Tomorrow

Saturday morning I saw Amma getting ready to go out. She was wearing her purple silk saree with a white blouse and I thought, ‘Goodness, where did she get that combination?’. But I didn’t say anything. I wanted Amma to leave. I was happy and relieved knowing that Amma won’t be around at home till evening. I need time to go to all the neighbourhood houses and collect old text books.
I overhead Liza asking Amma
“Where are you going Amma?”
“Just over there Liza, I should be back soon.”
“Over where?” Liza asked again
Oh Oh, I thought. I tried to show my hands and signal to Liza to keep quiet and let Amma go. But my sister didn’t see me.
“I need to go and buy the groceries Liza. If I don’t go and do all these, who will do it?”
” Why do you have to go every time?. Why don’t you ask Nina to go to Anichettan’s shop.You always go everytime and never spend time with us”
Oh oh, things are getting out of control. I waited 2 days for this moment. I am not going to lose my opportunity. I quickly walked to where Liza was standing.
“Liza, Appa isn’t here. Amma has to do all the job all by herself. Besides I can’t carry 5 kg of rice all my myself. Let Amma go. I will play hide and seek with you.”
I looked up and could see the shock in my mother’s eyes. I smiled at her.
“Promise you play with me.”
“I, Nina Thomas, grand daughter of Methran Thampi promise that I play hide and seek with Liza.”
“Ok.” Liza shrugged her shoulders and went.
I heard Amma muttering”hmmm..methran thampide kochumol..”. I ignored the sarcasm in her voice.

As soon as Amma left, I went to the kitchen and told Akkachi
“Akkachi, I will go to Aunty Reena’s house and also to Akashavani’s house and check if they have grade 1 and 2 books. I already got grade 3 & 4 books.”
I had told Akkachi about the lady doctor’s suggestion. Akkachi promised to help me learn malayalam.
“Where did you get the grade 3 & 4 books from?”
“Alice gave me her old text books. Her younger sister is using grade 2 books this year and they gave off the grade 1 book to someone else.”
“Oh ok. Be careful when you go to Akashavani’s house. If that kapalanga(papaya) is there, don’t enter the house.”
“Who is kapalanga Akkachi? Sujith? How did he get that name?”
” You remember that day, I went to buy salt? Sujith was coming home from the college and I heard someone calling him kapalangai(papaya). He was so mad at the guy who called him that name. he fought with him.”
“Why does anyone call him kapalanga(papaya)?
“Because he is very fair.”
“But kapalanga(papaya) is orange colour!”
aiyyoo Kochumaharani, when the papaya is unripe, it is white colour.”
“Oh I see.”
“Oh You see.. at this rate, one day you will make ripe papaya thoran for your husband!.”
“I am not getting married.”
“Oh here we go again!. Go to Aunty Reena’s house and find out if they have the books.”
“Getting married, getting married, that is all everyone talk about. I don’t want to get married. Why can’t you all understand that?”
“Ok Kochumaharani, I understand you don’t want to get married. Now don’t get angry with me. Please!”
“Ok. I am not angry with you.”
I walked to the gate.
“You promised me you will play hide and seek with me.” Liza ran after me yelling.
“Ofcourse I did”
“Then where are you going?”
“I am going to Aunty Reena’s house. I will be back in 1o minutes”
“You never keep your words Nina”
“Who said I don’t. I said I will paly hide and seek with you. Did I speciafically say when? It can be today, it can be tomorrow!”
” That is cheating Nina.”
“Do you know the story of Ganapathy’s( Lord Ganesha) wedding?”
Liza shook her head and said “No”
“Ganapathy wanted to get married. He pestered his father, Lord Siva.
“Father I want to get married. Please get me married Please!”
Now Lord Siva knows, Ganapathy can’t get married. But one day, just to get some peace of mind lord Siva told Ganapathy
“Ok, you can get married tomorrow”
Ganapathy was so happy. But he knows his father is very shrewed. So he wanted to make sure his father would keep his promise tomorrow. He looked around and saw the temple wall. He told his father
“Fine, I will get married tomorrow, but I want you to write on the temple wall that you promised that I will get married tomorrow.”
Siva took a stone from the ground and wrote on the temple wall
‘My son, Ganapathy will get married tomorrow’ signed Siva
Ganapthy was all happy. He went home and waited for the sunrise the next day. He wore his best dress and walked to the temple.Singing a happy song. When he reached the temple, he was shocked. There was nobody there. No Wedding decorations, No musicians palying the wedding music, no cooks cooking the payasam. Ganapathy was so upset. He told to himself, ‘I knew it, I knew my father won’t keep his promise. But this time I am smart. I got him to write on the wall.’ He quickly went to find his father. Lord Siva was meditating.
Ganapathy shook him to wake him up from his trance.
“Father, You promised yesterday that, I will get married today.”. Ganapathy continued.”I have proof. I will show you, where you wrote that I can get married today”.
Ganpathy pulled lord Siva’s hand and took him to the wall where lord Siva wrote his promise.
They stood infront of the wall.
“What is written on the wall?” I asked Liza
“Ganapathy will get married tomorrow”.Liza replied.
I was grinning from ear to ear and I walked to Aunty Reena’s house, leaving behind a stunned Liza.

14 thoughts on “Tomorrow

  1. This is the first time I heard the “tomorrow” story with such a twist.

    The one I have heard often is that of the old lady cheating death by making messenger of death mark on her door “I will take her tomorrow”.

  2. YSAJ: you know I haven’t heard the word Rokkam for such a long time.. it brought so many memories..going to the market with ammachi to sell Ethakkula!

    Thanu: Yes ofcourse.. whenever she tells me to do some chores I would say’nale’ and she would reply’ganapathide kalayanam pole’

    Ullas” Thank you for visitng my blog.. I am sure there are many versions of these tomorrow stories

    Starrynights: I know.. I used tell this to my kids..

    Visithra: thank you

    Silverine: thank you

    Geetha: I used to do the same thing with my kids..Now my kids are too smart.. they know their mama will do the same tricks with them..

    I love Munich: Thank you

    Chandu: you welcome Chanduutta

    Sujit: thank you

    Hillgrandmom:thank you

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *