Grandfatherly concern

What Grandfather did for me

My grandfather was not the run- of the- mill type-he did not dangle me on his knee and play games like ON THE LAND and IN THE WATER or tell me tales of kings and queens who did good deeds and lived happily ever after. No, he was a serious man who lived in the realm of practicality-all his life, he believed, practised and taught me, the granddaughter who lived closely with him for many years that HONEST and HARD WORK always pays.
Grandfather came into my life in a very sudden and unique manner. My father had changed jobs and was working in Dhanbad, a town in the hard core mining belt of what is now Jharkhand. From a small time school in Gujarat where had learnt the basics of the languages and Math, I was suddenly pitch-forked into doing fractions and reading Premchand’s stories. The effort of groping and grappling with these complex entities was too much and I plucked in the Std.1V final examinations- with my promotion to the next class, a big question mark.. My parents were distressed and feeling helpless; they were grappling with the vagaries of a new environment and the dismal academic record of their only daughter did not help matters. At this time, Grandfather was leading a retired life in Bangalore. He had come over to Dhanbad on a visit when my saga unfolded. It was at this juncture that Grandfather took over He requested the Sister Superior to give me a chance. He would ensure that I would secure pass marks in the first exam held in the next class. The Sister insisted that I should repeat the class if I did not pass in Math, science and Hindi. Then began a marathon, in which all the odds were against us both in terms of time and the ground to be covered. But Grandfather, a man of steely resolve, was not one to give up so easily. We both slogged, he more than me. He read up lessons and wrote notes in a simple, lucid manner in his neat, beautiful hand. I worked out endless sums which he collected from various sources. Examination hall situations were simulated; with him setting questions and clocking my answers to the minute. Systematic and precise to the core, he took care to prepare me for any exam related eventuality. Needless to say, the confidence that grandfather had reposed in me helped me come through the exam, much to the pleasant surprise of the Mother Superior. After that, Grandfather became a familiar figure in my school circles. He attended Parents-Teachers’ meetings, interacted with the teachers to get an update on my progress. That is how my classmates came to know him. He encouraged me to participate in extra curricular activities. We prepared for debates, essays and elocution competitions. Grand father was like a solid rock on which I leaned and steadied myself before moving forward. He was the proudest man when i managed to secure a rank among the top five in my class, two years from that fateful day when the Mother Superior had refused to promote me to the next higher class. That day, i learnt one of life’s finest lesson- that hard work and perseverance always pays.
Grandfather rarely got angry. I remember one occasion however when he flew into a rare temper because I was not in the mood that morning to answer a test paper that he had prepared very diligently. i made some offhand remarks and he re fused to teach me anymore. But the incident was soon forgotten and we were back to once again being Guru -Shishya.
In my later school-years, Grandfather was more of a friend than teacher to me. I had ceased to depend on him entirely for all my lessons; the grounding that Grandfather had given me had infused in me good degree, the ability to self-study. I was needing him less and less in routine, everyday lessons but I knew he was always there whenever I needed him. He was the one to spot my language abilities and told me to concentrate and improve them since the “sciences” would not suit a dreamy and reflective temperament like mine. I resented his plain-speaking then but on hindsight, he was probably right, Diplomacy and tact were never grandfather’s strong points; he had the courage to speak out and was therefore a little unpopular in social and family circles.
Grandfather encouraged and supported my other interests like classical dancing. He took a keen interest in my training. He presented me with a Tape-recorder so that I could record the music for my practice sessions. Alongside me, he would systematically catalog the music in the order of the numbers to be practiced. He was the most excited person when I was slated to give my debut public performance.
Grandfather died while I was still in college. The emptiness that I felt in his passing only strengthened my desire to strive and put my heart and soul into whatever I do. His beliefs and ideals have helped me to tide over the highs and lows of life. That is how when my school friend, who was touching base with me after nearly thirty –five years asked in a mail, “:Where is your dear grand father?”, I felt that he could not really be far away. Somewhere from his place in heaven, he would be watching over the person he had moulded.