Today was beautiful, First snow of the year. The birthday of my cousin. Sri cooked some of the most delicious lunch and dinner in recent memory, I am not a glutton, and the way to my heart is not through my tummy or any area close to it, yet I love different tastes of food (my preference is spicy and sour, sweets are not really on cards, though mood might lend credibility to them too, but lemon grass, clear soups, hot and sour flavors and the likes top the list and sri cooks some dishes perfect).
The kids played themselves into the snow, they didnt care for anything sri had to say about it being cold or that they should dress properly to avoid cold. They had a mind of their own, which is not much, considering it was filled with snow. I joined them with little snow balls, on a short, a third child much to the anguish of my wife. It was fun.
The day however turned out to be warm, by noon, Robin offered to take care of the kids while we ran errands. Me and sri escaped without much to keep us warm except for occasional snuggles and of course some knowing smiles. Sri was teasing me about my girl friends, and me about her boy friends - and for a change the old sridevi song that makes srilu belch in disgust didn't annoy her so much, its not something I like but certainly something I would settle for when the mood was elevated with some privacy, in full public view of course.
Me and sri shopped ourselves silly. I love to indulge in buying things, shopping with price tags drives me crazy, but once the price tags are tucked out of vision, I can be quite a pleasant shopper, which of course makes Sri nervous, since she feels more responsible for money than I can feel for my life.
I could persuade her to buy scented candles and a couple of glass hurricanes to go with it. The price luckily for me, not a luxury I get into often, turned out to be low and my choices were promptly approved without further argument. We came back, Sri popped some popcorn for me, along with a cuppa brewing hot tea (she makes absolutely wonderful tea cups) and I was in heaven. Btw anyone who hasnt tried buttered popcorn with Jalapenos is wasting mans most brilliant movie theater invention (popcorn) without tasting it right.
We were watching wake up sid over dinner, on the couch, in what Boss would call Bumming around pose. Me sri and Manny (Jan slept early). The kid was sitting on my tummy, and seemed to be busy in her own world. While me and sri were watching the movie, courtesy Veoh player.
The movie was obvious feel good, and over simplification of life, with just a touch and highlight of the key notes, of what should be felt, what was felt without specific details. I enjoy my time anyways.
I never understood the distraction of children with movies, until I figured out with Janu and then with Manny that they connect more intimately to what suits their level of thinking - the fascination with Tele tubbies, Donald duck, starts early, followed by goofey, then eventually moves on to Mickey with age and intelligence. The process almost coincides with verbalization that can stay on as coherent for kids. Which is why of course, across the ages Tom and Jerry seems to hold attention, because it seems to have something in it for everyone - minus the words of course.
The child was fighting sleep, and playing on with me, refusing to take my offers to let her sleep on my tummy while I gently tapped her back - something she immensely likes most of the times. Then suddenly the child who was making different shapes and wriggling around like a worm all over me (for those who believe in astrology she is a gemini), got squirmish, and moves over to her mom crying. I snapped out to figure out if I did something to hurt her, pat came the explanation from a wise mother that she was upset the Sid was leaving her girl friend and going away! The child, apparently soaked the movie enough to connect through the events that lead to the connection between the lead pair. Srilu, was calming her down wiping her tears, and telling her it will be ok.
Then in the final frame the hero and the heroin hug each other, and little Revathy Manasvini made a pronouncement, "now movie is good", I cant explain her expression, perhaps it was a mixture of tiredness, insight, satisfaction, dreaminess. And she was finally at 12 midnight, ready to sleep. Coming from her, the simplicity was hard hitting.
She went on to tell me, daddy, we need to sleep, lets put the fire on the candle. I meekly submitted to the request, the "fire" was put on the candle, the candle was put into the glass hurricane, the lights were turned off, and upon her suggestion the hurricane was put besides a mirror because we were lighting only one candle and she wanted two. The child is sleeping, while I sit by her side and savour the scent of the candle by the candle light. I remind myself, there still so much to learn, and write here, wishing the memory of what I feel now lingers on tomorrow, when the candle is gone like its scent.
I am enclosing a night shot of the candle in the glass hurricane, there is very little more beautiful than darkness with a hint of light. More so, when there is nothing standing between the light and your naked existence - you are fully alive and aware of the expressive face of the girl child by the candle light. You know for sure that you are not casting any shadows.
To the darkness and the girl child tonight!
