Visit to Tadepalligudem, was meant to be a ‘Thank You’ visit, thanking Kalavacharla family for decades of association with me, not to mention my parents and all my brothers and sisters. Since Annayya’s passing away the funeral arrangements were spear-headed by Subbarao babayya and Vissu; they not only performed the last rites but also made arrangements for the follow-up ceremonies. Vissu took the ashes along with priests to holy Godavari and immersed them. He also made arrangements for monthly and annual ceremonies as well as distribution of food to the residents of the Ashram where Annayya lived for the last 7-years. This will be done as long as the Ashram will be there, hopefully forever.
Subbarao Babayya and Pinni had aged since we visited India in 2008. Their daughter Lakhshmi and son-in-law Prasad joined us when we were at Subbarao babayya’s place. Prasad who has become a head-master of the local public school kindly walked us to Suryanarayana’s place where we were hosted for another of the classical western Godavary district style diner.
Visit to Pentapadu portrays the future as it will be; Vardhani athayya is convalescing after a fall in the kitchen. She mentioned ‘I now feel bad that I never visited mother after her fall in the kitchen’. It seems to be a Shakespearean style irony! With her immobile, it is a pity that this house which once had over 20 persons and half of them females did not have any female help for fixing any meal. Nobody can escape ‘kala mahatyam’ (the rigors of time’).
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