Reminiscences

I cant believe it ..my small baby brother had a baby... I remember when I was 10 yrs old (way,way, way back)my older brother (2yrs my senior) and I studying in a school close to the Hospital in Byculla ,Mumbai,India raced to the Hospital during the lunch break to get a glimpse of our new born brother.. He was born on August 14th the day before Indian Independance day.. and the Hospital was decorated with the tricolor Indian flags and the kitchen supplied payasaam an Indian delicacy served at special occasions , made from vermicelli and rice and milk with sugar and cardamon etc..so it was a double celebration for us. Between 10-15 yrs we doted our brother carrying him around everywhere and listening to all his talk -- out of the mouth of babes they say.. how true-- here our some. When he was 5 years old he had a friend who lived upstairs called Vidya (Istill remember) Vishwnathan and they used to go to school togeher. Either Vidya was in our house or he (Anand) in their house - they even bathed together( imagine! ) Anyway my brother was very attached to my mother and One day after his bath when she was wiping his little head , he hugged my mother and said ' we will always be together' so my mother replied "till your married then you will be with your wife" He was crestfallen and told my mother "I will marry you" . My mother laughed and said " you cant marry your own mother" Then he was sad again, thought for a while and came up with a solution and said ' then can I marry Vidya's mother"We burst out laughing... we told the story to Vidya's mother ..and she replied mischievously,when I get tired of my husband I will marry this little brat.

Another funny thing I remember we were having a religious meeting in our house and were getting ready for it...and my mother told my brother-- the Chairman is going to come and he turned his head and said" who is a chairman? the one who puts the chairs?" ha ha how apt...he understood Jesus humility even then,.....