11: And before we knew it, the storm was upon us...

Appa

Interviewee: Appa, Interviewer: Rohini, Via: Phone, Date: 5/5/11

I had called Appa (he is also called Datta but Appa is how most people have known him most of his life) three days prior to this conversation to explain the project and ask for a suitable time for the actual conversation. He received the idea with great evenness that is the characteristic of the age and promptly asked me to give him three days to think about a suitable happy memory to share.

Age: 85 yrs

Birth Place:  Maharashtra, India

Background information: Appa was born in Ratnagiri district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Had four siblings of which two were step as his father had remarried after his mother had passes away; when he was just a boy.  Lived and worked in Bombay for most of his life, has three daughters and a son who are all well settled. Currently lives with his wife and is happy playing the “second innings” the life after retirement as he termed it, referring to the much popular game of cricket.

When I called at the designated time Appa had a visitor so I offered to call later but he was eager to give me a gist of what he was planning to share with me and we ended up talking for a good  40 minutes. He kept asking me whether I had time to listen to his story while all the time I felt as though it was me who was keeping him from is guest…

Appa: I have thought about this incidence that I think everyone will want to hear. I will write it out well and send it to you. But let me give you an idea about what it is. You do have time now, right?

Rohini: Of course I have time, please continue.

Appa: I was just a boy then. We were going to Ratnagiri on a boat from Mumbai.  Me, my other mother (step mother), elder sister were traveling with my Aunt’s husband (Dada) and his daughter who was younger than me. As our boat pulled out of the harbor (bhauchaa dhakka) a man from another boat that was going along side us, jumped in to the sea. There was a lot of commotion generated. Our boat turned around and the man was captured and held on the deck. They were not sure of the man’s intensions and so he was restrained on the deck of our boat. The grownups thought it was a bad omen…

Are you listening? Will this memory work for your collection? This, right now does not sound like a happy memory but let me proceed, the end is happy, you will see…

Rohini: Please continue this is just fine… as a matter of fact, it is quite exciting …

Appa: As our boat progressed towards Ratnagiri, we passed other boats that were going to Mumbai and as there were not many modes of communication back then…the people going in the opposite direction warned us of a big storm brewing near Ratnagiri coast. And before we knew it, the storm was upon us.

There were big waves, water was gushing on the deck and the captain started blowing his whistle.  The whistle system was designed to warn the passengers of the rising water level. Ten whistles meant the boat was about to sink…water burial for all…

Appa was talking quite fast now. Maybe because he wanted to tell me the story real fast and attend to his guest or may be he was experiencing the anxiety and thrill from re-living the moments on the deck of that boat caught in a storm.

Appa continued…We heard the seventh whistle; water was on the first floor of the boat. Dada (my uncle) kept saying that he wanted to reach me safely to my father…Dada looked very worried. Our boat tried to pull into a harbor but there was no room so the captain decided to proceed and find another safe spot…

After being in the storm for a while the captain decided to transfer the passengers on to smaller launch boats. I remember one big wave that engulfed the launch boat but we came up. One of the passengers lost his hat…the wave took it away.

Eventually we reached safety and Dada my aunt’s husband heaved a sigh of relief! I will never forget the expression on his face; as though a ton of weight had been lifted from his shoulders… now, he could hand me over to my father, safe and sound!

Appa promised me to write this story in details and mail it to me. I volunteered to summarize it in English and share it on the blog for everyone to read.

I spoke to his wife (82) while Appa attended to his guest and got another wonderful memory from her, but that my friend will be another post…