The newly named ‘Radical’ needs protecting from the sun, rain, trees and other animate and inanimate objects. First stage: waterproof cover found after the third attempt. Dont ask.
Nothing is straightforward, it’s India.
The old velvety inside of the roof, sadly couldn’t be retained.
Sowbaghya aka SB gave it to the paper collection man as scrap.
Next …
… job is to clear the garage and obstacles (plants, furniture, two wheelers) from outside, to make the drive drivable.
I’ve accumulated so much stuff.
In my defence, I have lived here the longest in my whole life. That’s fifteen years.
One step closer.
I leave for the U.K. in two weeks and plan for radical to live there. Given the regular downpours we’ve had she should have moved in previously
It’s important to recognise and realise how much my adopted family here in India as helped me survive the most difficult years in my life.
Sowbaghya is so critical to my life here in Mysore
She’s project managed and coordinated the rejuvenation of the radical red, that is now attention seeking in and around Mysore and Srirangaptnam
That’s the tip of the mountain of help she has been.
Sowbaghya is important to me and has kept me and the business going.
Thank you Sowbaghya for all your help.
I firmly believe that grief is always with us but becomes more manageable as we fill the space around it with important valued people and ‘things’ we do.
The next member of the family, everyone knows, the irrepressible Kaveri. Grief manager extraordinaire.
I can’t begin to list what she does for me.
She makes me smile (and cry.)
She’s cool.
She’s a big thing.
Our mini team is complete with Kaveri’s ‘sister’ Radhika, a wonderful young woman.
I look forward to witnessing her develop and we growing together through the years.
Oh ….. Trishalla and Eregowda, have been a great support through difficult and remembering times, you’ll have to wait to see where that leads.
A special mention for: Sarvesh, Vasanth, Satish, Tanuja and their families.
We’ve all worked together to cherish and continue Manjula’s radiance through our projects: events, school, community meals, creativity days, supporting Kaveri, and making Manjula’s garden in the park.
Not to forget our guests who have become family and my very own DNA family folks in the U.K. and Canada
Ina, our every-year guest who was a big buddy of MAnjula and now me, in front of the banner created by other guests.
I tentatively opened the garage door into kat planet.
B-A-Do was lying parallel to the limen, I thought relaxing until I noticed a quivering rat by her mouth. She half done the job but seemed to be frozen. As she pulled away I found a stick and finished the task
It’s then in noticed all eyes from the kits, mesmerisingly proud of mum, watching from their raised wooden cushioned castle. I passed the dead cat on a shovel for their approval.
Later as they were all turning and jumping in seemingly choreographed mayhem in the yard, I realised one was leading the chase of a cockroach. I followed and finished it off
Satish and I had searched Karnataka and eventually found it in Mandya District (near Srirangapatnam).
We needed it, as due to her health Manjula couldn’t safely and comfortably continue to ride pillion on my two wheelers.
We joked that not unlike the Bollywood movie — ‘Driving Miss Daisy” there was a chauffeur ( in our case a white old, not a black guy) and not an aged white woman as passenger but a brown ageless Indian beauty — my MAnjula.
No it’s not another posting about Shakespeare or Caesar —- it’s about a different inspiration —-
Manjula
As we approach the anniversary of Manjula’s partial departure five years ago (she is of course very much with us) I want to remember her beautiful wonderfulness and recall the good we’ve done together, in her name.
And so it’s also about you: ‘Manjula’s Kind’ friends who have given cash or help-in-kind or moral support to help me through the grief gravy and to take action.
Amongst these are (please follow the links for more information):
She could beat the Brit with her fast thinking humour.
This month I don’t rely just on my memory as I’m being constantly reminded by the smart phone photos of what happened five years ago when MAnjula had had enough.
This image (thanks for creating it Punith) popped up. As with everything, a story goes with it. …
Occasionally we’d have guests who’d arrive a bit fed-up. Maybe tired from the daily onslaught of travel or messed up by the consistent inconsistencies of this unpredictable land.
Manjula and I would realise (using secret signals) that we had someone who was ‘glass half full’ and then we’d turn up the jokey banter ‘smelling salts’ to help bring them round.
In due course when we were over full (when I’d lose my bedroom due to too many guests) it became known as ‘full full’. In time MAnjula used the term to reflect our happy life together.
I’m often reminded of the quote by E P Thompson about India ….
“India is perhaps the most important country for the future of the world. All the convergent influences of the world run through this society… There is not a thought that is being thought in the West or East that is not active in some Indian mind.”
In my view that speaks about its diversity of ideas, its openness and inclusivity. (Plus Nehru’s palmist but that’s for another day)
But of course it’s not straightforward or necessarily predictable.
I first fell in love with India in the 1970s through books and listening to its music.
Eventually arriving here almost thirty years ago first visiting Bangalore, I realised I’d somehow come home.
It’s never been an easy relationship.
I always look for patterns. In those first few days I was amazed by the driver’s behaviour. How were the cars not crashing into each other? Were there rules? Did anyone know or follow them?
In time I began to recognise something of the patterns. First I noticed the number plates. The first two letters K and A stand for the state- Karnataka. The next two figures, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) office where the vehicle is registered. In Mysore’s two RTO offices, that’s 09 and 55. In Bangalore a main office is number 05. So flashing before my eyes as I fought through the traffic and sought understanding was KA0S …
I jest but it helped me realise what a very different world I was now in.
I was impressed by Bangalore but it was nothing by comparison with Mysore, my next stop.
Me and MYCycle 