My Thatha:)

At the mellow age of seventy still carrying a look so young and the heart so brave, I look at my grandpa (thatha) who is praying the diety in his room with folded palms and closed eyes deeply in a conversation with someone dear to him.

The hands of time had sickled his youth, but he looks the same from an age old photograph of his wedding except for a clean mop of shiny silver hair, perfectly cropped, his clothes ironed to the right creases and he is dressed up as a perfect gentleman within those 10 minutes of ticks and tocks on the clock and as usual I have to wait for an appointment to speak to him, busy as he is helping old friends, retirement just transformed him to the busiest man he always wanted to be, he never sits idle, like a machine that never stops.

With a long bound register working out on expenses, he and his childhood friends who are involved in the social service, he gives his all to the welfare, I have personally witnesses his deeds but never has he admitted nor spoken off his deeds in front of people.I love him for his dedication, his silent works and a sound sleep for just four hours, he wakes up at 4:30 in the morning every single day, never missed it!

He looks great with a -shirt loosely hung upon a lungi while at home and I often tell him to wear the t-shirt always, he looks absolutely handsome, he laughs it off saying the younger generation would mock him and I revert back saying that I think it is cool.

I have never seen him sporting a beard, nah..never but just once when his (athige) i.e brothers wife whom he respected a lot, I reckon he saw his mother in her as he had lost his mother at the age of six, those eleven days of funeral rituals, I dare not remember his dropped face, sunken eyes and frail body. It has been years and I fear that he would reach the same stage and it might take a very long time to turn back and be normal, the reason is the deteriorating health of his older brother( my dodda thatha) as he is sufferring from cancer and my thatha is always on his toes , staying by his side, there are days when I catch my thatha looking away to infinity and lost in thought, the crease between his brows signaled that his thoughts weren’t happy, there was a silent cry that I could make out, I fear that he would lose hope, he would lose the health so very well maintained with walks and works, his righteousness is something that no other could can compete, his love for his brother, a siblingship of many great years, a lifetime!The love between the brothers is beyond my imagination.

There is a silent prayer for the wellbeing of both my thatha’s, I love them both!

Until next post!!