ManjulaтАЩs Messengers

Last night I completed chapter eight of our story Full Full (working title), of draft three (with many more to come) it was particularly difficult to work on, as it related the story of her last year. In some ways it also helped.

This morning I was outside our house, sitting on a stone slab bench, beneath our wonderful strong shading tree. I was waiting for my neighbour, for our morning cycle.

A friend came along

It was a messenger from Manjula to reveal she knew what I was doing, supported me and sent her love.

ItтАЩs a red eye butterfly.
It continued with me for over six kilometres, as I cycled
Another messenger from MAnjula

With critical timing.

On Facebook this MAnjula Memory popped up from our last visit to England four years ago.

IтАЩve had a few messengers now.

Equally impressive was the circling dragonfly and even pretty moths get in on the act.

More messages.

As we went for this afternoons walk a giant butterfly buzzed me the moment I left the main door.

I discretely followed it to try and take a photo but I could only get this silhouette before it flew away.

An hour later Lucie and returned home to it resting on the door knob. only to surprise me again and land on one of our windows.

From outside.

It has the scary images of two reflective eyes on its wings, itтАЩs wing span is seven inches or more and now itтАЩs gone.

It arrived a day after I had, once again, in exasperation called out to Manjula complaining that I couldnтАЩt feel her presence or hear a message.

From inside

IтАЩm happier now.

Tanuja tells me itтАЩs a moth. So now we know messages come via Dragonflies, Butterflies and Moths.

WeтАЩll keep you posted as more messengers are added to the list. ЁЯЩВЁЯЩГЁЯднЁЯШЙЁЯМЮ

Zoom time.

ItтАЩs 58 minutes, with two minutes to go. The Englishman likes to be on time and a little early.

Tea is made and in my favourite тАШcranky old guys ruleтАЩ mug. LucieтАЩs medicines given, computer switched on, air bud things in my ear, matched to the comp Bluetooth, WiFi working ok. Check, quick splash of the face ooooh forgot my treat, a doughnut from SAPA bakery.

IтАЩm sorted.

Redrafted structure of our story sent to Pam yesterday for discussion today.

WeтАЩre ready to roll.

Except woooooooooo IтАЩm exactly one hour early the meeting is at 11.00 not 10.00!

Idiot.

IтАЩll now spend a few moments reflecting in the present. ItтАЩs a new thing I learned from Madam

Is this early onset of, you know A……., over excitement to dive into the тАШLabour of LoveтАЩ unlikely as I have to constantly deal with being taken over by тАШidle-ous-ness and lethargyтАЩ combined (itтАЩs in the air and not a new thing).

Or have I just lost it? Probably.

IтАЩll have to wait.

Doughnut now or later is my biggest current challenge.

ManjulaтАЩs library grows

The number of books

The number and range of readers.

WeтАЩve negotiated the loan of тАШweтАЩre going on a bear huntтАЩ, тАШthe hungry caterpillarтАЩ and тАШstuckтАЩ

She might be young but negotiated an extension of a seven day loan to ten days. ЁЯЩВЁЯЩГЁЯШЙ our very first children to borrow books from ManjulaтАЩs library.

ManjulaтАЩs Kind

MAnjula embraced everything and everyone.

She experienced unkindness throughout her life, yet always and especially in the last nine years was the most kind.

MAnjula continues to give

Kulfi for the cleaners. They used to work on our street, knew us and would stop for water, chai and chat (that’s talking not snacks).

Our fine house was a place of support and conversation for women and not just our guests. Manjula’s networks. We’ve continued to support our drivers and they’ve joined the Manjula Mask Movement.

Vasanth and Satish modelling our mycycle masks but the big favourite is …
the one where Manjula seems to be sniggering and who years before the pandemic was telling us to mask-up, modelled by Rakesh aka Peter Pan
And masks have been donated for the vaccinators for when they finish work.
Many cycles have been gifted here for Sowbhaghya’s son Naveen.

I still am

relying on and remembering Manjula’s kindness

Another poem

My good friend Brian, who has a cameo appearance in my short story тАШlooking for a homeтАЩ also sent a kind thoughtful poem on ManjulaтАЩs second death anniversary.

