Acknowledgement.

I was standing at the window of the lodge at Tirumala looking out ,at the early morning dew rolling down as tiny crystal balls from the petals of red flowers ,on to the green grass carpeting the square , when my cell phone rang.

I answered it with resignation ,thinking it would be those persistent ads for caller tunes.I never check the callers identity.I was surprised to hear a gruff voice .

It was Muniappan ., the visually handicapped ,orphan student.He had not called me for the past several months nor did I meet him when I visited the Association .

He wished me a very 'Happy Independance day',sought to be excused for not calling me earlier and proceeded to recite a poem , that he said, had specially composed for me. I took it down .


aah yendrum ooiryezhuthil aavannikku [ulagam] yellam ooir thandhai

imm yendrum meiyezhuthil eemai [nalla] vazhvai kattru thandhai

maa yendrum ooirmeiyezhuthil mattram pala yanaku thandhai !

Vazhga vallamudan !

oongal ,anbu magan.


He then enquired off me and when I said I was at Tirumalai on the occassion of my son's 27 th birthday , he wished him a very 'Happy Birthday'.And as he hung why did my eyes go suddenly blind ?

An acknowledgement?