Thursday, April 05, 2007

Waiting for Tuesdays

Now, we ( my sons and me) wait for Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, a mobile library van drives up into our colony. When it first came about 2 weeks ago, and we received the the little pamphlet advertising its services, my sons and me marched upto it in the scorching sun with Great Expectations. It was like a furnace inside- a furnace filled with books; and though Great Expectations were unfulfilled still we were quite happy. We plundered the insides like elephants let loose in a sugarcane field.

Now, why we are celebrating the occassion- that's because all these years it has been so difficult to get hold of books in English here. There are only a couple of libraries and those have books only in the vernacular or it is reference texts. We've been starved for books.

Each of us got home 3 books and proceeded to gorge on them the moment we reached home. Within the week, we had finished with our books and we were eagerly waiting for next Monday- and when Monday dawned and the van did not arrive we felt betrayed. However the van came again on Tuesday and that’s how it will be – Tuesdays.

On Tuesday once again my sons and myself braved the blazing sun and ransacked the furnace of books. I felt sorry for the librarian girl who was getting baked in the van.

As I type these words, I’ve finished with Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ ( neat collection of stories, very real and simple) . I was hoping for 'Namesake', but I’m grateful for small mercies. And though I mourn the end of one book, the prospect of two more books awaiting me is exciting.

6 comments:

Alapana said...

Me back,Me back,Me back;p Hmmmm,now that i made myself loud and clear your post made me all the more nostalgic and how i wish to rush to mama's house,because we used to get our library van every Saturday and it was telugu literature for me,and somewhere in all the busy academics and internet and friends,i lost touch with such simple ppleasures:)

srijithunni said...

Real bookworms you are, aren`t you..? Yet to catch hold of Jhumpa`s books..

Take Care and GOd Bless.!

With Best Regards,
Srijith.

Unknown said...

almost a short story in itself - did you get to read the Namesake finally?

kewlmallu said...

Hillarious...

Ardra said...

Hi alaapana, srijith and atul- the van came for thelast time into our colony this last tuesday- they say only 2 members had enrolled in this colony of 250 flats and it was nto viable for them to make their weekly visits here. They've informed us that they would be available in the next street... what to do?

Kewl Mallu! Hilarious? excuse me...
:-) The story has a sad ending- so much for counting the chicks before they were hatched- or building castles in the air- I jus tknew it was too good to be true. :-(

krishnapriya said...

Hi aardra..try reading "like the flowing river" by paulo coelho