That crazy old man is a pub dancer

The person who you know doesn’t appears what he is like. He does what he feels like. He does not let others to spot him doing foolish. He likes to be let himself doing things he likes. If he happens to be doing wrong an elder can kick him but what happens if he were too old enough for you?

There is nothing good or bad about this person. I was 5 years old when my parents left me. It was then; he took me home to the suburb of Bulbulaiya town. He is smart, well mannered and talks only good things; he is the big brother of my Paapa. Yes, he is my uncle. I hesitate calling him as uncle so I call him as my Babaa.

How could I forget an instant; I was 7 years old when I was on the back seat of Kawasaki when he drove to the newly built city side of the town. I was enjoying at the back seat. Looking at the mirror some times and looking at the speedometer sometimes. At high speed my hair were dancing as if I were droving at very high speed and that my hairs have flattened and were running on fire on the back. I was trying to get the full view of road so that I can be imagining myself driving the mega Kawasaki. Sometimes I move myself aside when I get the opportunity. When I got the view I could not stay my eyes open because wind stuck my face so heavily that I opening it like a cheetah. It also stuffed my nose with lots of air that I couldn’t breathe. But I want to imagine myself droving. So, my face became like cheetah trying to resist the forces of wind hitting my face. It was so cool that I just lost myself making “weheee ehee” noises. Then again I started, “weheee ehee weheee ehee.”

He then slowed down. He then stopped at a side; few feet away from the bus stop. He put the helmet and gave it to me. He said to me, “Beta stay here, I will be just back in few minutes.”

I became nervous when I was thinking that I am left alone with the big Kawasaki on the highway. I saw him crossing the road. He crossed 2 highway roads and then he moved. Then he disappeared. I don’t know where exactly he gone from there. There were lots of shops that looked to me like fish markets. There were typical small road side shops, a road side restaurant and also some good restaurant and business shops like the photography, travels, computers etc. My eyes were caught by the black covered window of the good shop in there. I don’t know what it is.

It was more than 15 minutes I had been doing this shop watching business. It is of course more than few minutes he promised me.

Oh, finally he appeared. I saw him coming like a smart person. Like one of those famous actors from Kerala. He wore full sleeves. I thought he is like star when he was coming. He was wearing the spectacles that day so it gave a good impression that he is more than a fit for a casual actor. I felt good that he is my Babaa.

He then came. I called him Babaa and he replied back with great happiness in Beta format. He then sat on the bike and then he asked the helmet I was holding. I gave it. I hold him saying Paapa. I hold his waist. But something unusual smell touched my nose. It was the first time I smelled it.

 

***

Today I am 25 and my Babaa is 66 years old.

I don’t know where has he gone for today? I don’t know which pub? I have been watching him since child. He never changes his habits and will never stop going to pubs. Hmm, this old man cannot sit at one place. Frankly speaking he looks ugly and pathetic.

He is bald at top head with long curly white hairs on sides and on the back. Nowadays he doesn’t like moustache. He had grown very old and at this age technically speaking one becomes a kind of bedridden. But he does not belong to that bracket.

But, he acquired a bent posture. His backbone is kind of bent. His head is also bent but faces straight and not downward. Eyes have become like a football and are clearly visible. He opens it half and appears he were lazy. And he is confined to close doors mostly.

While most of the time he is spotted playing card to himself. God knows what he is up to with those cards.

He has taken a walking stick 5 years back to give him good support for his mobility. He needs it because he can walk faster with it.

He is very fragile some times. When. When, the thunder strike above this old man comes out of his bill running out of fear. He sits near me and sleeps nearby on the sofa chair.

He is sometimes absurd but good from inside. After all he is my uncle.

Today he still earns by himself. He does some small business. People contact him and give him money for his sociality. This is his business, the business of keeping in touch with the customers of the company. People call him for partying at their houses for playing cards, for dancing, for betting, for singing, for celebrations when one of his friends has his birthday or has his marriage anniversary. His friends need reasons for partying. He rose to popularity in his teenage because he has won the hearts of his colleagues by storytelling. With his mad expressions he has won the hearts of his friends. So, when his friends feel like sad they call everyone which means of calling my Babaa with the intensions of sending off their depressions. Well my Babaa is also a depression healer. He heal other and we do not come in this bracket.

It is too late. He has never been outside too late night. It’s already 2pm today; where he should have been back by 10pm. He is afraid to stay late night outside.

