Tuesday, August 21, 2012

55.Veggie Remedy For The Guilty Feeling

This is another story from Padidilian series. 

Suresh is Umesh’s younger brother. We became buddies during the time I was a boarder there. Well, not exactly. I’m not doing justice to them and their hospitality, if I use the word ‘boarder’, which is an ugly, commercial word. I was actually their guest, because Umesh was my friend. And they didn’t charge me for anything. 

I was in my first year at the Teachers’ College in Peradeniya, Kandy. Umesh was still working in Ampara and came home about twice a month.

In a world where everything was money, the Padidilians were an exceptional family. They never asked for money for my stay, nor food. When I made an attempt to pay them they flatly refused it and said I was Umesh’s friend and that their home was no boarding place. I could stay with them as long as I liked so long as I don’t try to be funny offering money in exchange of friendship. 

Sri Lankans are a hospitable nation. So hospitable that the westerners would misunderstand it for something else. Still this was very strange. And them not being millionaires either. They treated me as family. 

I somehow was suffering from this guilty feeling of being a parasite and taking the mean advantage of their kindness. 

So one day, I bought a huge bag of vegetables home, just because this guilt was tormenting me. As soon as I went in the door, Suresh saw me. 

“Hey, dude, where are you going fully loaded” with that sneering grin he is famous for. 

I, suddenly realizing what was in store for me, said. 

“Dude, do me a help! Can you take this into the kitchen for me?” 

“Whaaat??? You brought all these for us?” Suresh hollered. “Mommy, mommy, come and take a look at this. Look… we got a visitor…Mommy!” 

The whole household came out running to gape at me as if I was something the cat had just brought in and then started howling with laughter. I felt like a clown. 

“What made you do such a stupid thing, my boy?” Mommy asked finally, when she recovered  enough to speak. 

And that, unfortunately, wasn’t the end of it. It was only the beginning of some Padidilian dinner time entertainment.

 Each time they cooked one of the vegetables I had brought that day, either mommy or a sister just would announce at the dinner table. “Today special is our dudes, beans and corrots…” and so on. 

And mommy would watch me for some time with her wide motherly grin and say” Henry, you are a wonderful…” Before she finishes her sentence I hastily to fill the blank “...idiot”, in the hope of avoiding a more eloquent vocabulary . 


And the day when I saw the last of the vegetables, no need to say, I felt so relieved. So long as I stayed with the Padidilians, I never did anything ‘stupid’ like that. 

 And In a few months I moved to the college hostel. 

I miss that loving family even now. 

****************************************************************************************************
If you haven't read the Part One of the Series "Tongue Twister Family", click here

If you want to read the original Sinhala version of this post 
පැඩිඩිලියන් 2 – වරදකාරී හැඟීමට එළවලු වලින් ප්‍රතිකාර, click here.

****************************************************************************************************

20 comments:

  1. Wow what a nice and loving family! i am sure that they would have been a family away from home to you....and it was so funny how Suresh yelled when he saw you! i can just imagine how you all would have looked....nice story nicely said...:D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course, it was my family away from home. I called the old lady Mommy like the rest of the kids. What's worrying me is I can't locate them.

      Delete
    2. Dude, seems that your buddies are in the UAE. Try googling "Umesh Padidilian" or "Suresh Padidilian". Also, you will find some Padidilians here at http://www.facebook.com/family/Padidilian/1

      Delete
  2. They are very nice people indeed. No doubt about that. However, you’ve been nice too. Some people would take advantage of kindness of others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous, They were The Best Ever. And it is quite contrasting with the nature of the people I deal with nowadays.
      And thanks for appreciating my action, too. :) Guilt is a powerful feeling.

      Delete
  3. NIce story dude.

    Did you take vegetables for college hostel also?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks මී පැටියා,
      I know you asked about taking vegetables to the college hostel for fun. But dude, there was something called a food committee. And we students were the office bearers. Some weeks we had to go to the market and buy the vegetables and bring them to the hostel. There was a permanent kitchen staff of course to cook them.

      Delete
    2. Ok dude. I just asked for joke.

      :)

      Nice post anyway machan..

      Delete
  4. It is a very hilarious story.But on the other hand they seem to be very genuine people.They are rare now.I have heard the name before.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that was a really nice family. I miss them so much. And thanks Blue Lotus, for the comment.

      Delete
  5. A rare breed of people; even in our beloved motherland..

    ReplyDelete
  6. That word 'even' says a lot. doesn't it? :) Thanks, Dude!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. In other words Bindi, 'BAD, YOUNG DAYS'! :D

      Delete
  8. This is the Srilankan specialty. But I don't think this quality of society will remain after few years as much western culture and business mind invade here.
    A nice story ! at least people who read this, will refresh their forgotten kindness and hospitality.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Giman. What you say is true. Still there are so many good things we can and take we already have taken from the western culture, too, just to nourish our own. We have a knack to pick up the bad qualities only.

      Delete
  9. nice post ayya... could not visit your blog recently due to very busy life with my internship..sorry hode...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, internship is much more important than reading blogs. So how did it go?
      And you are welcome back here and thanks very much. :)

      Delete
  10. Hey Uncle I Like Dz Story :)
    And I Can Feel How Much U Missed Such A Family Like That.
    Can U Plz Gv Me Hiruni Akki's Fb Id??
    Thanx :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yeah. Thats the word "wonderful Idiot" for your stupid action on a precious family. Nice writing.

    ReplyDelete

I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS VERY MUCH.

And now you can SPICE’EM UP, too. :)

Wanna escape HTML?

This is how to insert a link:
<a href="LINK HERE"> WORDS HERE</a>

Video: Youtube video link

Images: [im]...........................[/im]

scrolling effect: [ma].....................[/ma]

font size: [en="2"]..............[/en]

font color: [co="red"].........................[/co]

centralize the text: [ce]..................[/ce]

scrolling effect in right side: [ma+]......................[/ma+]

box the comment: [box]....................[/box]

mark the comment: [mark].................[/mark]

background effect: [card="blue"].....................[/card]

image to fit the column(100%): [im#]...........................[/im]

Highlight the words: [hi="yellow"].........................[/hi]