Red Chilies

Howzzaat!!!!. My Dad and his gang were      shouting in our TV room. That was 31 of October 1987, the historical day in world cup cricket. The up roaring was when Chetan Sharma took the wicket of Ken Rutherford. As an 11 year old boy, I was also eating, drinking and breathing cricket at that time. The idiom “Born with a silver spoon” can be re phrased as “Born with a cricket Ball” in my case.  But I seldom view a full length one day match as my friends wait for me to play two or three 10-10 over matches. On holidays or on vacations we will on ground full time in the scorching sun. Due to the constant Sweating and drying made my ears get infected.

On that historical day I was bed ridden, due to intense unbearable pain on my right ear, I was rolling on the bed. Seeing my state of distress, my mom thought of calling my dad to console me; and to consult a doctor in the evening.

That was when my mom reached our TV room, the wicket of Ian Smith also had fallen and Chetan Sharma is on hat trick Chance. Without knowing this stressful, nerve racking moment, my mom conveyed the message to my dad and asked him to be with me. My dad wanted to see the next ball of Chetan and he was waiting for Ewen Chatfield to come to bat.  Mom demanded his presence with me immediately and with due hesitation and irritation my dad came to my room with his mind still on hat trick.

The most influential person in my dad’s life his years old friend Mr Pappachan was also there in my room seeing my dilemma and he suggested a onetime remedy for this infection. The remedy is that, take one spoon of coconut oil, boil it and pour the hot oil through the top opening of a red Chili. Allow it to cool and once it is little warm which is bearable enough for me, nip the bottom portion of the chili and pour the oil drop by drop to my infected ear.

As instructed my mom made the things available. In the mean while some body from my dad’s gang was shouting that Ewen Chatfield on the crease and Chetan is ready to bowl. My dad’s thoughts were still on Chetan’s Hat Trick, took the Chili and nipped the bottom part keeping it just above my ear.  As he nipped the chili big the medicated oil started flowing to my ear instead of drop by drop.

Haaaaaaaa,  I screamed and rolled on my bed upper ear down.  Yes!!, as Chetan Sharna is ready to bowl, dad had forgotten that the heat should be bearable and he had poured the extreme hot oil on my ear.

Hearing my scream all the gang rushed to my room and along with my mom and Mr Pappachan, they started shouting at dad for his carelessness. In the mean time Chethan Sharma was taking his run up from the pavilion end of Vidharbha cricket Association Ground, Nagpur to bowl against Ewen Chatfield. The rest is history!.

That power-less night, I was sleeping on my dad’s lap I saw the reflection of the lantern on the bottom of dads eye lids.

During this vacation, I happened to see dad’s friend who prescribed the medicine. Seeing me he started asking me so many things for that I have not responded. In frustration he asked,Are you deaf?

I replied. Yes, your Red Chili treatment made me deaf.!!!!!!!!. Hearing that, he and my dad burst into laughter.

At last, one question remains. Where the infection has gone? If we personify the infection as a demon, he scared and ran away from my life seeing my dad and his red chili.

rajaramvasudev@gmail.com