|
Durai's Space |
|
Family skits
Narrator: The Naga Chief charges with
a spear.
Naga Chief: Umballa-balla-balla oomballa
GO!
Narrator: But Durai is unfazed.
Durai: Umballa oomballa go pow-wow! (Durai gets into a confabulation with the Nagas, gestures to show road building activity). Narrator: Durai convinced the fierce Nagas
that he was there to help them build roads on their inhospitable land. They became good friends.
Naga Chief: (giving spear as a gift):
You friend. Peace! Durai: (bowing and receiving the spear): Thank you friend. Peace be with you! Narrator: Coming back to Shillong, Durai had a few hold-ups on the way. There was the trifling matter of a landslide and a broken bridge to contend with. But did that deter him? No sir! He swung from tree to tree ….leapt over deep chasms…… Durai: Tarzan Bundolo!! Narrator: …..neatly dodged a poisonous
cobra:
Cobra: HISSSSSSSS! Oh my aching sinusssess!
Narrator: and came home, cool as a cucumber.
(Durai dusts himself off and straightens his collar). Narrator: Meanwhile, an anxious Mabel paced the floor. Mabel: (sings) Oh where, oh where has my Durai gone? Oh where oh where can he be? (Knock, knock! Durai enters)
Durai: (Sings) Oh here I am, my Mabel dear, It’s all in a day’s work! (They hug). Narrator: Durai kept mum about his colourful adventures, but Mabel got all the gory stories of Durai’s daring escapades from their trusty peon. Peon: And the bridge was broken, memsaab,
and there was a snake… and he jumped from the tree, and memsaab, you know, saab almost died in that
terrible landslide!! (Mabel gasps, eyes grow rounder and rounder).
Mabel: Oh God! I can’t keep thinking
about all this. I’ll go crazy! I’m going to start working in Ganesh Das Hospital right away. (Picks up her
steth and doctor’s bag and walks out).
THE NOAH’S ARK PATCH
Narrator: Mabel and Durai lived in a huge bungalow on a hill called Almamoor in Shillong, with a sprawling flower garden, a stream flowing below, and a merry menagerie of dogs, ducks, (quack quack!) chickens (cheep, cheep!) and two geese called Donald and Dorothy. Mabel (feeding the geese): Here
Donald!
Here Dorothy! (geese stretch their necks and go Honk! Honk!) Narrator: Strangely, the geography got a bit mixed up in this song taught by Sheila to her young nieces, Vimala, Vas, Shantha and Sajji: Song: Mabel Chithi ku thottam wundu
Dilli pakkadillai Adilai konjom vaatu wundu Dilli pakkadillai. (children mimick ducks, flapping wings and sitting on their haunches, walking in a circle) Narrator: The roof of the Shillong church
collapsed and Durai promptly rebuilt it. Mabel handled the fund-raising raffle where the prize was a white pig with the pink
ribbon round its tail.
Pig: Oink! Oink!
Narrator: They even took their chickens
and dogs with them all the way to Bangalore, by boat across the Brahmaputra and by train.
Song: Row, row, row your boat (bow-wow!)
Gently down the stream (cheep cheep!)
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream (Bow –wow!)
THE PICNIC PATCH
Narrator: And life was a dream indeed
at the many picnics organized by Durai for the extended family. We have made trips together to Nainital, Simla, Mussoorie,
Hosur, Hogainakal, and romantic Manali. Here is the master organizer at work, while Mabel dutifully takes notes:
Durai (with map and checklist): And this is the route we’ll take, here’s where we’ll stay, we’ll go sight-seeing here and here and here, and naturally we’ll need a cook to travel with us, and some provisions…. Mabel: And what about the menu? Durai (airily): Oh, I’ll
leave that to you, dear!
Narrator: (Someone mimes car
driving, floating on shikaras, etc as narrator speaks).
On an unforgettable trip to Kashmir, 19 of us went in 3 cars to Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Srinagar, stayed in a houseboat for a day, floated on the Dal Lake in shikaras, saw a glacier, and stayed in charming mountain cottages. Narrator: Durai had arranged for permits
for fishing and shooting. (Suresh and Durai Isaac set off in opposite directions, with fishing rod and airgun). Durai
Isaac went fishing for trout in icy water and Suresh went into the forests with his Dad, to shoot partridges.
Narrator: Meanwhile, Kitty, Viola and Mabel had the time of their lives keeping the hungry horde fed, umpteen times a day. Kitty: Oh no! We’ve just cleared the table, and here they are again! (Children come running in.) Children: We’re sooo hungry! Mabel: But you just had breakfast!
Children: That was just one hour ago! Viola: It’s the mountain air! (Kitty, Mabel and Viola set out the snacks on the table). Children: (sing) Hungry, hungry, we are hungry… Table, table, here we come! (Chomp! Chomp! they attack the food). Narrator: You can imagine the plight of
the poor cook! Here he’s just finished cooking the meal….
