The Mad Hatter Idea

Well, like I said......that's what it's been called in the family :)

The idea: To send Upendra to Hawaii

First a little context:

Upendra and Shobha, moved from Warangal to Hyderabad, as a young couple to work as watchman at Kamlesh aunty's place, all of twenty years back. And over the years, they worked in all capacities..... caretaker, gardner, cook, driver, companion (to ammamma).... just about everything. And this they did right until the house was sold and demolished about five years back. Over the years they almost became family.

They had children, got them married, and even became grandparents in the same house.

Upendra and his son Raju

Shobha works with me as a cook now and I realize she knows more about ammamma than anybody else in the family. Hardly a day goes by without her bringing ammamma into conversation. I find that so so endearing. 

Consequent to my visit to Hawaii last July,  in one casual conversation with mom, she said something about how nice it would be for Kamlesh aunty to have Upendra and Shobha with them in Hawaii.

A random thought.....but the seed was sown.

I was like "why don't we try... like really try.... it would be so so good for both of them".

This was nine months back. I spoke to them, but Shobha didn't seem keen....too many family responsibilities she said, and she's the decision maker in the family..... so it got dropped and life went on.

A couple months later it was back in a new avatar......this time with the thought of just Upendra going.

I brought it up with Shobha, and told her to ask Upendra. She looked so sceptical and disbelieving that I told her to bring Upendra with her one day, so I could talk to him directly.

I remember that day when Upendra was initiated into the idea.  I explained the idea in all it's ramifications.....told him about the possibilities........he looked between dazed and more dazed.

I sat him down with a globe and a laptop.

Here was a guy who had not seen beyond Warangal and Hyderabad. I realized I needed to realign my starting points itself. Opening a map wasn't enough.

So I actually started with "do you know the world is round?"

It was like a geography class that started in Warangal and went all the way to Hawaii. Explained what countries are....... distance between Warangal and Hyderabad ......  then scaled up to Hyderabad to the USA.....and then to that tiny little dot that Hawaii is, in the middle of the pacific.

After all, if he was going all the way there, even for two years, he needed to understand implications. I told the story and then said, 'think about it and let me know...it's a big decision....talk to whoever you want to, come ask me as many questions as you want to..........but think, and I'm giving you a week.

It was like selling a dream.

He took three days.....the implications must have slowly sunk in. In fact, I understand he thought Mounica, his eldest daughter would say, 'no he should not go', but apparently she was full enthu and said 'baapu, etuvanti chance yevariki raadhu, nuvvu yes anu". Once he'd made up his mind is when I saw him get all excited.

He and Shobha are so fond of Kamlesh aunty and Janardhan uncle that even today they have a picture of them hung on a wall of their one room house. To them, beyond the financial implications was the opportunity to serve uncle and aunty again in their time of need.

It was a beautiful process to watch.

How his mind moved from incomprehension..... to confusion ....to fear......to certainty..... to excitement.

And then began the process. Guess I'll do that as phase II :)