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Promises And Loving Good-Bye's
I have to move this story along, (or rather) Fast Forward it, to graduation day at both the colleges. Of course, the three of them attained their degrees, with flying colours, Honours even. Photographs of them in their cap'n'gown were taken by a professional, with an order for copies for the living room (a big one) and one for dad's office desk, not forgetting a copy each for the grand parents and the God Parents. There was a joint party in Mada Church Hall, to which everyone who was anyone, was invited. Lots of Bondas and Vadays, hot stuff and puffs and a couple of Muslim cooks making a huge "dekshi" of mutton "Biriyani". For pudding there was "paniyaram" (yum yum) and "pustoles", stuffed with sweetened coconut, --- and cumracuts and coconut squeet (ha) and a variety of flavored soft drinks.
Important gentlemen guests were offered something a little stronger (a wet) not country, but proper stuff, with the warning to keep it out of sight. Ladies never drank. (At least not in public) Madras in those days was a "prohibition" State, which meant no booze could be sold or drunk anywhere in Madras, it was illegal. And although the local police were definitely given a generous "Mamool" that day, to keep away, you couldn’t be too careful. That is why, (have you ever noticed) that even today, anywhere in the world, if you see an AI man (sixty +) at a party, who sneakily has a sip and then puts his glass under the table or under his chair; its a certain winning bet that he is an AI from Madras. Norr-a-lorra people know that -- but, that’s a fact!!! Michael always had his heart set on becoming an Engineer. He had sent out applications to all the big companies, Tatas, Birlas. He got a letter one day asking him if he was interested in aircraft engineering. The company was not one he had sent his application to and he was a bit puzzled, but he replied in the affirmative. After that things moved very quickly. He and Janice were sitting at their favourite spot on Royapuram beach, in a corner, close to the rocks. Janice was crying. "One year will fly Jan, Michael said, Bangalore is not far and I’ll come home every month for a few days. I have to do this. It’s a chance of a lifetime, to train to be an engineer in India's first commercial airline company. It’s unbelievable." "I know Michael, but I'll miss you. She said, and you will be good. If you go to a dance or a party, you promise me, no close dancing with any of those pretty Bangalore girls." That broke the mood. "Is that right, he said, are all Bangalore girls really pretty?" He was laughing at her now,” stop it, she said, I'm serious" "I know you are, and that’s why I love you so much. Listen darling, I've always known that you will be a part of my life. Right from that day your cycle had a puncture and I took you the rest of the way to school on the crossbar of my cycle." Their kisses were long and meaningful. Then, --- even longer and more meaningful!! Then.-------- if this was a Bollywood Movie, the camera would pull out of the close-up of "the kiss" and then slowly pan to the right , go wide-angle and focus on a large full moon, with passionate, frothy, waves crashing on the rocks, all the way down to Tondiarapet. They were still there as dusk turned to dark, and the evening star, blinked brightly into existence low down in the sky, followed by a crescent moon. Then without a word, they got up, dusted off the sand and went home. As they reached her house Michael said " Jan, I know we promised your dad, that we would announce our engagement only when I finish my one year training in Bangalore, but, could you and me make a promise to each other , now, right now, that we will spend our lives together?. He waited, Janice was at the same time crying and smiling, she reached up and held his face in her hands and said "Yes Michael, we will and I will always love you". ---------------------------------- Phew! So after another party at Mada church hall, this time a good luck/farewell party, Michael, went off to Jalahalli in Bangalore, to train to become an aircraft engineer. Rudy promised to take care of Janice, while he was away. Michael, wasn’t allowed any leave for the first three months, so it was going to be hard for him, because he had never been away from his loved ones before. In the mean time life carried on in Royapuram. Kuniramans was still there, so was the Railway institute and its dances, the pictures and the beach of course. Janice and Rudy would go out a lot and were always seen together. She soon got a job in the British council and threw herself into doing her job the best she could, but you cant expect her to stay at home all the time, now, could you?
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Written by gordon on 2007-07-17 20:51:51
very cool keep it up | I cant wait
Written by jagged edge on 2007-05-09 10:41:50
Wow - I cant wait for the next chapter.... Maybe Janice met some one in the British Council .... | oops!
Written by domestic engineer on 2007-05-09 07:37:40
Wanted to also say...you made my mouth water with the list of food, and I liked the romantic scene at the beach!!!  I like that Michael has a sense of humor.
Soooo....are you going to tell us in the next chapter whether the separation withstands the test of their love for eachother? Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all but not for the weak! I know, I'm jumping the gun...I'll be patient!
 | Very nice
Written by domestic engineer on 2007-05-09 07:24:56
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