I am Great - Sumonk

It was a nice and beautiful Sunday. An unusual Sunday, in the sense, that, I had a meeting at work that day for 5 hours. Not a big deal if it is a regular routine of Eat, Sleep and Work. But now am I bestowed with the angels from Heaven, who want to shower all their love on me, who want to dip me in the chocolate of love and make me more delicious creature for all the Lovers in the world. For Love and chocolate are same for Kids.

They love’em both and as we grow up all the Love exchange scenarios include Chocolate in them.
Yes, Yes, again getting lost in my own world. I also had flue that affected my body with aches, and pains added to the slight sore throat, I decided to head back home after the meeting at work. I knew kids would have waited for me to come at 2 PM for playing cricket and later some indoor fun and study hour.
But my aches dragged me back home and put me straight on the bed. After 2 hours, I checked the clock as the phone was ringing, “Oops, It is 7PM”.
My body still tired, my mind forcing me to stay on bed, But my Soul talking to the kids. Soul knows what is good for me.

The next moment, in the hot water shower, and then into the car and straight to SOCARE.
On my way, I had a Rava Idly and a nice cup of coffee from one of these Sagar’s(Shanthi, Sukh, Upahaar, Shakthi….) in the area.
It was 7:30PM and I said bye to my driver.

I rang the bell, but it was unusual, by the first ring, one of the little ones, would have noticed me, the news “Suman Uncle is here” would have spread like fire, not just within the building, but the whole Chamarajpet area and into the surrounding Market.
Three rings, no answer. After a few more moments of silence, Renuka, the care-taker walked down, “They are all having dinner, they waited for you in the afternoon”.
“Sorry Renuka, I was not feeling well and I had to work too”, I made my way in.

I hardly waited for the door to be open, and lunged myself up the stairs, still no sign of life, a right turn off the stairs, “Good evening Uncle”.

“Uncle, Bunny (‘Come’ in Kannada), Uncle, Have dinner with us Uncle”, all echoing in the hall way.

As I walked in, all the kids lined up, already in the middle of their dinner, very excited to see me around.

“Well, u all wanted me to have dinner with u this Sunday, I came now, but u are all busy with your dinner so soon”, I said, in a rather provocative way.

That made a few of them feel bad, that they have not waited, but I immediately reassured them “I am glad that u started dinner, now you eat well and I will watch you all”.

The kids stopped eating and the only thing I could hear at that moment “Uncle, Come Uncle, Please eat with us”.

Truthfully because of the snack I had earlier, I was not very hungry. In fact I was pretty full and not prepared to have dinner and also I expected that, they would have their dinner at 8:30PM, which is their regular dinner time. But they have started to eat by 7:30PM.

Initially, I resisted their call, but looking at those innocent hearts, who wants to share their food with me, I decided to not think for another second. Love comes in different forms, and this Love not only fills Heart but the little Tummy too. And food, Oomph, any time, always can create some extra space for some one in love.

I said “YES”. That’s it; Manju was on his knees and legs, up into the kitchen. He washed his hands off and in one plunge was up on the attic. I was grabbing a plate from the kitchen counter.

“No Uncle, that is a used plate. I am getting a new one for you.”, still searching on the attice,
He knew exactly where there are new plates, but I am sure it is a little dark out there in the attic, but it hardly took him any time.

“No, Manju, I am fine with this, You please come down”, I grabbed the plate there and started washing it.

“I got it uncle” and he tears open the plastic wrapped around. The shine of the plate sparkling around in the kitchen, probably Manju’s shinning heart added to the beauty of the plate.

He rinsed the plate, and down on the floor.

MuniRatna did not give me much time to think of what I need to do next, the very moment; some Pulao was served in my plate with some good Channa Chole curry.

“Uncle next to me please, Uncle please here, Uncle, Uncle, please come next to me uncle”. So many voices pleading around.

