The Long Goodbye

I try to recollect his gentle face everyday, his way of talking and the pure man he was. I knew death was inevitable, but I  always thought of it as a distant event. This close encounter left me shattered.

To begin with, my grandfather (Narayanan Nampoothiripad) was a very knowledgeable person. In fact, “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man” was his  favorite quote. Though degrees did not certify his knowledge, he knew how to raise a family of 4 children. He got formal education till middle school and made the most of it. Coming from an orthodox Hindu family he worked as a head priest in the family temple. He was married to my grand mom and remained so for 60 long years! Once his children were well settled, he decided to take time off.

He loved being surrounded by people and people loved him too. At the age of 90 he liked to believe he was 60 and boy did his looks agree or what? One would have been been stunned to see his tuft of black hair when he was almost a century old! (There was a time when people called him Dilip Kumar!).He never at once had a lonely, cheerless existence. The granddad I remember was a gentle kid; I affectionately called him my buddy. He told me stories from the Mahabharata and taught me slokas .Yes, his favorite hobby was to hum Sanskrit verses. He knew over 100s of them and very dutifully sang them. By the time he was 90, he developed a small hearing problem but that did not slow him down one bit. He showed every bit of enthusiasm to his surroundings. He read the morning paper with no word to spare. He had his appetite for knowledge, intact. His sense of humour was pleasant, yet so harmless. Even during his last days he was independent, not intending  any trouble to anyone around him. He was indeed a man of words and deeds.

The most prominent thing is that he has left behind a mark in my heart-a mark of love and concern.

It has been 2 years since you are gone and I miss you terribly. It chokes me to realize that you will not return. Your absence has created a vast void in my life..However...if I am sure about anything, it is that you will always remain in my heart and be my guiding angel throughout this journey called life.