Marina vum bessie um

Aathukarar all of a sudden gave a shock yesterday. He called up around 6.30 and said he was starting within 10 minutes and asked me, "engeyanum veliya polaamaaa?" nnu. Intha shockla irunthu veliya vararthukke it took some 2-3 minutes. Pinna year-ending athuvumaa daily 10.30 kku koraiyaama , athuvum three gunny bags full ah files kondu vara manushan, thideernu 6.30 kku , iam starting nnu call panna, heart-attack varaathaaa? It was like Vijay and Vishal saying " we are quitting films". hehehehe....
But naanga rombavum vevaramaanavanga illa, 10 min appadinna min 1 hr nnu theriyum, so went ahead with dinner for P and time 7.45 aachu. So, chumma gave a call to aathukar. He said, " illa got held-up in a clearing issue, so wud start within next 15 min at the maximum nnu sonnar"
By the time, he came home it was 8.15 , so veliya pora plan avvalavuthaan nnu nenachu, we were just talking and having fun with P.
Thideernu, he made an improptu decision. Just we will go for a ridennu, started around 9.00pm. The roads were almost empty and there was not much traffic due to the weekend scenario, i suppose. Or else, ist due to the ongoing board exams or IPL. Either way, it was a pleasant ride.
And P was asking, engeppa porom - Landmark-ah, Lifestyle, big bazaar engeppa , solluppa. When we took the Jawaharlal nehru inner ring road, the road which leads to doctors place, he got suspicious. " Doctor veetukku thaane". Illa da just like that chummannu explain pannittu we were discussing all-along engennu.
After reaching kathipara, suddenly decided to go ahead with Bessie. And the time was 9.30pm.
Going to beach at that time is not-at-all new to us. When i had P, we were in triplicane, so would daily go to beach at that time only. We would go there around 9.00 and would return by 10.30.
It would give such a peaceful ness to see the beach at that time without the maddening crowd and the scarce traffic with just one or two maanga kadai. Even they would be winding up for the day. The merry-go-round wala would strive hard to just pull the vehicle out of the sand into the road by placing the planks at the wheels one-by-one. Atha paakarche rombavum kashtama irukkum. And for all these hard labour in getting it in and out everyday, he would get just mere Rs.10 per ride . The pattani sundal paiyan would be counting his days earnings and u can always see million thoughts going on in his mind about the expenditures and the next day. Then not to leave behind the traffic police-men and the guard at duty at the beach. The look on their face about the loved ones would be clearly visible from their face when they see a happy family with kids around playing in the platform.
The time period , iam talking about is around 6 years back and the beautification project hasnt begun then.
All these thoughts came circling around once we reached the beach and this time it was not marina but bessie. The difference between the two is that you feel at home when u sit at the pathway in bessie and it would give a closed and secured atmosphere unlike marina where u would feel like u have been left alone in an open place.
There were still people hanging out there at the time of 10.00 even. One big family had come there with the kattu satham but in big round tupperwares (shows they are well-to do) and paper plates and were having dinner. And elderly couples whose daughter or son would be in US or UK were just animatedly engrossed in their talk. Ist satisfaction of realising their dreams or yearning for the loved ones - iam not able to clearly decipher their expressions from the face. Then newly married ones, bunch of friends, young girls going for a walk all in the way talking in their earphones.
P who was sleepy all the way got energised once we parked the car and was literally running along the raised path-way. Once he saw all those shops he said "amma pasikkardhu" . Ennada venumnu ketta, "ice-cream". And me being me, at first refused. Ippavaa, athuvum at 10.00 in the night. Then , P being P was stubborn enough as he got a back-up in his father.
Seri all things, once in a while thaane nnu nenacha, we all went to the arun parlour there. So, once for all calories , sinusitis, cold cough pathi ellam kavala padaama generously indulged ourselves with three big scoops. Engala paatha vodane he took a big bowl and served us with biggggg scoops (chumma illa Rs.200/-). Aathukarar was taken away by the name fruit salad and ordered one for himself with helpings of raisins and nuts. Saaptutu , emaathitaney fruit saladnnu ithukku naan pakkathu kadai cone ice-cream eh saaptrupenennu polambal vearai. P had chocolate ice-cream and half-way through avanukku paasam romba vanthuduthu. Amma, chella ammathane nee saapdu, appa unakku venumaannu ore ubacharamthaaan. When we refused (he strictly doesnt like to waste, some-body should complete avana poruthavaraikkum), he countered us saying, unakku chocolate mattum pidikkum illa, naan saapta keppiye, intha ice-cream saapdu nalla irukkumnu.
So oru vazhiya, finish panni, both father and son were playing in the sands - vera enna odi-pidichu thaaaan. And after that we sat for a while in the raised thinnai :) . It was just a nice and calm feeling . Chumma vedikka paarthunde okkararthum thani anubavam thaan illa.
Since the clock started to tick away to 11.00 , thought ithukku mela vendamnu decide panni we started back home. We decided to take many more of these visits in the future. (paarkalaam entha alavukku nadakka porathunnu)

In Control

Yesterday was the first of its kind long trip with family on aathukarars side after a long time. It was with Bil n family and one chithi n family. All hopes of having vambu with co-sis was shattered with chithis presence. But, still the animated ones , small giggles in between, side-glances etc made up for the day. It was actually a religious trip covering thiruthani and kancheepuram temple.
Cos of krithigai, thiruthani was crowded with chaos all around. And to our credit we too joined the club by trying to get inside through influence. I know its wrong to go through short-cut for catching the glimpse of god, but with kids around and that too sick ones , we settled for it, with no other option. May be we chose a wrong day, to offer our venduthals.
P proved to be The obedient child once again. Really it is nice when others compliment you for having control on your child. Control by means doesnt come by threatening or bullying, i suppose. When his cousin indulged himself with all the cool-drinks , ice-creams and bubble-gums, P not only stayed away from them, but didnt throw tantrums as well.
Cool - drinks from the beginning a strict no-no in our house-hold. Aerated drinks somehow didnt appeal to P as well. Though aathukarar always goes for color, goli soda, bovonto sort of things, P didnt pick it up.
Ice-creams - A simple lecture, how he was suffering last whole week with cough , made him to say no.
Lays and bubble-gum - Again the ill-effects lecture did the trick with bribery of toys.
But, the following thoughts were daunting me.
Am I , keeping him away from the worldly pressures and not allowing him to be on his own?
Am I , spoon-feeding him?
Am I , fussing so much, and in the process bringing up an immunity-less child?
On the whole, cannot say, how long i can hold the cards.