I Sat in the middle and did not want to disappoint anyone. I know, they all love me the same way and I do.
The pulao tasted delicious with loads of love from the kids. The Pulao for dinner is a donation from some family who is celebrating their kid’s birthday. What a nice gesture for some one to fill a few more tummies around the world.
I wish there are more people in this world, who try to share some joy and wealth that they all have, to the needy. We see so many people in the streets, starving for food. But we go to restraunts and waste so much food. So many buffets organized, and the plates hardly empty with all kind of delicious food going into the garbage can. I wish people who organize such great feasts, think for a moment, to invite a bunch of needy and poor who are starving and provide them with love and food.

Manoj shouted, with a broad smile on his face, “I am great Uncle”, with his hand on his heart.

It took a second for me to understand, then I reciprocated “I feel great to be part of you all too, to sit with you all is a joy, My stomach is full with every bite, but at the same time my Soul is expanding more and more and it can take all your Love”

“I am great Uncle”, said Muniratna, and then Manju, and then Rakshith, and the room was echoing with “I am Great Uncle”. What can I ask for in my life, Isn’t this enough for the rest of life. Isn’t this joy enough to take off from this world? I looked up and said “God, if you exist, let this be my last moment, I do not want to be greedy to get more love, and this is enough from me”.

As this act of broad smiles, and laughing hearts, and beautiful words danced in the dining room, Renuka, the care taker, brought a glass of water in a brand new glass. I almost finished my pulao and then MuniRatna, jumped towards the plain rice and added some into my plate, not caring about my hesitation.
I am already stomach full, but Yes, my Heart would take it, My Soul was still hungry for their love. Then a cup full of sambar soaked the rice and I mixed it all, as I was engrossed, Aravind a 4 year old, with his little fingers, was mixing the rice and sambar so well, Oh my God, it was more of an Art than a routine.

I have seen many 4 year old kids, at the regular homes, how their parents are at their back to feed them, usually feeding is an hour long battle between parents and kids. The way kids spill around the food and make a fuss and mess of things is unimaginable.

But here I see a little warrior with full focus and attention, handling food so delicately and with contentment making sure he had every morsel of rice. After which, he cleaned any little bit of dropped food around the area.

Slowly kids started walking out to clean their plates and glasses.
“Thank you Uncle”, as they were heading out.
“Thanks you buddies for making me part of your group”, I responded.

As the dinner came to an end, there was a flock of kids around me, I was wondering what in the heaven, are they doing after their dinner.

As I was about to get up with my empty plate and glass, there were around 30 hands popping out, “Uncle, I will wash your plate, please uncle”.

“No way, I am used to washing my own things, please move away”, I said with a strong voice.

My force did not help in anyway, and inspite the kids started falling on me, then I tried to sneak under them, nothing worked. Every attempt resulted in a failure. Then they started tickling me, I was in full bloom, laughing and rolling on the ground, there was no time for me to think of my plate, I am very sensitive to tickles, I could not stand any more, they knew my weakness, I lost control and I was flat on the ground, trying to push them all away, In that moment of ecstasy, My plate and glass were gone and already in the hands of Manoj cleaning them all the way to glory.

“Oh Boy, You guys are strong, I cannot fight with you.”, I said and I was thinking of this little moral story from childhood, about “Unity”, where all the little ants, thousands of them, how they completely paralyze a huge snake, and the snake could not move an inch.

They are all little warriors; they know, with the spirit they have, they can accomplish anything in this world.

As we finished the dinner, we all walked into the hall, where we all sat down in a circle, chatting and laughing with some good Kannada folk songs sung by the little ones and me playing the dappu/band for them in my own style. They all laid their bed sheets down on the floor, slowly the little ones, dozing off into sleep, and the big ones still swinging
to the music and almost ready to hug the calmness of the night.

As I stepped down the stairs, feeling light at the same time heavy with all the love and food, that had filled every cell in my body, looking at the moon in the darkness that was little jealous of my glow as if asking me with a rounded mouth “How come u are glowing brighter than me, and I said to myself “I am Great too”.