaceful and he revelled in the quiet around him. Soon the evening approached and shadows lengthened. The whiteness of snow kept darkness at bay. Elijah kept going peacefully. His eyes were resting and only when he came close to it, he saw a big cloth bundle in front of him. Soon he realized that he could be looking at a living being. The face was wrapped in a green shawl and there was a dark parka under it. There was no movement. Elijah went closer and placed his forefinger below the nose that was visible. At first, he felt nothing. Then, he felt a gentle puff of air. He felt relieved to feel the breath of life. He felt the body and realized that the body warmth was discernible. He tried to uncover the face by moving the shawl. He saw the face and realized that he was looking at the pale face of Granny, the oldest resident in the village.
Elijah felt the urgency of the life or death situation. Granny appeared unconscious. He did not know what prompted her to leave the security of the village to wander into the wilderness. She was never known for her sense of direction. Elijah realized that for the only way to help her, he would have to move her to the village Infirmary.
Elijah faced a veritable problem. Granny needed immediate care. First of all, she needed shelter. She also needed immediate medical care. The nearest Infirmary was a mile away. Transportation was the immediate problem. Elijah felt handicapped. He was only twelve years old and he was limited about what he could do. But, he did not let it deter him. He realized that he had to move Granny at least a distance of a mile. She was a small woman. But an unconscious woman was a dead weight. He needed some contraption to transport Granny. As luck would have it, a peaked roof was visible through the branches and he saw one of the rudimentary shelters a some hundred yards away from the path.
Elijah hastened towards the hut. As he expected, the hut was filled with blankets, ropes, jackets, firewood etc. To his delight, he also found an old sled. Now he realized what he could do. He collected the sled, blankets and ropes and came back to Granny. At first he had to get her on the sled. He placed a blanket on the sled and managed to roll her on top of it. Then, he placed more blankets on top of her to keep the warmth. He used a rope to tie her safely. Granny was longer than the sled and her feet dragged. He attached two ropes to the sled for pulling.
It was an arduous task for a youngster to pull the sled with a body. But Elijah was determined to do his best. After forty-five minutes, he arrived at the Infirmary. Medical personnel rushed out to relieve him of the human burden. They took Granny to the Emergency room and started to administer immediate care. After an hour, her vital signs improved and she was brought out of danger.
Meanwhile, Elijah was checked and was given enough care to revive from exhaustion. He rested and was given hot food and liquids. Many people came to visit him and he was treated as a hero.
The story of Elijah’s adventure reached Santa’s ears. The hero was still in the Infirmary when Santa visited. Santa brought a bouquet of flowers from the greenhouse and thanked Elijah for his kindness and thoughtfulness. He pinned the Humanitarian of the Year award on a bashful Elijah’s pajama lapel. He took the hero to a recovered Granny. When Granny hugged him with grateful tears in her eyes, Elijah felt more honored than when he received the medal.
Tale of Aliyah
Aliyah was a thirteen year old elf. Her days were spent working in the doll workshop because girls were supposedly suited for making dolls although she was more mechanically inclined. She was a good natured elf and did not believe in whining.
One day, Santa stopped by in one of his morning strolls. He walked up to Aliyah and addressed her, “ Aliyah, I have a special request in one of the letters to Santa. It is a request for a ballerina music box for a girl in wheelchair. I know that you like mechanical objects and ballet. Please take care of this wish.”
Aliyah was delighted and she was eager to reply, “Yes, Santa. I’d like to make the ballerina music box”. Right away, Santa transferred her to the mechanical toy workshop.
Aliyah entered the unfamiliar workshop. The workshop leader took her to her worktable and pointed to the cupboards with all kinds of parts she might need. Right away she decided to collect all she would require for constructing the music box.
Aliyah took a basket and went to the cupboards. She picked up a white box with four legs and a curved lid. Then she added pink satin, glue, scissors, paints and brush, music mechanism, key, turntable, oval mirror and a ballerina figure in lavender tutu.
At first, Aliyah took the interior measurements of the box. Then she cut a circular whole at the bottom of the box to insert the musical mechanism. Using the measurements, she cut the pink satin for the lining of the interior of the box. She left an oval space in the center of the lid’s inside. She painted rose flowers on top of the lid. Then she glued the satin lining inside the box. She attached the mirror in the space left in the center.
