Page 69 - GOTIL (ENG) Sample
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The Procession: A Reminiscence 291
“I saw Him being carried on a palanquin near Luz, that’s
all. I don’t know why or where He was going. Just please
give me my tiffin now. It’s getting late,” I urged, sensing
the imminent delay.
My grandmother, who always sat in one corner of the
kitchen silently observing all proceedings, was now
intently peering at the calendar.” Today is the harvest
tax collection day,” she announced. “The palanquin will
be passing through Eldams Road.”
My mother began to calculate how long it would take for
the Lord’s procession to pass Eldams Road, one block
from our street. “When exactly did you see the procession
near Luz?” she demanded.
“At three-forty,” I said, “just before I caught the bus.”
“That means He’ll be here in twenty minutes,” my mother
said, her voice now full of anxiety. “What can I make for
the Lord in twenty minutes?”
“Ravā-kesari. That’s the easiest,” my grandmother replied,
86
cool and alert.
By now my mother was already putting the steel wok on the
stove and pouring a cup of farina into it, simultaneously
setting a pot of water to boil.
“Just what is harvest tax collection day?” I asked, resigned
to a delayed tiffin.
86. Ravā-kesari — sweet preparation made from farina.
