Last night, Rat called with the news of Uncle G passing away. Another chapter in family history closed, she said in a sombre tone and then we spent the next 20 minutes giggling and chuckling as we recalled our meetings and conversations with him.
Uncle G, actually my mother’s uncle Gowrishankar aka ‘Gowrichithappa’ was the most flamboyant relative I have come across. He was my maternal grandfather’s brother, so, as Indian relationships go, he ought to have been treated as a grandparent. But no one I know is as ‘ungrandparentish’ as Uncle G had been. In fact, he was the least avuncular person…more of boyfriend material.
My earliest memories of Uncle G are from the hush- hush talks in the family gatherings. I came to know much later in my life about his divorce and alleged wild ways in Bombay! My sister Rat and I got to know the man rather late…though we had met him several times in weddings and in Madras, in my grandparents’ house. It was long after my marriage and the birth of my twins. We had accompanied Mom to his house in Cheroor, Thrissur. I was curious to meet the man who was my Madras Thatha’s younger brother--the man who had, on a whim according to relatives, sold his flat in Bombay to settle down in Thrissur of all the places. He had a wonderful villa, very neat and stylish with a lush garden -- the ambience actually accentuating the persona. Somehow, we hit it off on that first meeting and then followed years of fun- filled friendship. Rat, having settled in Coimbatore, was more in contact with him.
We used to be so casual and relaxed with him, sharing quite a lot of ‘questionable jokes’ with him – something we would never have dared to, with Madras Thatha. He was a close friend of Prof. Madhukar Rao, my dad’s English lecturer, who, later, was my HOD in Victoria College, Palghat where I graduated in English Literature. Uncle G would often go to Ernakulam to share his ‘Happy Hours’ with Prof. Rao, and the next time I am in town, he’d tell me, Madhukar and I talked about you! We would tease him about his girlfriends, and he would regale us with wild stories…of the women in his life!
Somehow, we never felt either scandalized or judgemental with him, we loved him for what he was. That is why Rat and I did not shed a single drop of tear yesterday. She had called me three days back, with the news that he was in ICU after a massive heart attack, there wasn’t much hope. She said if he had been in a regular ward, she’d have called him and joked about ‘Shankaran Aanai’ or busty nurses…She recalled how he had called two weeks back and talked about all of us.
Rat tells me he has bequeathed his body to the medical college. I can visualize the puzzled looks on some student’s face as he studies his innards… Too many funny bones, an XXL heart and laugh -lines etched into the facial muscles… that’s our Uncle G. As a man who loved life in all its vibrant shades, he wouldn’t want anyone to mourn him, he’d like it if we giggled and chuckled in memorium, and, that’s what my sister and I did yesterday before saving him as a special memory in the CPU of our hearts.
Uncle G, actually my mother’s uncle Gowrishankar aka ‘Gowrichithappa’ was the most flamboyant relative I have come across. He was my maternal grandfather’s brother, so, as Indian relationships go, he ought to have been treated as a grandparent. But no one I know is as ‘ungrandparentish’ as Uncle G had been. In fact, he was the least avuncular person…more of boyfriend material.
My earliest memories of Uncle G are from the hush- hush talks in the family gatherings. I came to know much later in my life about his divorce and alleged wild ways in Bombay! My sister Rat and I got to know the man rather late…though we had met him several times in weddings and in Madras, in my grandparents’ house. It was long after my marriage and the birth of my twins. We had accompanied Mom to his house in Cheroor, Thrissur. I was curious to meet the man who was my Madras Thatha’s younger brother--the man who had, on a whim according to relatives, sold his flat in Bombay to settle down in Thrissur of all the places. He had a wonderful villa, very neat and stylish with a lush garden -- the ambience actually accentuating the persona. Somehow, we hit it off on that first meeting and then followed years of fun- filled friendship. Rat, having settled in Coimbatore, was more in contact with him.
We used to be so casual and relaxed with him, sharing quite a lot of ‘questionable jokes’ with him – something we would never have dared to, with Madras Thatha. He was a close friend of Prof. Madhukar Rao, my dad’s English lecturer, who, later, was my HOD in Victoria College, Palghat where I graduated in English Literature. Uncle G would often go to Ernakulam to share his ‘Happy Hours’ with Prof. Rao, and the next time I am in town, he’d tell me, Madhukar and I talked about you! We would tease him about his girlfriends, and he would regale us with wild stories…of the women in his life!
Somehow, we never felt either scandalized or judgemental with him, we loved him for what he was. That is why Rat and I did not shed a single drop of tear yesterday. She had called me three days back, with the news that he was in ICU after a massive heart attack, there wasn’t much hope. She said if he had been in a regular ward, she’d have called him and joked about ‘Shankaran Aanai’ or busty nurses…She recalled how he had called two weeks back and talked about all of us.
Rat tells me he has bequeathed his body to the medical college. I can visualize the puzzled looks on some student’s face as he studies his innards… Too many funny bones, an XXL heart and laugh -lines etched into the facial muscles… that’s our Uncle G. As a man who loved life in all its vibrant shades, he wouldn’t want anyone to mourn him, he’d like it if we giggled and chuckled in memorium, and, that’s what my sister and I did yesterday before saving him as a special memory in the CPU of our hearts.
