The first time I remember crying and being scared was when I failed an examination. Some science paper. Dad and Mom had come to pick us (my sister and I) up from the school on the day of the open house, I was not that great a student, and my father who never really worried about my performance in the examinations for once was worried that I would become a slacker in life. I don’t know what came over him, But that day, he acted like he never has acted in the whole of my life. He left me and my sister outside the car, and threatened to drive home, and then, he came back and they took us up in the car and made us promise that we would never fail another examination ever. I guess that’s the worst part of being a father, you cant really be a good one at that all the time, the times you screw up, You really screw up.
We had reached home by 12 in the noon, and when we did dad went home upstairs and locked himself up in his room. By then I had cried my ife out, and I was having serious problems with my nose, I had a mild asthmatic attack. I had severe cold and I remember sitting in my dad’s office and telling him something to do with science and mathematics, out of which one was to do with the sum of numbers cubed. the formula for that. I never really remember that even today, I think that is a totally stupid use of the beautiful science of algebra. Stupid memory tricks.. Totally useless. You forget them as soon as the examinations are over.
Well, that’s not the important thing here, I had fever, and heavy asthma, and dad took me to our trusty neighbourhood doctor, Dr. Bharath, in the evening. An old man who never really had a chance to sit down when his patients were sitting, he was that short, and thats the one thing I liked about his, he was a polite short man, and as far as I know, I think I was the old person with whom he could sit and talk. Cause back that, I was short too! He then used all this gadgets on me like batman, and then pulled out his white prescription pad, and gave me a list of tablets that I had to eat. One of them, in particular was “allegra”, supposedly, for the asthma, and its quite expensive too. I recieved the sheet from him and dainlty left the room that night. And accidently I had misplaed the prescription some where in my room.
Later that night, dad got me readied up to go get the medicine. Since I had lost the prescription, I gave him all sorts of excuses to not go, and then dad asked me to get on the bike, and when I did that, he asked me,
“Karthik, prescription sheeta eduthtiya?”- Karthik, have you taken the prescription sheep with you.
I just blinked a lot, I think, Dad was furious, he yelled at me at the top of his voice, and then, he knew there was nothing much I could do about it now that I have misplaced it. He then stared at me, then I told him,
“Appa, enakku nalla theiyumpa, enna tabletnu, vaanga poi vaangitu varalaam”
-Dad I know what tablets we have to purchase, lets go get them
“what is it?”
“It was called allegracin”
“what?? Dont fool around karthik, if you dont know tell me you dont know”
“but really papa, its allegracin, or gin, I dont know what their hand writings mean!! the doctors!!”
Dad was furious, we then went to the pharmacy, and I told the man at the counter,
“Allegra..cin.. irrukka anna?”
“allegrava thambi?? irruku”
That was when I finally got out of my feel of discomfort. I felt relieved and comforted that the moment I went back home, I sat down, had my dinner quietly, went to my room shut myself up and slept for the next 12 hours straight”
Never again in my life had I seen my father that furious with me.. He really cares for my health, and I guess I have always been a careless boy messing things up and hurting the people I love when I do things.
Im sorry da,
That I am writing this when I am down with conjunctivitis.. It does not pain at all. really trust me. You must be too busy, I dont wannt disturb you to entertain myself.. 🙂
Love you,
karthik
Karthikeyan Balakumar 