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Parrys Lakshmi

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by rgsrinivasan, Aug 21, 2018.

  1. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    I've lost count of the number of times, I opened that box before. A small, rectangular tin box, slightly longer and wider than my palm, it had its lid off from its outwardly bent hinges. I set that up again and closed and opened it. It worked. I stood unmoved, seeing the now rusted and old painting on the lid. Goddess Lakshmi stood there - an eternal smile, that she has, but what attracted me so much was her form and her stance. She was not well built, but very slim, almost bordering on the frail category. It was not a Raja Ravi varma yes, but her stature and the background which accentuated her more was closer. It made one to look at her face that was looking back sternly with a hint of a smile and that odd solace that one rarely felt. Thankfully, the words "Parrys Confectionery" was painted on the sides and not on the lid.

    I remember opening it and finding toffees while being a kid and later, for many years, that box held the money from the breadwinners of the family [mom, dad at first and brothers and sisters later]. That was our cash box and was the first and foremost to be kept safer in case we all left. Be it just one ten rupee note or a few thousands and even a lakh or more it held, it stayed the way it is. My father has a strange affection to it even now and still uses the box, though it now contains a couple of ten rupee notesat the maximum. Plus, small pocket sized photos of other gods / goddesses, one or two "lucky charms" and one photo of someone I can't recollect now. It drives me to a nostalgia and I can reminisce those days when I, the youngest and the last accountant at home tallied the receipts and expenses, and balanced it to the last paisa, evoking a bit of a jealous reaction from my immediate elder one for that. It flared up as I got a reward - Five rupees! Oh! A rubber ball was priced at Rs. 1.50-/- then and a pack of sparrow crackers was Rs. 1.25-/-, so what more can you ask for?

    Its quite strange that we associate a lot of thoughts on such items that we take for granted and at times had even ignored without paying a second glance earlier. These thoughts make them heavier and adds that surreal feeling too occasionally, as you kind of expect some strange feeling too. I used to have that odd feeling whenever I saw old coins, the anna, one paisa with a horse as heads and even a rare half farthing circa 1844. The dull queen head and an 'ancient' inscription of the letters on the other side, was an inspiration to my mega-serial like stories then, where I was born as a pauper and ended up rich by just that coin, after sharing so much wealth. That coin too was kept in that box for a few years, before it was moved to a TV shaped hundi which housed coins from other countries. Regardless of new shining cash boxes with locks, my father still kept money in that box. I used to close my eyes for a brief second before opening that box not just for praying but at times wondering how a tin box could last this longer.

    All children grew up, moved out for valid reasons like marriage and job. We all got older, but the box somehow remained the same - timeless! One of my sisters passed away after a prolonged fight with cancer in her mid-thirties, changing us all forever. She was the apple of the eye for my father, and always reminded that fresh blossom in terms of her befriending nature and jovial character. Perhaps a parent mourns the loss of a child forever, I think. Father kept one of her younger time black and white photo in the box. One random word or just a kind act would remind us about her and stall us though its over a decade now. Perhaps the people who are not here are gifted, as they don't get older anymore.

    Its been close to a year since I lost my mom and I just realized the strange connect that box had made with me. Yes, my mother looked exactly similar to that Lakshmi. And she will stay forever young, in our memories. There was that odd cheeky girl in her, who rarely surfaced from an otherwise strict teacher who never leaned on others as long as she could. I vividly remember the glow in her eyes even now, alas as a miser counting his money.

    This box is one such treasure now, with my father and I won't ask for it.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2018
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  2. poovai

    poovai Platinum IL'ite

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    Nicely written. We have a box like that with a baby Krishna's picture, mom uses it as her jewellery box.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2018
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  3. stayblessed

    stayblessed Platinum IL'ite

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    Beautiful snippet rgs.
     
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  4. Agatha83

    Agatha83 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear rgs,

    What a beautiful way of keeping the suspense intact among the readers, till the end about the identity of this ‘Parry’s Lakshmi. What an emotional revelation it was. Nicely written.

    Agatha83
     
  5. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    You have a touch of O. Henry in you. Like him, you too keep the suspense till the last sentence. very well written!
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    The value of an item held by parents/grandparents is invaluable than any assets we inherit from them. A small box, an old mirror with half of it with no mercury in it, an eye wear, used tools, Easy chair, cupboard, hair clip, etc. are of extraordinary value.

    Recently, we came to know the old vessels that my wife inherited from her great maternal grandmother was lost in our house. It was kept in the loft since our wedding in 1983. Now that my mother is no more, I have no means to find out what happened to those items. When we discuss about our loss, people tell that you can afford to buy new ones. But can I get back the same vessels used by so many generations? There is no way anyone else will understand other than the one who cherish those memories.

    Viswa
     
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  7. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Glad to know that @poovai madam. Thanks for your feedback. -rgs
     
  8. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks a lot for your appreciation @stayblessed. -rgs
     
  9. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks for your appreciation and feedback @Agatha83 madam. I did not intend to keep it as a suspense actually. I got blown away when I wrote this, and choked a bit while ending this. I wrote the initial draft 2 months before and stopped it half way as I just could not complete it then, for your information. Today actually brings more flooding memories of both of the dear ones that I miss now. -rgs
     
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  10. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    I am still a big fan of his short stories, @Cheeniya sir, and found that there are a few stories better than his popular "The gift of the magi". I wrote a lot of one page stories in IL Blogs with a last line ending , for many years here and was received well for that. But for this snippet however, I didn't intend to keep it that way. I was emotionally drained writing this and found it very hard to control myself. I still have to go many a mile in all things that I try, and I am fully aware of that. Thanks for your appreciation sir.
     
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