At Thinnai
It was built in 1947. Dad recalled the year when I asked him, when was this house built.
For me, despite no one occupying for over a decade, it looks so appealing, but for others haunted mysterious cabin.
I decide to sleep over in the house amidst warnings of no power, dark, airless and shabbiness.
I demand a mat, blanket and a bottle of water and I chose the coziest room with only one window.
Dad warned not to open the only window as it would invite spirits roaming around there. It was a legend where he always put as a reference whenever someone hints about opening a window.
I care less about ghosts or spirits or whatever as I’m already too tired of being on road for most of the day and all I wanted was a sleep.
I had my dinner quick amidst quick rap of my mom and dad’s mother. Typical mother and mother-in-law.
I went and make bed quick and laid down. Time was quarter to nine and I already closed my eyes.
Sleep was occasionally interrupted by many things – whole family, nearby parked goats, quarrels or should I say regular conversation in nearby homes. Especially, mom whom she felt whispering voice would not wake me up, but she always will. She had a distinctive skill of keeping a word fight with low frequency voice where the opponents couldn’t always keep up with the voice as she expects the fight to go on.
For all those who mentioned earlier the room as airless gets a befitting reply as at early morning village was covered with misty fog and thanks to my prenotion of keeping the velvet covered blanket which comforts me well. At that time, I’d multiple episodes of sleep experimenting various positions in the room often ignited with some pre-requisite dream notions for delving into deep sleep.
And it was near to 7 am when I felt I’d a good sleep and I was welcomed with beam of light from the window which I believe mom would’ve slightly opened despite the warnings of dad. Occasionally some spirits would have entered or the conversations I hear while was sleeping was really not from the people I knew.
I looked upon the window to see if the car was there and it was bathed with mist and twirled leaves and looks like talking to me with a shiver – “hey mate, did you have a comfortable sleep? And look at me, how I’m”.
When I went out, I can still hear my mom and my grandma’s voices couple of houses away. I sat at Thinnai in front of the house. My dad spotted me and informed mom about my presence.
I was still in aftermath of good sleep. Roosters, Goats in a symphony. By passers in the road having a look at me to figure out who was this guy.
Later I got myself up and went in and took “The Kite Runner” from my bag and sat at Thinnai and started reading. That’s when my mom brings me tea and leading to a feeling later.
Thinnai – Morning Mist – Village voices – Book – Tea – Bliss!