Cook: (wiping his brow) Ahhh… peace at last! Narrator: But then, in comes Suresh with four partridges from his successful shoot. Suresh (to Mabel): Here mum, let’s have some roast partridge! (Mabel hesitantly hands the partridges to the cook, who gives her a dirty look before attacking the cooking). Cook: mutter mutter mutter grumble grumble (defeathers the partridges, tosses them in the frying pan and cooks them.) There! Roast Partridge. Hope they’re happy now! (He lays the plate on the table , then stretches out for a snooze, but Dorai Isaac returns from his fishing trip) Narrator: But just then, in comes Durai Isaac with his catch of trout. Durai Isaac: Here Mabel chithie, four river-fresh trout! Cook: AAAGH! (he faints) Mabel (solicitously fanning him while Viola and Kitty run for water, etc.): Cook? Are you alright? Cook! Cook (opens one eye): Just don’t bring me anything more to cook! Pleease!! Mabel: Alright. Just the trout. No more! Narrator: The poor cook couldn’t keep up with our appetites and our frequent changes of menu. But he sure got a lot of appreciation for his cooking. Durai: Yummy! There’s nothing like mountain trout! Shabash, cook! Cook (bowing): Thank you sir, thank you sir! Er…. When are we going back to Delhi? Narrator: We all have beautiful evergreen memories of long healthy walks up green hills reflected in still lakes, baths in hot springs, family sing-songs, stories, card sessions, and Durai’s ringing laughter ricocheting off the rafters. Durai: (Sings - Tune: I love to laugh from Mary Poppins): I love to laugh – Ha, ha, ha,ha Loud and long and clear Ha ha ha I love to laugh – ha ha ha ha So everybody can hear ho ho The more I laugh, ha ha ha ha The more I’m filled with glee hee hee hee And the more the glee hee hee hee hee The more I’m a merrier me! Narrator points mike to Durai (who’s laughing heartily in the audience):Listen to the real thing! (Audience laughs along) It has been scientifically proven that laughter IS the best medicine, which accounts for Durai’s energy and robust health … he’ll be 83 tomorrow! And he still travels all over India overseeing the building of the Leprosy Mission hospitals! THE FAMILY PATCH Narrator: Mabel and Durai were blessed with four bright and talented children: Malathi, Suresh, Kamalini and Roshini. A hospitable couple, they kept an open house for family and friends. Let’s join Leela on her visit to their home in Delhi, to sample one day in the life of the Raj family. Narrator: (all actions are mimed) At 6.30 am in freezing Delhi winter, Leela is initiated into family prayers, Raj family style. Mabel: Leela’ka, please join us for family prayers. Leela: Sure! Narrator: Leela’s jaw drops open as she sees this somewhat unconventional and active worship routine: While Durai reads from Norman Vincent Peale... Durai: (reads) The Power of Positive Thinking... Narrator: Mabel is doing her yoga,
Malathi is combing her hair (a twenty minute operation), Suresh is looking for a school book, Kamali is putting on her shoes, and Roshini is buttoning her blazer. Leela: Well, that’s a new perspective, working family prayers into everyday routine! Mabel: 7 o’clock! Those who are
ready, get into the car! The rest of you, walk to the bus-stop!
Kids: Wait for me, Mommy! (Pick
up school bags and rush off)
Narrator: 7 am: Mabel drops the
kids at the bus-stop and they go to school while she goes to work at the CGHS hospital and Durai works at the CPWD.
1.30 pm. The Raj children come traipsing
back home and have lunch under the eagle eye of Pooranam, their redoubtable cook and faithful retainer for over 20 years.
Pooranam: (in Tamil) Malathi,
finish everything on your plate!
Narrator: 3 pm. Pooranam makes a gallant but futile effort to get Suresh to have a bath. Pooranam: (in Tamil) Yea Suresh! Tanni sooda irukidu! Kulikai va! (the water's hot, come to bathe!) Narrator: But Suresh runs off to play. Ditto with the others. (all the kids run off while Pooranam chases them) Narrator: 6 pm: The Raj kids sit down to do their homework, supervised by Mabel and Durai. With discipline and high standards instilled them from an early age, they grew up to be three doctors and an engineer, winning post-graduation honours and trophies at games and athletics along the way. Narrator: Come holidays and the Raj children would spend two weeks at Dehra Dun, when Kitty and Ebbie would have seven children. (Action: Kitty and John + 3 children are on one side of the stage, the Raj children come by train to that side of the stage. The David children travel with the Raj children to the other side where Mabel and Durai are standing.) The David children would then spend two weeks at Delhi, when Mabel and Durai would have seven children. This was the age of Indira Gandhi and Family Planning, so they would get strange looks from people wherever they went. Friend: Are all those children YOURS?
