Glaciers to Blessing

June 30 2011 - It was the day when V and I were returning from Alaska to homeland. The day by itself was very eventful. We started driving from Seward, a seaside town closer to Kenai Fjords preserve, towards Anchorage. En-route we decided to stop at the Wildlife center. Although it is terrifying, we were on the lookout for a grizzly bear throughout the trip. I mean you gotta sight one if you are in Alaska. That was a fun hour or two watching black and grizzly bears, owls, musk ox, arctic bison and caribous at close range in the open wild life center.


We headed out to Anchorage and from there the plan was to drive to Talkeetna for the glacier landing tour. By the time we were in Anchorage, we both had taken couple of pills for the usual headache. We were hell bent about having Indian food, seems Chinese/Thai/Mexican food that we relished in the past days was not enough. So I called this Yek/Yeti or some such Himalayan restaurant and ordered food for carryout. You should have seen our faces. How it lit up seeing simple daal chaawal. We called the airline to learn that the tour was cancelled. Yet again, for the fourth time since we landed in AK. But as usual, they were not sure about the cancellation either, asking us to call in an hour or visit directly. Talkeetna was about 3 hours by road from Anc. It is surprising that V did not get a traffic ticket during our days there! Finally on arriving at Talkeetna, weather had improved and the cancellation notice was long gone! Gearing up, it was infact a unique experience. Watching miles and miles of glacier from a touchable distance & sighting Mt McKinley was awesome. I can tell the difference between Mt Matterhorn in Swiss and the topography here – it is not simply a snow capped mountain.

 

Mt McKinley

When we landed back in Talkeetna, we took another batch of headache pills and started heading down to Anc. Our flight was in 41/2 hours, so you can imagine the irritability and urgency. After driving two miles off Talkeetna, we noticed that V’s wallet was missing. So we pulled over a ramp and searched through all the garbage lying there – collected over the 8 days in AK. We headed back to the airline station and asked people around if they’d seen a wallet. V paid for the tour on our way out and they recalled that he collected his credit card back. So we went back to monstrous SUV and started searching under seats, here and there. After few mins of paranoia and blame game, one of the airline pilots driving a huge truck entered the parking lot with a wallet in hand and calling our names. She was coming into the lot and I was wondering wherefrom she found this wallet. Wallet was in a pathetic condition.. and she gave us an empty wallet and ton of cards, cash separately. Then she goes.. Dude, I guess you kept your wallet on the top of your van and kept driving it. So then bulb went off in our heads. He was changing from the glacier boots to regular shoes and kept his wallet there. Couple of cars should have gone over that wallet for it was torn! We took another sweet slow ride to collect missing cards and more cash..! We were officially running late but still made it on time to catch the flight. 

We were dead tired after all the goof up. After security V got burgers and fries from McD. We were the last to get on the plane. Imagine that couple panting and gasping for breath. A flight with 200+ people stare at them for the inconvenience caused at dinner time. Yeah that was us! When you hope to have a two seater, you will almost always end up in a three seater.  So we ended up in this three seater, with a kid taking the window seat. He should be 12-14 years of age, I told to myself. V and I had one agenda in front of us. Finish the burgers and sleep (read: snore). I kept insisting that we should not sleep during this leg of our flight, as we had another leg from Seattle to SFO, that is an all-nighter. Even before takeoff the kid starts talking to V. He had quite an aura, looking very peaceful. Definitely not the sight I’d gotten from any 12 year old! Most of our discussions generally start around the pronunciation of Indian names. V’s official name is Subramaniam (aka) Subu. Revathi (aka) Revathi. Yes I don’t like Reva. Then the kid goes on to say that he is from this small sea side village about 6 hours off Seattle. He intends to become a pastor, and his ambition is to start his service in Japan. Seems he had been to Japan once and he liked the hard working temperament there. He has never been to SFO or NYC, and does not plan to either. So the boy says.. people from big cities are very self absorbed either because of the distance from work or they take more than they can deliver and struggle to keep pace and eventually don’t have time for others. And kids from these cities amaze him too, he is surprised about how kids of his age are disrespectful to elders within family. Generally such culture shock happens to desis travelling abroad. I was surprised to hear that from an Agmark (read: authentic) American child. And then he asked us if we interacted with our neighbors and if we liked doing it. We said we don’t know our neighbors and that we lived in this huge apartment complex. But V and I ended up narrating stories about neighbors in our respective homes in India. How closely knit the families and friends are. And how we go above and beyond for those we consider “friends”. He seemed very familiar with the topic, he asked the reason behind our living in the US despite all odds. He was happy that I offered some fries, and I cursed myself for not buying another burger. How was I supposed to know about this sweet soul! He was travelling for about 6 hours already and he had another 5 hours drive to his town. He says he wants to become a pastor because being one constantly reminds the fact that he is nobody to judge others. I was finishing this book Siddhartha when I stumbled upon this boy, and I liked the timing at that very moment. He reminded me of someone from my childhood. 

