That was the anniversary day of the ladies’ club in Salem district, where a host of its members dressed to the nines, were present in the spacious hall with their children. The club was abuzz with the celebratory activities such as tying festoons, balloons and colourful ribbons below the ceilings in every room. The sports ground with a separate court for each game played by ladies was bordered white and a small pennant fixed at every corner.
I was with my mom, a regular member of the club, whom I had accompanied there to enjoy witnessing the rolling programme of events that embraced in it skits, variety show, magic show and all that jazz. It was the outdoor events that started first with a running race for children of seven to ten years of age. The events commenced at an early vespertine hour, given a number of kids including me, standing at the starting point, that was one end of the tennis court. Standing somewhere at the middle of the line of competitors I got ready to move ahead. The moment the starting pistol was fired we began running as a crowd towards the opposite end. As I was outrunning most of the others a swarthy girl, I still remember running close behind me tripped me up resulting in a fall that left me lying unconscious. Tout de suite I was shifted to the car of one of the members of the club and rushed to a hospital, I learnt later from my mom who was with me all the time.
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It was all but a revival for me from a probable exit as I woke up the next morning, passed a hazy look around and tumbled to the reality that I was in a separate room at a hospital in the Salem district of the early nineteen forties, out and out in the dark of what landed me there, when and what for. After collecting myself completely, I could see my mom waking up just then probably from a broken slumber noticeable from her dazed looks and sitting at my bedside. She gave me a full account of all that befell me the previous evening. Horrified by the incident my siblings, all elder to me came to the hospital where I remained confined to the same room. As days rolled by with my stay in the hospital prolonging, I began feeling bored and yearning for an early return home, the extraordinary care the nurses were taking of me notwithstanding. I was sick of remaining mewed up to a room in the hospital during those days of the pre-T V, pre-cellphone era. Lady luck however smiled upon me and I was discharged from the hospital after about a week.
To the utter surprise of my siblings as also my peer group I continued my academic pursuit scoring well in every subject. I count my blessings, a result of my mom’s devout prayer to God.
I am immensely indebted to the nurses in the hospital who were taking exceptional care of me when I was lying unconscious through a whole night and assisting my mom in that golden hour.