Mabel: Oh no, half of them are my sister’s! Narrator: As you can imagine, keeping seven children in control was no easy task. So Kitty invented the Star System. Children: What’s the Star System,
Kitty Perima?
Kitty: You get points or stars for good behaviour, like reading the Bible, saying grace before meals, being good - that means, no fighting! And afterwards, you get prizes! (Kitty gives out stars to children). Children (cheering): Yeah! Narrator: The Star System worked so well that Mabel followed it too at Delhi. (Mabel gives out stars to children). By some strange coincidence, all the first prizes for the Stars went to the Raj children in Dehra Dun, while the David children won all the first prizes in Delhi! (Kitty and Mabel give out prizes) Of course, the sisters ensured that there were lots of consolation prizes so everyone was a winner. Children: (clapping and cheering): Yeah!! Narrator: Kamali and Jeyanthi were the naughtier of the lot. Here we see them creeping into Durai Uncle’s room to stick patakas on the soles of his shoes… you know, those little red things, the kind you get with popguns. (Kamali and Jeyanthi stick patakas on the shoes and creep out, giggling (note: "Patakas" -Hindi for "fireworks"- here refer to the small red bang-bang strips you get in toy guns). They waited for the fireworks to happen. And they waited. And they waited for one whole week. Jeyanthi: Looks like it was a damp squib, Kam! Kamali: It’s not working, Jam! What a bore! Narrator: On Sunday, Durai carefully wiped his shoes on the mat, and made his entrance to the church with a bang that turned heads. (Sound: Puttpattaputtaaar!) He gave the culprits a high-voltage glare that had them on their knees in church, praying very earnestly indeed! (Kamali and Jayanthi on their knees, praying “Forgive us, Father - for we have sinned.”) THE BIG LEAGUE PATCH
Narrator: Durai travelled all over the world in the course of his work, and would bring back dolls as mementoes and lots of gifts for the family. Once he brought a luxurious fur coat for Mabel which she faithfully wore every New Year and also at the President’s At Home at Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Republic Day, where they rubbed shoulders with people in high places. (Action: Mabel wears fur coat and does a demure namaste while Durai shakes hands with the President.) Durai: Thank you for the marvellous tea, Mr. President! President: My pleasure! Narrator: Indira Gandhi inaugurated the
Asia ’72 Trade Fair where Durai completed the pavilions in a record time of 9 months, including the famous Hall
of Nations.
Indira Gandhi: Fantastic work, Mr. Durairaj!
I now declare the Asia’72 Trade Fair open! (Cheers, clapping) Narrator: Durai built the Parish Hall at the Cathedral in Delhi and Mabel got the Visitor’s book signed by Dr. Radha Krishnan, who was then Vice-President (Cheers, clapping) Narrator: But hobnobbing with the big shots in high places didn’t change their humble, cheerful, generous and lovable natures. That’s why we all love them! (Cheers, clapping) Narrator: Well, ladies and gentlemen, we could go on and on with these unforgettable recollections, but they would fill a book! Suffice it to say that Mabel and Durai continue to weave happy memories at their home in Chennai, and in the lives of all the people they touch... Narrator: And now, let us put the patches
together to create our nostalgia quilt. This is a team effort, so let’s have some audience participation here! (The
Nostalgia Quilt collage is created - The audience is handed (ahead of time) 50 "patches" - slips of paper - with words
on them that describe the marriage. They paste the patches on to the heart-shaped paper "quilt" The words on the 50 patches
are: Commitment, Dedication, Open Home, Caring, Sharing, Love, Kindness, Compassion, Concern, Song, Laughter, Violin, Harmony,
Piano, Engineering, Medicine, Excellence, Goodness, Fun, Discipline, Firmness, Courage, Persistence, Patience, Energy, Service,
God-Centered, Family-centered, Loyalty, Games, Grandchildren, Children, Personality, Friendship, Others, Bonding,Picnics,
Togetherness, Teamwork, Awards, Education, Prayer, Faith, Constance, Devotion,Fellowship, Bible, Magnetism, Love, Joy, Flowers,
Food, Talent, Worship, Dance, Stories, Miracles, Contentment)
Narrator: We invite the Golden couple to please come forward and create one more indelible memory in our midst. (Mabel and Durai come forward, stand in front of the Nostalgia Quilt and take a bow. They are hugged and blessed by Leela and Kitty, after which the 50 members of the audience who had placed the patches on the backdrop join in singing this song): Song: May the good Lord bless and keep you Whether near or far away May you find that long-awaited golden day today May your troubles all be small ones And your fortunes ten times ten May the good Lord bless and keep you in His loving care. May you walk with sunlight shining And a bluebird in every tree May there be a silver lining Back of every cloud you see… Fill your dreams with sweet tomorrows Never mind what might have been May the good Lord bless and keep you is our prayer today May the good Lord bless and keep you in His care is our prayer today. (Audience applauds with 50 rhythmic claps for fifty golden
years.)
|
||||||||