Now she had to take care of the mechanical part. Aliyah inserted the music mechanism through the hole in the bottom. She inserted the key and played Tchaikovsky’s “SwanLake” and saw that the key worked. She placed the turntable on top of the mechanism. Above that, she attached the ballerina and turned the key. The ballerina moved gracefully in time with the strains of music. It was satisfying to see the mirror reflect the graceful movements of the ballerina. When the music ended, she closed the lid and made sure the ballerina figure folded neatly.
Aliyah was pleased with her work. But she wanted to make it presentable. She chose a red box and lined it with tissue paper. Then she placed the ballerina music box on the tissue. She closed the lid and tied a gold ribbon around the box. As a final touch, she added a golden bow. She took the gift box to Santa and returned for a well earned rest.
On Christmas morning, Santa came to see Aliyah. “Aliyah, come with me to the library.” They walked to the library and entered. Santa went to the big antique desk on which there was a huge globe. On the desk, there was a scope pointing to the globe. Santa turned globe in such a way that the scope was pointing to Clinton, New York. He explained to Aliyah, “ It is the Santa Scope and you can see anywhere in the world through it.”
Aliyah went up to the desk and looked through the eyepiece. She was looking through the window of a dark grey house with white shutters. She realized that she was looking at a living room with a ceiling high Christmas tree in all its glory. Then she saw a girl of her age wheeling in. Aliyah saw the girl picking up a red gift box with gold ribbon and bow. The girl untied the ribbon and opened the box. She made an “O” with her mouth. In the box was the music box with roses. Simultaneously Aliyah also said, “O” because itt was the music box she created. The girl opened the box and turned the key. The ballerina pirouetted to the strains of music and the girl’s joy was undeniable. Aliyah was elated and she turned to Santa and said impulsively, “ Thank you, Santa. This is the best Christmas gift for me. It was wonderful that I could see the great smile on that girl’s face and to know that I gave her that joy. Merry Christmas!”
Tale of Jason
Life is not easy for everyone. Sixteen year old elf Jason firmly believed that. The Christmas Season was approaching. Santa Land was going to be a busy hive.
Jason worked in the toy train and car workshop. These were popular gifts for younger children. That means that the production scale was large. Each elf was responsible for large quantities of toys.
Jason was very concerned with due reason. Recently he had found that he had a hard time staying awake. Normally, he was always seen with a winning smile. But, his face showed a worried look. How was he supposed to fulfill his quota of toys? He looked at the heaps of toys other elves had completed. He sighed deeply.
Santa always kept a watchful eye on his young elves. He took great care in nurturing the budding talents and natures. He believed in positive reinforcements. He had been watching Jason for a few days. He noticed that something was bothering the young elf.
On one morning, Santa sauntered up to the toy train workshop. He stopped at Jason’s work table and listened to the deep sigh. He decided to address the issue. He asked, “ Hi, Jason, is anything the matter?”
Jason raised his doleful eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes. They were sad now. Another deep sigh escaped. “Santa, I am having a hard time in making my trains. I feel drowsy all the time and I am not able to finish making the trains. I am worried that I am going to fall short.”
Santa’s smile was kind. He wanted to energize Jason. He sat next to the young elf and said, “Jason, I have an idea. I am going to a make a contraption that will keep you awake. Then you will be able to finish like the other elves.” Then he left leaving behind a hopeful elf.
Evening came and the sun was reaching the horizon. The elves were putting their works away and leaving for home. The workshops were closed. Santa quickly approached the toy workshop and entered it after unlocking the door. He turned on the lights and walked towards the cupboards where all the spare parts were stored.
Santa chose a very strong string, a pulley and a 5” bell. He attached the pulley to one of the rafters of the ceiling and pulled the string over it. One end of the string was over Jason’s worktable. He attached the bell to the end which was pulled over the groove of the pulley. He pulled the unattached end of the string and seconds later heard a satisfactory “ping”. He found his contraption satisfactory. With a smug smile, he closed the door and left the workshop.
Next morning, Jason went to his desk and sat down. As usual, he began to feel drowsy as he started to work on attaching wheels to a blue train. Suddenly Santa was by his side and casually said, “ Jason, I want you to try something.” He pointed to his contraption and tied the string to his right hand. He pulled the string and suddenly the bell tingled. He said, “Every time you fall asleep, your hand will drop pulling the string. Then the bell will ring and you will wake up.” Jason yanked the string and the bell tingled with a clear tone.
Everyone resumed work and soon got used to the tingling of the bell periodically. Jason noticed that he advanced in completing his task. The number of completed toys kept going up. Soon the competitive edge of Jason’s work became well known. The constant smile on Jason’s face bore testament to his success. The beautiful smile was back.
