The day when I clinged to my parents wrinkled hands for support...

Weekends have almost always been pretty much a drag offlate. Blame it on the lack of hobbies, or blame it on the lack of availability of friends.. or blame it on me being a bachelor still.. The reasons could have been anything, but it was a bit of a brutal reality. I have been striving hard to fight off this boredom by indulging myself in something or the other. Unfortunately I must admit, my laziness has always gotten the best of me, and I have managed to end up trying hard to literally push the clock's hands and make the weekend go away as soon as possible. This past weekend was no different. But this time I was determined. Saturday morning, I decided to book myself tickets to a movie. I didn't explore much, for the agenda was simple and straight forward. I quickly opened up Mayajaal's site and managed to find tickets for the tamizh movie "Payanam". The movie hasnt had much of a hype. It wasnt on the ranks of Eindhiran the robot nor did it have the advertising backing of "aadugalam". It just had the reputation of having something to do with "Prakashraj". So I booked tickets for the movie. Weekends have always been a busy day for mum, for she's very particular that she prepares whatever best she can.. her excuse.. "Kanna, these are the only two days you are at home, and I want you to eat properly.."... (For those who have seen me, would somehow have a tough time believing this alibi of hers.. especially considering my gigantic size...LOL).. So after a sumptous meal and a good noon siesta, I headed off to mayajaal. I was startled to find that they had hiked the bike parking charges from 10 bucks to 20... So I paid the doubled up charges, parked my bike, collected my tickets and headed off into the theater. I felt extremely weird walking into that theatre to be honest, for I seemed to be the only guy, who had come to watch the movie, all by myself, no company, no shoulder leaning, hand clutching pretty faces to accompany.. just me, myself and me! The movie was a good one, and I had a good laugh as well. The interval was marked with some childish fights between the love smitten pair sitting next to me on my left side.. while on my right side the gal was busy explaining the rest of the story to her boy friend.. ! The movie continued and eventually I headed back home.. Till now all was fine.. I came home and resumed my weekend ritual of being glued to the idiot box, and watching a mallu movie... That was when it happened...

      Mum had gotten some dosa batter and had delegated the task of having the batter emptied into a vessel to dad.. Dad has been a victim of Parkinson's syndrome and has been having a slack in responses, ear-marked by extreme shivers. While he was pouring out the batter into the vessel, he spilt everything on the floor. Like a small kid, he kept repeatedly telling me.."I spilt the batter .. I spilt the batter ".. I was shattered to see dad's plight.. Here was a man, who has been my greatest hero in my life, the man who single handedly managed the entire affairs of his big family.. the man to whom everyone of his siblings ran to when they were in trouble.. the man who stood unshaken even in the worsest of disasters.. and now I saw him all said for a petty thing of having spilt the batter .. I dont know what got into me.. I stormed into the kitchen and blasted my mum left right and center.. and in the fury, I uttered words which I shouldn't have.. Mum didn't utter a word in response, dad timidly walked into the kitchen and kept urging me not to scold his "beloved sweetheart".. but I had turned a deaf ear to everything... I could see my mum's eyes filling up, but I had no remorse at what I was doing.. Finally I got so angry, that I stormed out of the house and decided to go to the beach with a cancer stick in hand.. But this time, something kept asking me.."Why did you yell at her".. I tried giving a dozen excuses of why I had every right to do so, but unfortunately the rationale mind in me refused to buy any of those excuses.. I sat in the beach, with the waves running to the shores with a roar, and that moment was when I cried.. I shouldn't have yelled at my parents.. All my life I have apologized to a lot of strangers for no reason, but never have I apologized to my parents.. I decided to set the records straight.. I went back home, called both of them into a room and said.. "Ma, am sorry.. I don't know why my tempers shot up, and I don't know why I did that.. but am sorry for whatever I said..".. Offlate I have always regarded my parents as my kids and treated them only with that regard... this was one moment when they made me realize, that they still are my matured and extremely caring parents..My dad timidly said, "Son.. don't think am trying to advice you, but you have to learn to control your temper..We are your parents, we will understand.. but others wont..".. I didn't say anything, just nodded my head in agreement and lied on my mum's laps..That was a day, when I felt as being their kid one more time.. felt the luxury of having them take care of me.. felt the warmth of running back to them, whine about my problems to them, and be assured of having them to listen to me.. It was a day, when I stopped living the life of a grown-up and went back to my days as a child!