During active days he had been outside for long and been at railways station, bus station, street side and many other places. My aunt used to say that he use to sleep at the granite benches of the railway station and some time he slept on the floor near that granite bench. She says that he liked it sleeping there. My aunt has scolded him so much that in strain she has left him one fine day to heavens. My Babaa cried a lot that day. He had felt very sad. I never saw him cry in my life. This was only once I saw him cry.

The clock ticked 11pm and it’s very late now. I am sure that he should be sleeping somewhere. No wonder why my aunt has passed under too much stress.

At last I decided to roam around the city to find him. I can’t just wait like this and wait like an owl throughout the day. So, I went out to the same pub “Golden Bull” where my Babaa use to go. When people come outside this pub they look like bull which everyone liked it. So that’s why the pub owners changed the pub name from “Golden Glassy” to “Golden Bull.”

“Master, can you tell me if you had seen one nice looking old man with white curly hairs passed by this pub with a stick?” I asked the pub man.

“Oh, that crazy old man. Yes, I was him yesterday he was drank the whole rum without water and slept there from morning to evening.”

“I mean what slept there?” I shouted at him because I had not seen him like that in the past 15 years after my aunt passed away.

“Hello boss, after drinking the full rum he fell down and he rocked back and forth trying to go home. I just made him to sleep on the bench.”

“Sorry man, it’s just he never do that way. Thanks man,” and I left in distress.

I have lost myself for a moment. I had lost my sleep and now I am very sad. Ideas were just popping up in my mind. Had my Babaa gone crazy and drank full rum today, that he should have slept somewhere.

That crazy old man will seriously have the beating for sure for today. His parents have not hit him but today I will hit him hard. I was determined for sure for today that if I find him today then I will kick his ass. And so I left with determination searching for him from pub to pubs.

“Why don’t you go to the new pub on the backyard of the Sarita theatres?” said one old man who was outside the pub.

Well I never knew that there was one such thing behind this theatre. I didn’t know that lots of things go on that side of the wall. For sure he will be there to have a taste of the new pub. That crazy old man always like new things in his life. That old man has grown very old but his instincts still remains like those of a young man.

“Master, had you seen one nice looking old man with white curly hairs passed by this pub with a stick?” I asked the pub man.

He laughed a lot and replied, “Oh he is here dancing there.”

I came inside. They were playing “Ishq dance,” an instrumental one from the new movie “Jab tak hai jaan.” And he was no less than a pub dancer with scanty dress.

His role was that of a female pub dancer mimicking the actress.

He stood on the granite bench. And all others stood at the bench side.

He stood on his one leg. He stood on the granite bench.

He swayed his hands. And let his emotions go out.

He moved his thorax. And he moved his thorax. And he moved.

I hold myself for a while to watch him dancing. I saw him walking over the pub platform and others throwing their hearts at great madness.

I hold my forehead with 2 arms.

I lost myself and shouted, “You crazy old man today for sure, I will see for today on how long you can sustain my arms over your neck.” I said him clearly.

He saw me and saw me as if he saw a ‘kaali maata’. He then fell to ground and started choking.

“Ossh,” I ran immediately to hold him.

With hands round his neck he was choking too badly. His eyes were wide open and I could see his veins all red. As he choked he choked in great distress make a deep deathly sounds of a typical old man making such noises before dying. He couldn’t resist it; his tongue lay outside making a dying man’s expression while choking. He was about to die for sure.

I am just stunned as if I am going to lose my Baaba.

“Babaa, how are you, Baaba” I said.

In great distress he choked and he choked making to and fro motion of his thorax. And he finally closed his eyes choking.

Everyone round the corner cried at the very sad moment. And everyone’s faces turned into running eyes.

I felt greatly lost from inside. I was motionless. It happened so suddenly that he didn’t even give us the time to call for the doctor. It is all my fault. I shouldn’t have shouted at him and so had let him die himself naturally. So he can stay with us for few more days.

I checked Baaba’s heart, it was beating normally. But he is dead. I was confused.

After a while his limbs were moving.

He made some annoying noises with that old throat.

He moved his hands back and forth like a Parkinson’s patient.

Then after a while he stopped moving.

Then he remained motionless for a while with his dead face.

He opened his eyes slowly.

I am sure he had tricked me. I am sure he had made all this drama with his treacherous mind. But, I have nothing to say.

I am sure that all his dramas are pre planned. How can I forget that he used such tricks to fool my grandmother and so to my father and my aunt?

I have nothing special to say at this point of time. I just hold him up and walked outside the pub. While walking he made some expressions. And everyone busted into laughter.

What can I say now? I am fooled by this old man. I have nothing to say to him.

Then he made weird expressions.

In response every throw kisses at him.

I saw all these but I have nothing to say. And we left home.

__END__