BACK IN THE TRI-WORD CIRCUIT

Last month, my sons gave me 2 sets of three words and asked me to write nonsensical stories using them. Sure, I told them. Yet, till last week I did not get round to it. Urged by a very insistent son, I penned one down on a piece of paper, as I didn’t have access to a PC at the time. His infectious guffaw was reward enough. Am posting it now.
P.S. To the people who comment on the marked ‘Iyer and Ammami touch’ in my tales, I just have a smile as response…

K1’S WORDS: RONALDINHO, TOOTHPICK, LAUGHING BUDDHA

As the plane taxied along the runway, Ambaal looked at her husband, Srinivasa Shastrigal, seated next to her. His bald and shining pate and potbelly reminded her of the statuette of Laughing Buddha she had seen in her friend Meenakshi’s house. Only the ears were different, she mused, with red kadukkans (earrings) adorning her husband’s ears. She recalled how the young women at the entrance of the plane had smirked at the sight of her husband’s earrings. They must have wondered where the two oldies were flying to. What do they know?

It all started in May. Her grandsons were home for their annual vacations. They were glued to the TV all day. Compelled by the grandsons, Shastrigal had started watching the curtain raisers for the world cup football. She had noticed his mounting interest, especially whenever a team wearing green and yellow played. There was excited talk among them about a new sensation in the Brazilain team. Now what was that boy called? Aah! Ronaldo? Er…no…Ronaldinho. Her husband sat riveted to the screen showing the lean young man zigzagging across the field. Though he talked about strange things like ‘centre forward’ and ‘penalty shootout’ with his grandsons, he seemed to get more and more obsessed with that buck-toothed young man with flowing hair and puzzled look on his face. Something was going on in that head, she thought as her husband used a burnt out agarbathi stick as a toothpick while staring at the game.
When she had asked him what was wrong, he had become emotional. ‘Ambaal, doesn’t he remind you of Rasamani?’
Ambaal stared at the young man who was trying not to let anyone get hold of the football under his control… Yes…yes… the boy really resembled her son, Rasamani who had died at the age of 18. The same teeth, the same innocent , wide-eyed expression, the same curly hair… only Rasamani used to sport a kudumi! Yes, it was as though her son was reborn as the Brazilian!
That evening he had told her of his decision. And now they were on the flight to Germany, to meet Ronaldinho, and get a picture taken with him…in memory of their son, Rasamani!