Bottle Green handkerchief

Image:thanks to the internet

With soft hair flowing down my shoulders over the biscuit colored frock I was wearing, I hopped merrily holding my great granddad's hand. Yes, I had all the reasons for a little girl to be happy. My grand dad was visiting and we were on the way to the famous and most-sought Kodai lake for some boating. 

I don't remember that part of the calendar exactly, but I suppose I was in my second or third grade. I remember my sister was accompanying, but not others if there were any. But my memory is all etched about my grand father's presence. You will know why I remember that precisely by the time you finish reading this post. 

Well, I enjoyed the gleaming waters under the warm sun, the milky swell of waves behind the boat, the swaying shadows of the trees stretching far inside over the lake. Nature, oh my! Has always fascinated me since as far as I can remember from my childhood. Living in the hills in Kodaikanal may have fueled it, God knows!

What is boating if you don't wet your hands, at least a tiny little bit! I used my hands as oars oblivious of the boatman's presence. And am sure my dad was not there as he definitely would not have let me do that. (Appa, if you read this..please proceed to the next lines to know what your sweet little daughter is going to say :-))

Minutes passed and I noticed ripples on the surface as the clouds wanted to contribute to the wonderful lake. After all they have to do their part, right! I reached inside my small W-bag, yes Big 'W'. It was a peach and yellow colored wire bag with its base in the shape of a W. It had a small flower near the top and a loop to go around it closing the bag. That was my favorite bag and accompanied me in many of my picnics, a show off. Lets leave the bag with me and come back to the boating and the ripples and clouds. I didn't want my shiny  hair to be wet, that day!

I reached my hand inside the bag, pulled out my bottle green handkerchief. The kerchief also had a small pocket in one corner with a white zipper. May be I could have kept a candy or two inside.  Well, I pulled out that hand kerchief and covered my silky hair with that. All is well until now. What I did not realize then was that I shouldn't  take my hand off the handkerchief over my head. 

You got it right! 'Little me' did take off her hand and the favorite bottle green handkerchief with white zipper flew off from my head and landed on the water, swaying gently. Oh. my! Oh, my! Without giving much thought, I reached out my hands to get it back. It was quite far as the boat was moving in the opposite direction. Just then something landed on my head. Was it a hail stone? But it was just drizzling. I needn't think more about it because I heard my grandfather scolding me for reaching into the water and I knew exactly what had happened. It was his fist which landed on my head knocking, gently though. 

My tears were seen apart from the raindrops, for sure. All I wanted was my bottle green handkerchief back as it was given by my great-granddad. So his son, my grandfather asked the boatman to turn the boat and go near the still swaying treasure of mine. So there we circled back while I kept my eyes on my treasure. I was immensely happy to pull out my bottle green hand kerchief from the waters. I must have said to the lake, "That's for me from my great granddad!" 

I love my great grand father who gave me that kerchief and I have some fond memories of him which am planning to record in a different post. And now you must have found out why I remember my grandfather being with me so confidently! A knock not to forget! :-)