Tale of Solomon
Solomon took life seriously. He was an eight year old elf. He was known as Solemn Solomon. He was an old soul. He took his responsibilities very seriously.
Solomon was always the last elf to leave his puzzle workshop. After everyone had left, he walked around the workshop picking up every discarded scrap. There was a fire hazard because every workshop had a fireplace for added warmth. Scraps added to the fire hazard. The housekeeping elves were meticulous, but Solomon added his little mite in keeping the workshop spic and span.
Solomon’s dormitory was not too far from the workshops. His bedroom window overlooked the expanse of workshops. He always watched from his windows. If anything untoward happened, his watchful eyes could make note of every detail.
Solomon worked in the puzzle workshop. It was very suitable for someone with his temperament. His attention to detail came in very handy when it came to designing puzzles. The workshop created many varieties of puzzles: jigsaw puzzles, cryptograms, rebus puzzles, 3D puzzles, logical puzzles, mechanical puzzles, number puzzles, rational puzzles, crossword puzzles, and many more.
One day, Solomon went through his routine of checking around the room before signing out. Everything appeared to be all right. He banked the fireplace. It was uncanny that a little elf took care of this. He turned off the light and closed the door. Then, he walked towards his dorm.
While in the dorm, he had time to eat dinner and take shower. Before he went to bed, he glanced towards the workshops. The curtains were not closed. So, he could see the workshops. Suddenly, he saw some lighted area. It was the stuffed animal workshop. He was taken aback because this lighted area was unexpected. He peered again. Sure enough, the light came from one workshop. He was puzzling about the light. Suddenly, he started running. He realized that there was only one reason for the light. It must be the fireplace. Someone had forgotten to bank it.
Solomon reached the door and put his hand on the door handle. As luck would have it, the door opened. Someone had forgotten to lock it. Solomon ran inside. He quickly noted that there were fabric scraps scattered around the floor. The fire was alive and some sparks have flown over them. The light came from the fire that was spreading. Solomon’s watchfulness was providential.
solomon took one look and realized that he had to act quickly. They were all taught fire safety instructions on the first day itself. Right away, he ran to the fire alarm because he knew that he needed adult help. Once he activated the alarm, he turned to the fire.
Solomon’s early detection saved the day. He unhooked the hose from its peg and directed the spray of water to the fire. This retarded the spreading of flames. By the time the adults came in, Solomon had the fire in some control. The older elves took over and sent Solomon to sleep. They took the time to pat him on the shoulder before sending him to bed.
Next morning, Santa called an impromptu meeting. All the elves gathered in the auditorium. Santa climbed the steps to the stage. He invited Solomon to come up to the stage. When the young elf came up to him, Santa shook his hand and pinned a medal on Solomon’s shirt and said, “I present to you, Solomon, this medal of Bravery for your timely action in saving the workshop. Thank you.”
Suddenly, the hall shook by the thunderous applause from all the elves who gathered in the hall. There was a big smile on Solomon’s face. He was not ‘solemn’ any more.
Tale of Mycroft
It is again that time of the year when Santa Land is bustling with activity. Christmas is nearing and the elf workshops are abuzz.
Mycroft was a five year old elf. He could not undertake making toys and other gifts. But, he was always eager to help, especially running errands. Often he used his scooter when he had to fetch some yarn, paint, ribbon, needles, hooks, scissors or prefabricated parts. He was always visiting the workshops. The older elves were happy to see him because they were always in need of something.
Mycroft loved his scooter. Often one saw him whizzing by with an angelic smile on his face, his hand waving his greeting.
One day, Mycroft was cruising away on his scooter. It was a warm day and there was no snow on the ground. He was enjoying the clear paths. He went past the doll workshop, the train workshop and the puzzle workshop. Suddenly, passing by the kite workshop, he noticed something floating above him. The thing was long and had fiery colors. The red, orange and yellow colors gleamed and made the object look like a Chinese dragon. Mycroft suddenly realized that that it was a dragon kite! There was a string hanging from it. But the breeze was pulling it away. In his little mind, he realized that the workshop was going to lose the kite. To him it was clear that it was up to him to rescue the kite because there was nobody else around.
Mycroft pushed his scooter to follow the dragon. The kite kept floating forward as the breeze carried it. Soon Mycroft realized that he was nearing the chain link fence.
To the elf’s dismay, the dragon was going over the fence and ended up being tangled in the thin branches of a thicket.
