Sometimes, when I couldn’t sleep at night at all, I go for an early morning ( very early 4.30 am) walk..so that though my physical body is exhausted from lack of sleep, I feel fresh..
4.30 is a very odd time..everything is quiet..the people who work night shift hasn’t returned and those sleeping hasn’t woken up yet to face the day..
Occassionally I meet the resident wallaby..and without fail..we ( the wallaby and I) scare the living day light out of each other. I kind of want to tell the wallaby that I am a pukka vegetarian and it really need not be afraid of me..
Usually it is like this.. I walk quietly..looking around to catch a glimpse of the wallaby and then out of nowhere this thing would jump out like the jack in the box and run towards the forest..Ideally the brave Methran Thambi’s grand daughter should stand steady like a vadi (stick) and watch the beast in action..in this case, I am looking for a pillar or a tree to lean on and give myself a CPR..
Apart from the wallaby, the only other thing I see in my morning walk is the Paul’s milk delivery van. It was very reassuring to see another human..even if he is driving an old battered milk van..
If you grew up in Kerala, then you probably know the joy of lifting the foil tab and licking the cream from the top of the milk bottle before Amma catches you !!
So I called the phone number that was written on the van..it took 3 messages before he called me back. I gave my address and on the day I was to get the milk delivered..I woke up early.. all excited..and waited and waited..
No milk.. No phone calls
Another round of messages.
He calls me back a week later to tell me that he got lost.
It took a while..and it was frustrating..How hard it is to find a house in a street he is already delivering the milk to? ( and patience is not really my virtue)
Finally he managed to find my house.
I met him the first day he delivered the milk.
He has learning disabilities..and I felt bad for getting angry with him..
Eventually the supermarket price war started..All my neighbours started buying milk from supermarket..( I don’t blame them..It is half the price!)
I still buy milk from him..
He is earning an honest income and it is not his fault that supermarkets are undercutting in the name of giving better deals to customers..
All was well till the week before Christmas.. He takes Christmas leave ( 3 weeks) and I remembered in the middle of the night that I had forgotten to leave his Christmas gift outside. I always buy him a bottle of wine. I got up ( 3 am), didn’t want to wake the kids up, so didn’t switch on the light, found the bottle of wine in the cupboard, opened the door quietly and left the bottle outside..Some where at the back of my head, there was this uneasy feeling..you know that feeling.. something isn’t right kind of feeling..I was a bit drunk..and I thought it is the alcohol in my blood doing their thing..so I left it at that..
Next morning..it all came to me..
I gave him a bottle Brut Imperial champagne..instead of the cuvee ..
My champagne.. the one I bought for myself.
Erinja kallum kodutha bottleum
There was nothing much I could do about that..
But my milko..He is one happy man..he came the next day to personally thank me..apparently no one ever bought him a bottle of champagne..( and you think I would tell him that it was an honest mistake??)
He is happy..and I was happy for him..
But now..he insists that we drink milk !!!!..earlier if there is milk in the fridge, I call the night before and tell him I don’t need milk the next day.. Now no such luck..Right now there is 3 X 2 litters of milk in the fridge..and my kids refuse to drink any more payasam..and I already have three packets of paneer..
If anyone has any ideas what I can do with 6 liters of milk..let me know.
Kulfi sarah ..there are plenty of easy recipes on net 🙂
Pav: I didn't think of Kulfi..thanks for that suggestion..
paal khova!!! Just boil the milk add a bit of salt for it to curdle then add jaggery and stir and stir…till it becomes yummyyyyyyyy…my gramdmom used to always make it…
Tinkerbells: This is now an ongoing project..kids don't drink milk during much of winter and paalu karan won't stop delivering the milk..