Every new year what we do?

Wake up, take bath, go to temple, watch top 10 movies, pattimandram, first-time-in-the-world-television-history movies and sleep off.

 Fortunately this year was different to many of us from SHaDE. We decided to share the first day of the new year with a genuine celebration. We came to know about Chinna pookal, Maraimalai Nagar from our fellow SHaDE-ian, Indumathi, thanks to her, for the pleasing introduction!

Gods were so happy on our visit it seems, they sent an unplanned downpour. Somehow, we reached the venue at Keezhakkaranai village, a stop next to Ford-Maraimalai Nagar stop , at about 11.00AM.

The home has nearly 30 in-mate and the kids till Grade – 10 were accomodated there.

We later found that there are some sad stories as well like every other home of this kind. One kid was found in the thorny bushes in the outskirts of Maraimalai Nagar. There are a few others whom had diseased parents and there was a kid with HIV +ve  . There is another kid who was born deaf and now with the help of hearing aids can hear better.

But despite all these, the kids were are all well mannered and there was something very positive about life in their innocent outlook which every one of us should learn. As soon as we approached, we were are all greeted by smiles and handshakes wishing, ‘Happy new year ka!’ and ‘Happy new year anna!’. We were awaiting arrival of Jhanani who was to come from Andhra Pradesh, oh sorry, Ambattur and get the yummy cakes for the feast. When we went, there was already a family who were regular donors for the home, chatting and spending time with the kids. We later heard from Ms.Rani that they were the ones who donated steel bars for the home construction. The first floor was under construction and once it was completed the kids will have a proper shelter literally.

And then we could smell something nice and yay! Jhanani akka came accompanied by Indumathi who served as a guide for all of us that day! We opened up the box in broad day light on the road like thing, surrounded by multitudes of kids and the candles were blown off by one among the Chinna Pookkal, and they shared the bites with us. I was just remembering the cake cuttings in our pantries, where you close the eyes and the entire cake disappears. The kids waited while we cut the cakes into pieces and distributed and they ate it decently than us . And a few even affectionately forced us to taste the cakes from each one of them 

After that came the cultural show. The kids sat on mats and asked us to sit on chairs. It gave us a headmistress and the chief guest feel. So we jumped and sat with them. They all danced and sang very well but mostly it was all prayer songs.  And yeah, they did not have the luxury of watching cine songs. We could see they were all talented to become future Prabhudevas and super singers in the future with proper guidance. We then enquired who taught them dance, and a beaming twins as well as in-mates, Latha and Sudha  said they taught all the kids to dance. Eventually to give some rest to the dancing legs, we offered some on-the-mat games obviously taught by the kids!

‘Akka, keep your hand on the person sitting next to you, you have to say January and the next person would say February and so on and the person who says December should hit the next one and if she misses then she is out of the game!’

Well, we should say it was a very good game, but giving to the fact that the kids won us always, we asked for a change. They offered another game.

‘Akka, now we can play, 1-2-3-7’

‘Okay, rules?’

‘You have to keep your hand on the next person, say 1,2,3 and when you say 7 you have to hit the person in the hand and if you don’t hit you lose.’

Already astounded with the January-February game we felt still more can be done and we asked for another game.

‘How about 1- 2- 3-11?’

We said we are fine with January-February and this time our friend Aiswaria won the game! Hurray!

The next game was like, ‘O-Pillar-Caterpillar’. Guys, we can hear your oinks, but this one was less humiliating, you have to pour water to the plants in your finger tips and pluck the jasmine blossoms and you have to garland it and then comes the fight, the girl will ask you to return her flowers and you should ask to return the water you poured. At last both would come at peace, I wondered about our Tamil rhymes which really had so much meaning, environment, peace, sharing, but on the contrary I felt the English rhymes, have only a rhyming effect! Pardon me and explain if I am wrong 

The kids used to quiz us every now and then, ‘Akka tell my name?’

And we blunt-heads, would say, ‘Archana?’

And she would definitely not be Archana. But every time they told our names right and when we managed to give the correct names after two trials, they were so happy. They said, ‘Aiiii nyabagam vachirukkingale!’ ,like ‘Heyyy you do remember!’, with a shy smile. We could see that they really appreciated that we remembered them!