To the man who loved and lived-Part 4

You should know everything even though you wouldn't use it or apply it" was my father's pearl of advice. I know it is impossible to know everything, but it never stopped me from trying. I remember the context in which he said this. I was a lazy teenager back then. Either you would find me in a corner holding a book or plonked in front of TV. My mother never asked me to help with any chores and I was insensitive to offer any help either. On a particular evening mom was unwell and my poor father was doing the dishes. I forgot to mention I also had this habit of following my father everywhere like a puppy. Then my father asked do you know how to do dishes? I airily answered, "Why should I? I'm never going to do this kind of menial job". That is when he said the above-mentioned words. I paused for a second to get that sink in and helped him with the current task. If it was my mother I wouldn't have done so. But with my father it was different. I wanted to impress him. As I'm writing this I have realized probably he was the only person whom I wanted to impress always.

He was the person who knew how to fix everything. One thing he claimed he didn't know was cone-making that was to made Kadubu (an authentic coastal Karnataka cuisine). The process goes something like this; one has to take 4 equal, large jack fruit leaves; then pin 3 leaves together with the coconut sticks; after that take the fourth leaf and pin obliquely; next pin them all one by one at the tip of the leaves. That is how it is made. It is an art I tell you because I tried and failed many times. The last Ganesha festival we celebrated with him forced him to learn that skill as well. My sister-in-law who is sort of expert in cone-making cancelled at the last moment for reasons best known to her. My mother cannot be troubled as her hands were full. So, my father started making them one by one. He narrated an incident in which his aunt told him "never to try doing the cone-making because that is the one thing you cannot do and when you do it would be a disaster. He has told that story many times before. To my surprise he did them pretty magnificently. Now I doubt probably he was practicing them secretly. He is not available to ask that question now.

I have countless memories of him to cherish. I am only sad because I cannot create new ones.