One Sunday Morning

A Painting and a Story # 10

It is a warm Sunday morning. The breakfast plates have been cleared. Murali is nursing a tall cup of ginger laced tea by the large window. White sunbeams filter through the thin curtain. The newspaper lies on his lap and his eyes are looking into the distance. Myriad adult thoughts cascade through his mind. Some bring regret some bring plans and some bring plain memories.

Meenu (short for Meenakshi) rushes to him.... tugging at his arm impatiently. 'Come Hoo-Ffoo Kaka come! It will go away. You have to come now', She jerks at his arm. The tea spills on to the floor and makes a mess. Murali is annoyed. He gives Meenu a see-what-you-did look, and determinedly holds back the harsh words that rise up his throat. He shakes off the drops of tea on his wrist and walks towards the kitchen to pick up a mop.

Meenu will not be brushed away. 'Hoo-Ffoo Kaka come it will go away' she says as she drags him to the main door. 'Where are you taking me. I don't even have my slippers on', he says

'Look at my friend'. She says pointing to a squirrel munching on a coconut piece. 'He is holding the piece in his paws and eating it daintily! He is so cute. He is my friend Tupu'. Meenu continues chattily. Murali humours her and tiptoes into the front yard to watch Tupu. His feet are unaccustomed to the sharp gravel in the mud. Meenu doesn't seem to mind! Without warning a quick rain drenches them. Murali hurries towards the dry interiors of the house.

Meenu grabs at his shirt and says, 'It's only rain Hoo-Ffoo Kaka. Look at the sky... RAINBOWS!'

Murali stops to see the gorgeous double rainbow forming in the sky. Will his simple cell-phone camera capture this splendour? Murali takes a dozen pictures, some pictures of the rainbow to share and some pictures of himself and Meenu to treasure.

It's amazing how a flower, a stream or even the picture of a flower or stream can restore faith in ourselves and in the world around us. Those of you, who have plants even in pots will resonate with me when I say that a deep sense of bonding or ownership develops between us and our plants. And when that single yellow hibiscus blooms! What joy! We claim it as 'My Hibiscus'. The bounty of nature can only be experienced not explained.

For this week's painting I display a few of my Mother Smt Nagaveni Rangaswamy's water colours. She liked to paint flowers and liked to gift them to her favourite guests. She passed away at the age of 81 and painted almost till her last days. 

Water Colour - Flowers bring Hope