Oh, Brother!

“Muthu! Muthu! Where are you? If you don’t come out now, I’m going to tell
Appa” shouted Vijay.

Where was this rascal?

Always going into hiding whenever we had to go help Appa with his small sundry
shop. He’d always rather play football with his friends.

Vijay gave a sigh. “Muthu! Quickly come out! Appa’s coming! You’re going to get
it now!”

“Wait, wait, wait! I’m coming! I’m coming!” hollered the rascal, coming out from
his hiding place, behind the sofa. How he managed to hide behind the sofa was
an achievement by itself. The sofa was so close to the wall that even a cat would
have found it difficult to squeeze in.

“Aaah! It’s painful lah!” Screamed Muthu as big brother Vijay pulled him out by
his ear.

“That will teach you! Come when you’re called once” hollered Vijay, half laughing
and half angry.

Appa’s sundry shop.

If you can call a 6 feet by 8 feet lot a ‘shop’, thought Vijay. Life should have been
better for Appa. He shouldn’t have to work at his age. After all, he gave all he had
when he was toiling for the National Railway.

Granted, he had had very little education. But that wasn’t his fault. It was just
circumstances. His father didn’t provide him with the right opportunity, Vijay
opinioned in his mind.

He remembered Appa coming home at odd hours and then being called back by
his superiors because some signal box had some mechanical problem or other.
Appa was always being called. Appa was every ready to offer himself.

Any time.

All this took a tool on his health. He was growing old. Appa didn’t look like the
Appa Vijay remembered when he was much younger. Then, his face was
smoother, his hair didn’t recline and he always had a great posture.


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