Maa... It’s so boring at your native...

Whenever my mother comes up with the idea of visiting her hometown I lament, “Maa... It’s so boring at your native…” She immediately gives me a death stare, and after that, I do not have an option, do I?

The drawbacks of such quick unplanned visits are that they are unplanned. Not only do I have to come in terms with not having internet access & my laptop, and the dreaded no-shopping weekend, I have to make swift alternative time-pass arrangements.

My usual time-pass stuff includes:

• A 3-year-old transcend mp3 player – Although the thought of getting myself an Apple I-pod sounds spectacular, I am more inclined to getting myself a pair of Fastrack™ watches rather than the I-pod. 
• A Novel (or two) – A quick stop at the roadside vendor’ near the Guindy railway station, and I have a great array of books to choose from. Most probably, I wind up with a Nicholas Sparks Romance title. 
• A pack of playing cards 
•  A notepad and a black Cello MaxWriter

After a tiring twelve hour journey, we reach our Uncle’(Mom’s brother) place. Our uncle is a Sr. Engine Driver in the Southern Railways, and it is not often that he is at home to greet us. Our Aunt makes up for that though. She is a very congenial person. Her remarkable hospitality makes us all feel at home. I love that woman!

“Chennai is a complete waste”, I tell my brother after having a long shower. Barely minutes after I have landed, I start slandering the place where I put up. Chennai, the place I adore. There is something special in those waters; something that makes it hard not to feel an endearment to the place. I love Ramnad.

In a small town, everyone knows everyone else, and nobody needs an invite to drop in. People drop in now and then, and surprise! Everyone seems to know me; hardly do I know a handful of them. “Kevuri(Gowri) magala nee?”, is the phrase of the day. Add to it the, “Kevuri ku ivlo periya ponna iruku?” the cliché is complete.

There is very little to do during the day, other than chatting with neighbors and watching TV. Of late, I have taken a huge aversion to all Tamil Channels (Star Vijay included). Since there is no way that I am going to get to watch Castle or The Amazing Race, I settle down for watching “The Great Migration” on Discovery. Seriously, Discovery channel, how many times are you going to re-telecast it?

Then, there are my cousins, Venkat, Divya, Kausalya and Senthil. The eldest is 21, and the youngest 17. I am the eldest, and they all address me “Akka” It does feel good when all those kids look up to me; except my evil little brother of course (He knows me inside out :|)

We gather on the little terrace, trying to catch up on each others’ lives and small town gossip of course ;) Divya is particularly huge on humor, and is the most endearing of them all. I see a bit of myself in her, with her animated expressions and quick wit. Senthil is my personal favorite though. I love his smile; the huge, unaffected and mischievous smile.

After all the small talk, we either settle down for a game of cards or carom. Venkat is so damn good at carom. There is no way any of us is going to beat him in a fair game of carom. However, who is going to play fair any way? ;)

No visit is complete without our “Ramanathaswamy temple” and “Pamban Bridge” With the smell of the sea, sand and beach even a tiring walk along the Pamban bridge is a pleasant stroll. Add to it the occasional Dhanushkoti visit, there is no place better to be.

When it is time to depart, I realize that I have not touched the novel, mp3 player or the notepad. I pack my stuff, wanting to stay for one more day. I board the train, halfheartedly. Wanting to take in as much as I can, I peek outside through the window. As the train starts to move I see faces; eager faces smiling and waving. I can hear Senthil yell, “Come back soon Akka” I wave back, and mutter, “I will”

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