Aug 30 2011 - Amma had two job offers soon after I was born. Central and State govt jobs, how satisfying it must have been to her then. But how disheartening it was to me through the years! She chose to take up the bank job. I was probably a year or so old when she started working in Chennai and later shifted to Madurai. We stayed in this rented house, a really small one, in SS Colony. My aunt and grandmother were with us then. So for the number of people living there, it was a really small house. One of our neighbors was this Christian family. The couple had 4 sons, or so I thought then – Ashok, Sam, Emanuel and Johnson.   

Later I was told that Ashok was not their son but he was being raised there. I slowly started becoming the fifth member in their household. They had no limitations; I go in as I please. Sometimes I eat at my house, when I am bored I declare to have my supper in their place. I didn’t have to comprehend Amma’s absence. She was even gone on Sundays. Amma’s bank had a Monday weekly holiday and that’s been the case for 20 years of my stay in Madurai. I went to SBOA school with Johny. He taught me to ride a bicycle. I’d fight with my fellow rickshaw mates and threaten to complain to Johny. He was not in middle school for god’s sake, he was in II grade while I was in kinder garden. I liked having an elder brother, he was such a caring one to have. About the elders in this household, there was Richard mama, his mother – aachi, and then the delectable Mercy mummy. It should sound weird that I address the couple as Mummy and Mama. But such was her unconditional love. You know I didn’t just wake up one day and start addressing my neighbor as my own mother. I don’t recall when I started calling her that, and I don’t recall amma being upset about it. We constantly talk about mummy. And amma has never shrugged about my relationship with them. How much acceptance Amma /Appa had towards fellow human beings and how they let that family within ours without any inhibitions. Friendships blossom, and it truly did in their case. Its surprising if I were to compare the present day scenario, and seriously laughable tolerance I have. 


Mummy and Mama are such adorable people. How can they just accept a neighbor’s child like their very own. Mind you, they did not force any of their practices on me. They prayed before meal. Mummy would say – nee un saami ya vendikko – meaning pray to your god, i.e. hindu god. And I used to sit there and look at that seven member family engrossed in their prayers. I’ve been to Sunday mass with them, coz its lovely to dress up on a Sunday morning, go to Church, pray and greet your friends and family. During my exams, I recall how Mummy used to pray and bless me. 

Center One

But not once she insisted on understanding her way of praying or the religion per se. Now I realize its greatness. I cannot let go of my tiny convictions and I try to convince the people I love of it. Amazing, isn’t it? I was 6 years old then and my first tinge of loneliness came in when they bought their own house and moved out of that neighborhood. I’d still spend Saturdays and some such holidays in their new house. I liked this new house, and some new neighbors there. Soon we moved to our own house too. My birth date happens to be on Christmas. Every Christmas she’d send a cake and ton of other sweets through someone. I’d visit them later in the evening. Few times a year, there was this practice of drawing big kolams (Rangoli) in our streets. During Christmas, New Years and Pongal. Mummy used to come and help us with that too! Once Mummy and Mama visited us with fruits and sweets and it was such a happy occasion. That was the day I learned that I was soon to expect a younger brother. It was festive. When Sudhar was born, it was unsaid known fact that Mummy will help in raising him too. He was too finicky and never really attached with them. Amma spent few days taking Sudhar to their house, sometimes I was goaded into taking him there but the magic didn’t work. Nothing changed in their end, they adored him. Sudhar was a ridiculously hyperactive child and he ended up in crèche care despite their presence. He just didn’t stick, I pity him. While I was in high school, Mummy and Mama visited us one day. Mummy mentioned that she should feel blissful, but she cannot help but cry or feel sad. She addressed Emmu anna with respect. He had decided to enter Christian congregation. It was a different experience to see Anna visit us and get Amma, Appa’s blessing. I could clearly tell that Appa was moved, and he couldn’t just bless him. Amma shed some tears and said – you decided to be near god over us meager people who love you. All I said was – nenevu vechuko na -  do remember us. Before I left Madurai, I saw him one more time. He was visiting on his way from Gujarat to some Arab country – his first station for service. He wore glasses and looked serene. In the years to come both families moved to Chennai. Mummy and Mama blessed us on the day of wedding, she cried and cried. That was over 3 years ago. They shifted residence in Chennai and we lost contact with them. In this day and age, losing touch is miserable. Yesterday Amma accidently got back in touch with Mummy and I can sense the excitement in her. Seems Mummy and Mama asked to convey this to me – Revathi ah thinamum nenechikarom nu sollunga – do inform Revathi that we think of her every single day. Touching :’(

I strongly believe that God exists amongst us. In the people we meet. In my grandmother. In Mercy Mummy and Richard Mama. In Amma, Appa. For in their unconditional love this world can melt away. To all of you, the theists, atheists, agnostics, I wish we meet such people in our lives. Revel in this feeling of love. Stay secure in their warmth and be wishful of their grace. Such experiences become a major part of our lives and a miniscule part of us. Someday if I learn to accept and give love freely, at least an ounce of what these souls did, I’d consider myself blessed.