A, my hero

Here is a list of random things which make A my hero:

Whenever we got a new car (twice in 2 decades), A would give the new car to Her and he would take the old car for himself. Cos in case anything happened in the old car, he would deal with it. And it's a lot nicer driving the new car instead of the old car.

Back in Sekhukhune, A would take us for walks around the township. And occasionally we would buy a small packet of Nik Naks to share. I remember A once challenged us to a race to see who was the fastest. So he folded up his mundu, said 'on your marks, get set, go' and off we went. A ran as fast (or slow) as us. I can't remember who won..

A was nice. And diplomatic about things.

Even though A was going through chemo, he went for the Easter service and stood for the whole service. Everyone said he was so strong. *So proud*

A took me for keyboard lessons and was pissed off when I didn't get the full hour of the lesson.

A did laundry and ironed my clothes (even the last minute requests) and made sure I had a clean uniform every Sunday night.

A made me drink a glass of milk every morning, every single day until I left for university. A also fed me an egg every single day of school.. Even through high school.

A would fry chappati when I refused to step into the kitchen.

A got along really well with Ammachy, Mamma, Appa, etc. Very comfortable relations.

A let me swim across the river by myself. Later I found out that there was a boat coming down the river and he was standing by to jump in if needed.

I was scared of snakes and spiders in the bathrooms in Kottayam and Edathua, so A had to come with me. He waited patiently for me each and every time I needed to go to the bathroom.

A really liked kids and always asked them about school, life etc. I realised his influence when H (probably primary school age) came late for A's memorial service and asked to see A after the coffin was closed. We knew H since he was born. I know A would have been so awesome with T.

Mind of Dart

Its been nearly a year since I came here. My writing skills are a bit rusty untill I find my *thing* again.

Dart runs around the backyard like a maniac. He never stops. He runs from the gravel patch around the stone area and into the garden bed. Sometimes he returns to the gravel patch via his path around the stone area and sometimes he cuts across the lawn, onto the decking and leaps back to the gravel area.

He has goldfish memory when he is in the backyard. When we call him in even for a few seconds, he returns to the gravel area like a prisoner let out after decades inside. Barking and yelping like a mad thing.

I reckon he plays a little game with himself, where he treats the backyard as his castle that he needs to defend against the birds and the butterflies and the bogey dogs. The gravel patch is his fortress - thats where he starts off and thats where he returns to all the time. The garden bed is a command post. He has made a road between his fortress and his command post and he also has a second path back home (through the decking).

So he stands in his fortress and announces that he has arrived. He moves to one end of the fortress and makes more announcements. He runs along to his command post to check that everything is still his. Back to his fortress. And he vanquishes the shadows of the birds and butterflies that enter his castle.

Hours of fun in his doggy mind.