ICE CREAM BUDDIES

ICE CREAM BUDDIES

[Prologue  to Dr. Arunshankar’s English versions of my Marathi short stories]

Hello, Curioes across the globe………,

I informed you in my last message here, captioned ‘ Hello Curio…..are you there?’ , that efforts were on, to get my Marathi short stories on this blog, translated into English…..

Readers who have not yet seen this post, should first scroll down & read it before proceeding further……

Obviously, I was on the lookout for a person best fit to take up this tricky task.

I say so, because Marathi, being the first level direct descendent of Sanskrit, is so rich a language in figures of speech, idioms and phrases, and words with kaleidoscopic meanings, that translating these stories with their intact original flavor into any other language, appeared to be a ‘tricky task’, at least to me, though I possess a reasonably good command over English language too.

Naturally, memory fished out the most obvious expert at hand, Dr. Arunshankar, who is my eldest sibling (I happen to be the trailing one in the series).

So, I telephoned Dr. Arun one day.

Dr. Arun is past  his 75 years ….a pharmacologist by profession….ex Medical Director of Pfizer India, and keeps himself pretty busy even now.

When I briefed him about what I had in mind, I could imagine him almost saying, “ Can’t you leave me alone to my work even at this age?” !!

Well, I believe that that is my birthright as the youngest member of the family.!!

Fortunately, Dr. Arun, being quite tolerant, never exercised his birthright. !!!

And so, the whole affair progressed like the episode of that cute Duckie, when it went to a tailoring firm one day.

Though Duckie was notorious, it was so cute looking and innocent, that the whole town loved it.

When Tailor saw Duckie peeping over the counter, he approached it.

Tailor, “Hello there Cutie…… what can I do for you?”

Duckie, “ Sir,…..can I have my ice cream please?” !!

Tailor, “Oh you poor Duckie….you have come to the wrong address….just proceed along straight to the next square, and you will see an ice cream parlour right at the corner…..okay?....now go and buy your Ice cream there.” 

Duckie moved on silently, with an innocent face. 

Next morning, Tailor again found Duckie peeping over his counter. !! 

Tailor, “Hi dear….what do you want now?” 

Duckie, “ Sir,…..can I have my ice cream please?” 

Tailor, “ Look my dear….this is a tailoring firm….now tell me….do tailors vend ice creams? Be a good Duckie now….just proceed to the next square, and get it from the ice cream parlour….okay?” 

Poor Duckie trodded along with a meek face, without a word. 

On the third day morning, Tailor spotted Duckie again at his counter….he was irritated enough now. 

Tailor, “Yes?…..what is it now?” 

Duckie, “ Sir,…..can I have my ice cream please?” 

Tailor, “You idiot !!....I told you twice that tailors don’t vend ice creams. !!!....Can’t you understand that? Now get going….quick.!….and don’t show your face here again.!!…. else, I will beat you with a club. !!!”

To Tailor’s surprise, Duckie was back again next morning, with the same innocence on it’s face. !! 

Tailor, “What is it that you want now?” 

Duckie, “ Sir,…..can I have a 'Club' please?” 

Tailor roared, “Are you a nut….eh?.....Who the hell told you that tailors dispense clubs too?....Get lost now.!!”

Poor Duckie ran away in panic, fluttering it’s wings on the way.
Tailor heaved a sigh of relief, and went about his daily routine…….
The very next morning, to his utter consternation, he again found Duckie peeping over the counter, at him…!! and that too with all the innocence in the world spread across his face.!!!
Now Tailor asked it in utter exasperation, “Hello my Grandpa !!....what brings you here now?”
Duckie, “ Sir,…..can I have my ice cream please?” !!!
Now Tailor slapped his palm on his forehead. !!!!!!

However, to his surprise, Duckie appeared to be quite innocent and sincere, even then.!! 

So Tailor decided just to play along….

Tailor, “Okay you nuttie…..come on….we will go together to the ice cream parlour in the next square, and have an ice cream for you and me……alright?” 

Duckie, “But the parlour doesn’t vend my ice cream. !!!”
Tailor, “And what is this ‘my ice cream’ of yours?....may I know?” 

Duckie, “They vend the ice cream in cups only….and I want it in a cone.”

Tailor, “What difference does it make to you? The ice cream is the same….is it not so?” 

Duckie, “Yes it is….but I want it for my friends from faraway places….and they savour it in cones only.”

Tailor, “Oh I see………so what do we do now?” 

Duckie, “Can we become ‘Ice cream buddies’? I know that you too love ice cream, like me.” 

Tailor, “You are dead right there Duckie.!!………And how on Earth are we to become buddies?” 

Duckie, “Look…I know how to churn the pot and make the ice cream, but I don’t know how to fill it in cones …..” 

Tailor, “So?” 

Duckie, “So I will make the ice cream, and you take care of the cones. !!!.....what do you say?” 

Tailor, “Oh, you sweetie !!....why didn’t you chirp it out in the first place? Taking my rap all along……and that too for the sake of your friends.!!…

Well, well…. that is simply great.!! You know what Duckie? We are bound to be great ‘Ice cream buddies’.!....make no mistake about that.!!….Oh come on bud…Let us make it.!!!”
Thus, Duckie ended up with churning the ice cream pot, and Tailor ended up with filling it snugly in the cones, with nice toppings and wrappers, for the Duckie’s friends to enjoy.

Thus, Duckie and Tailor became great Ice cream Buddies forever………..

And …that my friends, is exactly what happened to both of us too, in the end. !! 

And you now seem to have already relished your first ice cream cone, by this time. !!!…….Isn’t it ?
So, go right ahead next time, and help yourself on weekends, off and on…..

And just don’t worry about the bill too ……….. the ice cream cones are on the house . !! 

However, please don’t expect our trace anywhere in the vicinity of the venue.!!! 

You know why?

Well….you are getting your ice cream cones, because both Dr. Arun and I are seasoned professional vendors. 

As I already told you, Dr. Arun is an acclaimed pharmacologist,…..So, he vends ‘Medicinal formulations’. 
And I being a Controlled Concrete Technologist,….vend ‘Concrete formulations’. 

Now, I have landed up with churning the ice cream pot, and Dr. Arun has landed up with filling, topping, and wrapping the cones for you, on weekends……

The catch is, since long long ago, each of us has landed up with a roaring Mrs.‘Hitler’ too, ruling the show at home.!!!!
Now, can you imagine what will happen, if either of them happens to spot us, vending ice cream cones on weekend days? !!!!!!

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-------- RAVISHANKAR.

February 5^th 2014.