CLEAN –
LUBRICATE - PROTECT
During
my Merchant Navy days in the seventies, the term “two in one” was being lavishly
used in electronics circles. It was the
lay man’s perception of a radio cum tape recorder. I had purchased a National
Panasonic ‘two-in-one’ from Yokohama or Osaka way back in 1973 – 74. A wise
investment, I must say for I had used it extensively for recording songs from the
radio, live concerts from AIR and Madras-2, especially during the December
season. After I was happily married in 1977, and had my two sons Hari &
Shyam, the instrument served its purpose to record their songs, conversations
etc. The gadget was in fact a three in one because it had 2
compartments for inserting the cassettes of sizes M30, M60, M120 etc. (M indicating
the play duration in minutes on each side of the cassette, of course).
We
had a good stock of 3-in-1 oil cans and ‘mollycoat’ (used for freeing the bolt/fastner
threads at various locations like equipment/machinery base frames, doors, huge valve
handles, etc., etc.) in the ships. The paste should have inherited its brand
name from ‘mollycoddling’ which means over protection / pampering. After I left
the ships and took up a career as shop floor engineer, I got a real 3-in1 oil can
for my personal do-it-yourself jobs at home. The oil smell was really good – something
like the fragrance you get near any automobile paint shop. Having made the superfluous
introduction, let me come back to the content or rather contents of this blog. I
have spread the blog into 3 segments or rather, 3 incidents, each different in
its own way.
1. HOW “MURPHY’
ONCE AGAIN TARGETTED ME AND ME ONLY ….….
You would recall that my most favourite topic is Elliots Beach and
I get the skeleton for many of my earlier blogs spanning some 7 years, during
my walk along the beach side in the wee hours. Even if I am able to retain 10%
of what flashes through my head then, I think it’s a good bargain.
This also is one such incident that happened few months back. Wife
was away at Bangalore, enjoying the company and hospitality of our sons. I had
just finished my quota of 50 to 60 minutes of brisk walk through the stretch of
the beach, I was about to de-stand or un-stand (?) my Scooty Pep. I had opened
the ‘dicky’ to take out my goggles because I prefer to put it on while driving
to prevent dust entering my eyes or sometimes as a sun screen to escape from
the Madras scorch.
I was kind of biting the scooter key bunch since both my hands
were engaged. Just then, an acquaintance called me out and wished good morning.
Being a good listener, and a better responder, I too wished him back “Very Good
Morning, Sir..” Call it fate or whatever, before I could complete ‘very…’ the
key bunch fell inside the box. Surprisingly, I was not much bothered, and instead
compared myself with the proverbial crow holding the onion vada between the
beaks and the cunning dwarf fox (kulla nari) below telling the poor, innocent
crow how mellifluous his voice was, and praising his musical knowledge, requesting
him to sing just one song for him. You know the rest of the story, how the crow
gladly obliged etc.
However, my sense of utmost complacency didn’t last very long. In
the malee that followed, the seat cover dropped down over the dicky. And, look
at the turn of events. During normal times, I have to bang the seat 3 or 4
times before it is securely locked with a click sound. I am sure, my dear
friend Murphy must have been lurching around somewhere nearby. The damn latch
of the seat cover perfectly got locked with the unbelievable click sound, which
in normal times would have been pretty much of a relief and musical to my
ears..….. !!
Now, I can’t unlock the two-wheeler, let alone start her,
without the (ignition) key. I tried to open the dicky using keys of other
scooties parked nearby, but without any success. To-day is going to be a real
bad day, I told myself. I had three options.
1. Wait for 3 hours
and get a mechanic to sort out the problem.
2. I remembered there was a spare key somewhere
at home. I could go home and bring the car, and take the scooter. But I had to
find someone to drive one of the vehicles. Unfortunately, by then everyone had
left after their morning strolls, and jogging.
3. I decided to go home and try my luck if
I could locate the spare key and come back to take the scooty back.
To cut a long story
short, much to my relief, I was able to locate the spare key, and brought the
two-wheeler back.
2. THE STORY OF THREE HUGS….
The great Sidhu once again…
This time, he says, the dream of Kartarpura corridor is becoming a
reality only because of his recent (in) famous hugging of Pakistan Army Chief.
Now that he is once again invited by his friends in Pakistan, someone was
suggesting that this time he hugs the Pakistani Navy Chief so that cross border
firing from across the LOC by Pak will stop. And, maybe next time he hugs the
Pak Air Force Chief and ‘tamaar padaar’ – all terrorist guns go to silent
mode…..
As far as I can recollect, there are only two other historical
‘hugs’, the earliest known hug being from Dhritarashtra. Unable to digest the
killing of Duryodhana, by Bheema, (irrespective of his sons’ naïve attitude
towards Pandavas right since childhood), he wanted to
take revenge, and calls for a get
together of Pandavas along with Krishna. He tells Krishna to take him to Bheema
to hug him because he too was like his son. Knowing the evil intentions of the
old blind man, Krishna takes him to a concrete pillar or some pillar of such
strong ingradients. Dhritarashtra hugs “Bheema” so hard, and to the horror of
all onlookers, the pillar disintegrates to thousands of pieces because of the
impact of the hug.
The more recent hug, or in other words, the hilarious ‘kattipudi’ vaithiyam
suggested by Kamal haasan as a panacea for all diseases in “Vasool Raja…” is
another classic example for the hidden powers of hugs. I was in total agreement
with this type of treatment, (with no malicious intentions, of course), till very
recently. Now, I am not too sure.
TAIL PIECE:
Couple of weeks back, while walking at the beach front along with my
dear wife, she points out to a somewhat good looking female, and tells me that
the lady was suffering from an attitudinal problem. “How?” - I ask her.
Seems when she wishes this particular lady, on some days she would
wish back, and at other times, she would look the other way…. Being an ardent
fan of Kamal Haasan, I asked my wife very very innocently whether I shall try to
treat the lady using the proven Kattipudi Vaithiyam?
And, next thing I knew was that I was in a cozy bed at Malar
Hospital with half a dozen stitches on my beautiful nose. Now, I am discharged
after a week’s stay there, and believe me, that’s why I
am allergic to hugs, these days 😍😍😍…..
3. THE INCREDIBLE TRAIN JOURNEY (as told
by my wife)….
SORRY DEAR
ONES….
ONLY TWO
EPISODES FOR NOW. WHETHER BJP COMMITS A DATE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAM
MANDIR, AS DEMANDED BY SHIV SENA, VHP ETC., I PROMISE YOU THAT I WILL COMMIT A
DATE FOR THE PUBLISHING OF THIRD EPISODE – POSITIVELY BY THE FIRST WEEK OF
DECEMBER, 2018.
It's about who come and never
leave your side
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