Thank God for telephones!
When we moved to Erode(this was when I was six), I remember how pleased I was with the fact that I would have a room all to myself. That I didn't sleep in it is a different story! I was too young to sleep in a room too distant from my parents' room. I used to sleep on the diwan in the living room.
One normal day when I was sitting on the diwan I saw a li'l girl, almost my size, peeping apprehensively into the house! She saw me looking at her, wondering who she was, n smiled. I called for my mom. It turned out she was a neighbour n that started it all.
We have spent almost our entire childhood together. We helped each other learn cycling. I would hold her cycle for her while she tried to balance n she would hold mine for me. She taught me how to make paper boats n how to make sure they remain afloat, she even taught me how to make the 'fighter' boat, the one with a blade. She taught me how to get even with the boys in class whose favourite pastime was making fun of my glasses(yes, I had glasses when I was in class 2 :( !). She was like my guardian angel when it came to the neighbourhood kids. She fought all my fights for me n pampered me like I was her li'l sister though we were of the same age n in the same grade.We'd do our homework together n we loved it! She taught me how to play cards n I once spent all saturday playing cards refusing to come home for lunch. I remember that day till date because I was told off from playing cards ever again (I haven't till today. I guess I am jus one of those 'obedient' children.) She was my only help when it came to things 'grown-ups' knew. She taught me the word 'stupid'. My first 'grown-up' word. 'stupid'. 'stupid'. I repeated again n again till I was sure I wont forget it when Dinesh, the class bully teased me. She taught me how to plan my escape from mom's efforts to make me drink milk. She is responsible for my love for rasam saadam which is dear to me till date. I still remember the taste of her mom's rasam n the fact that she used to serve me rice in banana leaves made the whole affair resemble a storybook tale. She was my aide in burying the chick that died because it hit the electric wire while trying to fly. She was my chief counsel in taking care of a set of caterpillars that we assumed would be our pet butterflies. We planned having a tree house on the neem tree opp to our houses. Even tried to shoo away the bird whose nest was on the tree. She told me all about the flowers on the tree next street that were full of honey that we could suck. And she helped me sneak out so my mom wouldn't realize we were off to sthel flowers. She introduced me to yelandai vadai, a favourite till date. My mom hates me having it! She was my companion to our first trip all by ourselves on our cycles to the sangeetha shopping centre in the city market place which involved cycling past the busiest road in town. We didn't tell our parents where we were going, because they wouldn't have let us. They dont know till date.
And suddenly when I was twelve she moved away to a distant place. Far far away. N today after so many years, as I am sitting in my office for yet another mundane day at work, I got this call!It was a voice that was vaguely familiar n then I realized, it was her! Even before she could say so. The elation that I felt talkin to her after this many years, be it for two minutes, cannot be captured in words! I thought I was dreaming but it had to be true, she told me so! After talking to her I got back to work but could not(obviously!) I looked around for somebody to share this feeling with but couldnt see anyone who would understand! I think its one of those feelings, the magnitude of which you realize only when it happens to you.