тАЬremember

we rediscover

step by step

the world you showed me

and remember my hand

is in your hand still

and remember my body

is the hammock of your presence

think of this—love ends 

where the void begins

and we pierce the void together.тАЭ

Michele Najlis

From the poem A Fernando

Manjula Memory

On this second anniversary of Manjula slipping away to continue her journey, friends have continued their Kind support.

This from a thoughtful friend in Mumbai 

Through the doors in your eyes

I formed my sweet little home

When you left

This life became homeless

The shade of your tresses

Is now not in my destiny

The melody of your dainty feet

Is now not in my destiny

The echo of your laughter

Is no longer here

The fragrance of your aura

Is no longer here

When I think about you

Your thoughts are all that remain in this life

Your memory is what makes me complete the cycle of

Each breath. Each moment. Each day.

You just floated away

Leaving me at the crossroads of life

I remain there stranded

Longing for your return

Neither did you know

Nor did I

That this was all the time that we could get together

In this lifetime

May you be happy in your new world

That is my only wish

With the hope that one day

I will join you once again

In your loving embrace

With you, hand in hand

In that new world.

from Amargani

Thank you, Stephen

and in its original form in Hindi

рддреЗрд░реЗ рдиреИрдиреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░ рд╕реЗ

рдореБрдЭреЗ рдПрдХ рдЖрд╢рд┐рдпрд╛рдирд╛ рдорд┐рд▓рд╛ рдерд╛

рддреВ рдЬрдм рдЪрд▓реА рдЧрдпреА

рдпреЗ рдЬрд╝рд┐рдВрджрдЧрд╛рдиреА рдмреЗрдЧрд╛рдиреА рд╕реА рд╣реЛ рдЧрдпреА

рддреЗрд░реЗ рдЭреБрд▓реНрдлреЛрдВ рдХреА рдЪрд╛рдКрдБ

рдореЗрд░реЗ рдирд╕реАрдм рдореЗрдВ рдЕрдм рдирд╣реАрдВ

рддреЗрд░реЗ рдЪрдВрдЪрд▓ рдкрд╛рдКрдБ рдХреА рдЖрд╣рдЯ

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рддреЗрд░реЗ рд╣рдБрд╕реА рдХреА рдЫрд╛рдпрд╛

рдЕрдм рдЗрдзрд░ рддреЛрд╣ рдирд╣реАрдВ

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рд╣рд░ рдкрд▓ред рд╣рд░ рд╕рд╛рдВрд╕ред рд╣рд░ рджрд┐рди

рддреВ рдЬреЛ рдЪрд▓ рдкрдбрд╝реА

рдЪреМрд░рд╛рд╣реЗ рдкреЗ рдореБрдЭ рдХреЛ рдЫреЛрдбрд╝ рдХрд░

рдореИрдВ рдмрд╕ рдЦрдбрд╝рд╛ рд░рд╣ рдЧрдпрд╛

рддреЗрд░реА рд░рд╛рд╣ рджреЗрдЦ рдХрд░

рдирд╛ рддреВрдиреЗ рдЬрд╛рдирд╛ рдирд╛ рдореИрдВрдиреЗ

рдмрд╕ рдЗрддрдирд╛ рд╣реА рд╕рд╛рде рдерд╛ рд╣рдорд╛рд░рд╛

рдЗрд╕ рд╕рдВрд╕рд╛рд░ рдореЗрдВ

рддреВ рдЦреБрд╢ рд░рд╣реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдирдпреА рджреБрдирд┐рдпрд╛ рдореЗрдВ

рдореЗрд░реА рдмрд╕ рдпреЗ рдПрдХ рддрдордиреНрдирд╛ рд╣реИ

рдкрд░ рдЖрд╢рд╛ рдпрд╣ рд╣реИ рдХреА

рдореИрдВ рдлрд┐рд░ рд╕реЗ рд╕реЗрд╣рд▓рд╛рдКрдБрдЧрд╛

рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░реА рдмрд╛рд╣реЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ

рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░реЗ рд╕рд╛рде, рд╣рд╛рде рдореЗрдВ рд╣рд╛рде

рдЙрд╕ рдирдпреА рджреБрдирд┐рдпрд╛ рдореЗрдВ