Now Mycroft was a cocky elf. He believed that he to could do anything. With that belief in mind, he had followed the kite. But he had to stop when he reached the fence. He knew that he had to get to the other side of the fence to retrieve the kite. It was not a picket fence. So climbing over the fence it was not an option. The only thing he could do was to crawl under.
Mycroft examined the ground under the fence for gaps. After further examination, he found a spot some animal had dug out. He noticed that he needed a bigger space to pass under. He needed to dig deeper. He looked around for a possible tool. As luck would have it, he found a piece of wood, a little narrower and sharper at one end.
Mycroft started to dig and the crawl space became big enough to fit his body. It took a lot of time to make the space big enough for a young elf. He slowly slithered under the fence till he reached the other side. The dirt in the space was not kind to his clothes.
The next step was to find the dragon kite. It did not take long to locate the dragon and the tangled string. Luckily, it was not a thorny bush. He tried to separate the string from the thin branches of the bush. He was fortunate that the kite did not reach the tree top. Finally, the string was freed.
Mycroft carried the kite to the fence and carefully managed to pass it through the gap to the other side. A little dust clung to it. Otherwise, it was undamaged. Then, he crawled through, making his red and green outfit look more brown. He picked up the dragon kite and stepped on the scooter. He was very careful because he had the added encumbrance of the kite.
When Mycroft was nearing the kite workshop, he noticed an adult elf, the leader of the workshop, pacing anxiously. When he saw the young elf with the dragon kite, he came running. He had tears in his eyes when he shouted, “ You found it, you found it!”. He hugged Mycroft and relieved him of the kite. He led the little elf to the workshop in all his dirt. There was a hero’s welcome waiting for him. Everyone praised him for his bravery. They had given up on the kite. It was a special kite requested by a little boy suffering from leukemia.
Mycroft was very happy that even though he broke the rules by leaving the compound, he did not have to face any punishment. He was even praised. Next morning he found a package at his door. He is now the proud owner of a brand new, red and green, elf outfit!
Birthdays
Birthdays come and go
As we measure time in thimbles.
Is it wise to let time pass by?
Catch it by its forelock
And shout, “Carpe Diem!”
Our finite lives need
Some fulfillment.
Hold fast to time
And open up venues:
Improve, progress, develop
And, above all,
Look right and look left
At all the surroundings,
At all seconds, minutes, and hours.
There the poor and the needy,
The disenfranchised,
The old and the weak,
And the handicapped-
They reach for a helping hand,
For compassion and empathy!
Don’t let time pass
Without us reaching out
In time when Time passes by
And our fingers brush
Only the bald patch in the back
While reaching to halt its passing.
Let us not waste time,
But deem it a boon
To reach out to tend and nurture
While embracing humanity.
My Mother
In this world of realities, my mother was the beacon that led the way in my life. From her, I learned the values of life. A vessel of generosity, she opened the door to humanity. She saw people as human beings, irrespective of rank and station. She told me that the people around us were all children of some “mothers”, whether they were master or servant. Welfare of others was of paramount importance to her.
She was always generous with food. People stopped by after the morning Mass. They never left without breakfast. She had a regular acquaintance for Wednesday lunch in honor of St. Joseph.
She always cared about the well being of her domestic help. I have memories of her directing the girls about personal cleanliness. She watched over them and directed them when they washed their hair. She gave particular attention when they washed their clothes.
The mental wellness of those who worked for her was very important for her. She lent books and magazines for those who worked under her.
She never ate food delicacies without sharing them with her underlings. If there was not enough, she used to cut them into smaller pieces to go around.
My mother’s cooking was out of this world. But she never looked down on others’ cookings. She taught me to respect the efforts of others. She discouraged me from looking down on them.
My mother was a natty dresser. She was meticulous in pleating her clothes in the traditional manner. Although of a height of five feet, she knew how to hold a dignified stature.
She was a gifted natural singer. Everyday our family sang at least two songs after the family prayer in the evening. She came from a family that sang. Her brother taught himself how to play several instruments and got together with his friends and had music sessions. At home, he sang with his sisters and was the accompanist. My mother had cherished memories of her appearing on the stage as divine apparition of Virgin Mary and sang. We all inherited her singing genes at varied levels.
My mother was very neat. Her housekeeping was excellent. While she was in school, her teachers kept composition book on top when the District Inspectors came for assessment.
To me, Elizabeth Joseph was the quintessence of “ Mother”.
RosyView 