On February 24, 2008, it was Shyamili’s birthday anniversary and we had already decided to kickstart TWIGS, the community to serve needy, on that day. The place was Guild Of Service, the home for the physically challenged, in Anna Nagar. What a place to start off with! Inchara, Nithya, Shyamili and myself reached the place at around 2 pm. The place seemed to be very quiet from outside. It was located near the main road but very peaceful within. There were two buildings that looked like schools and a pretty huge ground. When we went in, a kind looking lady greeted us and led us into the TV hall, where we witnessed around 30 children in the age group of 4 to 10. They were busy enjoying the movie Pokkiri in TV that most of them failed to see us. Ha ha! The TV was switched off and we greeted the students in a classroom. Each of us took separate paths and chatted with whomever we were able to see.
Every child responded with a smile and a “hello”. After I went around, I enquired one of the boys jokingly whether we had disturbed them from watching the movie. He said no and there seems to be fan battle there too. Ha ha! I also learnt that every Sunday, they used to watch a movie or go out somewhere. After greeting almost everyone in the room, I went to a group of boys (who were mostly around the age of 11). These guys can battle with my college guys in a ‘mokkai’ competition and can also bag away the prize. Since it was nearly a month before I visited that place, I couldn’t remember most of the names but I am sure that I would get a “you forgot our names again?” look when we go and meet them the next time.
A boy named Naresh soon joined company and he has learnt better mokkai than the rest. I still don’t know who gives them training on this. He studies in 7th std but behaved maturely. Being the senior, he was the most talkative and dominative there. He was bullying others there and he even played a prank on one of my friends who had called to my mobile.
Meanwhile, Nithya and Shyamili were distributing sweets and gifts to everyone present there, and I joined in doing the same. This helped me in greeting unfamiliar faces. There was a girl named Mahalakshmi, who became very close to us, as soon as we reached there. From what I have learnt, she is the junior most there and also adamant as a four year old would be. Ha ha! She was too young to be given a box of crayons and her child instinct made her to believe that I could get her one set if she asks me.
Some of the children started drawing. These children were so talented and I heard that one guy with disabled hands could actually draw well using legs and has also won many prizes. Time sped off fast and we nearly spent two hours there with each of us talking to a different group. After hearing tales about their visit to Zoo and sanctuary, I looked around the room to find almost half of the children missing. Many had gone back to see the movie ‘Pokkiri’ (So we did disturb them!). It was time for us to leave as we had tests the next day.
We bid goodbye to everyone present there, gave the remaining gifts to the lady and left the building. In the ground, we were sharing our experiences with each other and it seemed that one of the boys in there, aged 12 probably, knows electronics much better than I do (Actually speaking, I suck at electronics!!! :p). He deserves to be a scientist and I hope that he becomes one.
Shyamili and Nithya left the place to board the bus and Inchara and I were standing there discussing for about two more minutes when Naresh came out. He had a disabled leg and was limping as he came near us. He was heading towards the gate and the conversations between us were…
Myself: Naresh, where are you heading?
Naresh: Shopping! (he winked as he said it)
The road immediately outside had heavy traffic as it was near the main road.
Inchara: What about the traffic?
Naresh clenched his fists with his thumb out, ran his thumb over his neck with his tongue out indicating death. We were startled at his presence of humour and when we went outside the gate to help him, he turned back once, held his right hand high and shook it. He probably meant that he could handle it alone. Only then I realized that after all these years, he would have well trained himself to walk in traffic and we might’ve probably insulted him by offering to help. With that, Inchara and I left for home with the hope that we would be returning there again some other day.
