I was kind-of getting used to being
disconcerted when I meet him. And suddenly, things have changed. How did that
happen?
It started at noon on Monday. A panicked attendant calls to tell me that Anna had suddenly become loose-limbed and nearly fainted
on his walk back from the park. Two times, to boot! Murphy's Law
demands that I not be at home when there is an emergency and hence I am ensconced in an office in Noida, working.
I call Sanjiv, who has just returned
from taking his father to the doctor, and tell him to rush over and take Anna
to the hospital. I believe that Anna's loose motions have weakened him and
caused his fainting-like symptoms. I am also pretty sure that physical illness
exacerbated his mental acuity.
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| Courtesy The Telegraph |
Sanjiv: OK.
Neptune is the name of the small hospital with great doctors that we go to.
Me: Take the red sling bag - it has all his medical
papers.
Sanjiv: OK.
Me: The orange cloth sling bag has a change of clothes
for a hospital stay, if needed. Take that too.
Sanjiv: OK.
Me: Take the plastic zip bag with all his pillboxes and
emergency medication. The sheet with his pills' administration schedule
is in a pocket in the bag.
Sanjiv: OK.
The poor man isn't able to get more
than a word in while I continue to give instructions!
Me (not missing a beat): Take the schedule register that logs his daily
routine.
Sanjiv: OK.
Me: Call me when you know what the doctor says.
Sanjiv: OK.
And, I put down the phone. I look up
and notice people looking at me strangely. "Aren't you rushing home?", I am asked.
No. I take a call not to. I have it all
organized. The bags, the register, the reliable doctors at a nearby hospital. Not to miss out Sanjiv, who is conveniently at home.
We find out that Anna has a stomach
infection that we treat with antibiotics. He is also prescribed lots of liquids and no
food from outside.
At 6:30 am on Thursday morning, I ring
Anna's doorbell with my characteristic quick double-beat. I ask the night
attendant if Anna is OK. He responds with, "He is fully awake. He heard your signature bell-ring,
and his eyes flew open!"
Me (leaning over his bed side rail): Hi, Anna.
Anna (with a wide beautiful smile): Bandya, amma.
Loosely translated that means, "So you've come."
Me: Anna,
are you ready to get up?
Anna (with alacrity): Yes.
He attempts to get up, and I give him a friendly push to help him sit up.
Me: Anna,
do you want to have coffee?
Anna: Why
else would I get up in the morning?
Hrrm! Why indeed!
Me: Anna,
do your joint loosening exercises.
I show him the finger contraction and release movements. The wrist rolling
movements. The arm bending motions.
Anna (doing some of these, for show
only!): Joints need lubrication from coffee,
amma!
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| Jules Destrooper Butter Crisps |
I laugh. He's back! Witty at 6:30am in
the morning.
We sit in the rear courtyard and chat
while he eats half a waffle crisp with his one-third-cup of coffee. With his
second one-third-cup of coffee, I ask him if he wants the other half of the waffle
crisp. Selflessly he offers it to me saying, "You
have it, amma." I say "no"
and we decide to keep it for a snack later in the day.
He watches an airplane fly by and
tells me stories of his brother, Krishna, throwing stones at planes claiming to
hit them, and getting responses from pilots!
Then he is ready for his after-coffee
before-breakfast nap.
I come back home feeling good. As light as airy warm soufflé.
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| Goats Cheese Soufflé Courtesy www.JonoAndJules.com |
On Friday morning we spend 3 hours in hospital!
The circle continues....
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