My PeddaNannagaru

The title feels like a little kids composition but that is what this is. I left home at 21 yrs of age and the only time I was away from my parents before that was in my ninth grade. I lived for an year under the governance of my Mom's elder sister and husband who had retired from their respective jobs and settled down in our home town. My Doddamma had retired as the vice principal of a high school and was still pretty much that. She was the one who managed the house and me:-). I very diligently did my tasks and homework and scored well in school and so always was in the good books of my Peddanannagaru whom I adored. He was always very quiet and enjoyed his movies. I always felt that the character of Phileas Fogg was sketched after his lifestyle. He had a set time for everything - for his morning walk and coffee, his lunch, his meetings with colony members, his evening walk, dinner and pretty much anything he did was already well planned in to his daily time table. Always the first to help anyone and always the first to appreciate ones efforts...He always had candy in his shirt pocket and an orange peeler in his spectacle case:-) which I borrowed from time to time. Always gave me 5 rupees every time I asked for his blessings and touched his feet. He always had a smile on his face when he greeted anyone. I still remember how thrilled I was when he gave me a pen for getting good grades in 10th class. He always used to come back from his walks, sit down on the chair taking off his walking shoes and say "Vijaya! coffee iyyi". That was part of his daily routine. He took coffee without sugar...cos once the doc said that he might be on the verge of being a diabetic. He would sometimes get poori koora as breakfast for me from some place on his walking route. He took me to a movie once ...man that was a boring movie ...I once went walking with him to VUDA park and he introduced me to all his buddies. ..There are so many little things that remind me of him...He will be in my memories forever.