दक्षिणी मराठी खजाना

In the sixties, in the monthly magazine "Reader's Digest or Readers' Digest" (the name of the magazine should have been "Readers Don't Digest", as not many would go through the magazine fully even though they would be regularly subscribing to the magazine in response to tempting subscription offers) an article used to be published titled 'The most unforgettable character I have ever met'. rr never had any digestive problem and hence he used to study the magazine thoroughly.

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Every such article would portray the personality of a man or lady the writer might've come across with peculiar character. The article used to be quite popular among the odd readers, rr being no exception.

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rr, during his seven decades odd stay on this planet, has met several such people and each one of them leaving an indelible mark, deserve an article in the aforesaid magazine. rr tried his luck but articles were not acceptable for publication as the English was not upto the magazine's standard but only skits and page end items were accepted and published. Ok, why refer to it now?

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rr usually does not go out for morning or evening walks for the sake of walking. In the recent past, he stirs out for morning walks for just fifteen, twenty minutes.

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On one such morning he came across a person, equally aged if not a couple of years younger. While walking he would suddenly stop when a conservancy worker would be sweeping the roads with a high handled broom. Our friend would cross the road and go near the person, pull out a ten rupee note, call the person, 'Indhaamma/Indhaappa, tea kudichchukko', hand over the note and walk along. This he would do at two three places on his way.

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One day he spotted some labourers squatting waiting to go for the day's work. He just stood watching them for two three minutes and then beckoned at one from the group who came near the walker. 'Eththanai per irukkeenga?' 'Aaru perunga, aambalaiyum, pombalaiyum, velaikkup poganungo, mesthri innum varalai' was the reply. Our friend pulled out a fifty rupee note and a ten rupee note and handed over to the man saying, 'tea kudichchukkonga' and walked along. 

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After watching him over four five days, one day I went near him and appreciated his efforts even though he stays far away from the area. He told me, 'Sir, I am not affluent, as you may imagine. But I used to take coffee outside every day, at one place twelve rupees, another place fifteen rupees, elsewhere sixteen rupees and in Saravana Bhavan thirty rupees per cup plus five rupees as tips to the bearer. Having run into acidity problem I have been advised by the doctor to stop drinking coffee. I have not taken coffee for the past five months. Every day I used to spend around a hundred rupees on coffee. Now I spend around fifty sixty rupees to such labourers who toil at their work place. Call me an eccentric, no problem' and walked along.

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Can you beat it? He is one of the unforgettable characters rr have ever met.