FAREWELL LETTER FROM Sir GABRIEL

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, even when he is terminally ill, has sent the whole world a message to FARE WELL. Only genius like him can do such wonderful acts. May I, in my small way, express what I felt while going through the presentation.

I started comparing what we were told and what we were made to follow during our child-hood. Elders like you, mother, our elder brother and of course our father have at various times have guided us through our child-hood by inculcating certain habits which are put expressively in this farewell letter in 'Quotes'. I will put forward the meaning of the message I felt being conveyed to us.

1. The slide HAMBERG: "The day light". The earliest recollection was at CHITOOR: I must be 4 to 5 years old. The children - at that time myself, Sarvesam Annayya & Ammani Akkayya were made to get-up at 04:30 Hrs in the morning each day and by 05:30 Hrs. we used to be with our Slate & Slate Pencil, write a lesson of the day from Telugu Text Book - from memory if possible - or just copy from Text Book, on one side of the Slate. Then on the other side of the slate to be filled with Maths - created at random by the task giver. WHY? Why all this elaborate preparation of waking us early in the morning? Morale: DO NOT MISS THE DAY LIGHT. Never waste a single moment of daylight. The early waking used to have other benefits too. You see the elders of the family are our sisters. They used to finish their morning ablutions by that time. Hence are in a position to leave the bathroom for elders (Father and Mother). We must admit ours is a large family. Even then, by 6 O' clock, when the daybreaks, we are all ready to thank the Sun God for the daylight. What was practiced is nothing but the message of the great Noble Laureate. Over time, out of what passion?, I could not inculcate the same in my children I regret to say. All the same I hope the present generation will benefit out of this.
2. The slide SYDNEY. Laying out the Body & Soul naked in front of SUN.: This to me is: Keeping one's self accessible to all - Transparent - having no bad thoughts - giving up all passions and leaving the self in fond hands of GOD, so that one is beneficial to the society around. As children we were in those days never ever allowed to be awake beyond 9 O'clock. By 8 O'clock we had to stop our studies and gather around mother. While we used to slowly press her feet, she used to recite some story from the epics and Puranas and used to recite some wonderful songs and Slokas. We were made to sing and recite the same during Pujas on Festival days. Thereby cleaning our souls and by inference our bodies. WHAT MORE ONE WANTS?
3. The slide BERLIN: Falling in love and continue loving. LOVE - The Nature. The plants around us, the domestic animals around us, the hills, the society and the environment around us. I still remember, beside the school trips - You all used to take us around on Picnics to various distant parks such as - THE VALLEY GARDEN AT VIZAG (Loya Thota), Seethamma Dhara etc. etc. Latter on we used to go with friends to lot of places to enjoy nature. ONE GROWS YOUNG BY LOVE OF NATURE, as you get curious to know of other watersheds and places of wide open - Lung Space.
4. The slide BUDAPEST: Wings to children & Forgetfulness - Looking around the family members -On the one side: KIRAN, BHANU, RAMAKANT, (Jr) VS VS NARAYANA RAO, ADITYA, DEEPAK SHRAVAN - VASANTHA, SUJATA, SIREESHA, ARUNA, MADHAVI, JAHNAVI, CHITRA, APARNA, JAHNSI AND SNEHA - the other side VANI, CHALAPATHI, NARAYANA MURTHY, PHANI, PADMA, USHA, RAMANAMURTHY, CHINNA (Is not G S S NARAYANA MURTHY?), RAMU & SARITHA - all are already equipped with wings or shortly will be equipped with pretty sturdy wings. This is no mean achievement. Yes, now it is up to them. What is needed is done or being done. No matter what we have gone through. You in particular are better equipped as you had your siblings to take care of before the next generation to take care of. As far as our eldest brother is concerned - I have realized much earlier - it is very very difficult for any of us to describe how beautifully he has nurtured each one of us. {Some other place in this letter you will find what he means to me - (partially)}.
The day I forget the deeds of yester - that day will be MY WINGLESS DAY nothing more left- therefore I will never be an OLDMAN. I will quit as an young
man - that is my determination. The whole aspect of starting this group is to keep
all the members for ever YOUNG. Kudos to the one and only Srvesam Annayya.

5. The slide CLOLOGNE: Journey to the TOP - TOP ? Top of the hill - the purpose
of reaching once 'Nadar' is to look around. It is easy from there. Once we look around one will be able to see the path one has taken. It should be a JOY to look around. We will be able to see the Pit falls on the path. There are others we will see trying to reach the top either through the same path or etching a different path (sometimes). From top we should be able to guide those trying to reach the top by pointing out the pit falls. It gives us immense pleasure, to watch for generations to come trudging the paths of yester years. We can see the path once traveled by us through them.
6. The slide LONDON: Empathy. Once we reach the goal set by us, it becomes our duty to help those in need of our hand. Therefore we should keep a vigil. One should be able to empathies with the needy. This aspect is also developed in us by our elders. Certain habits at our home - like sharing the food - dinner in our home used to be a get-together everyday. The timings are followed and all of us used to have dinner together. This helped us to share all items with all others present. We know how much is available, and whether others had the same item or not. Without actually noticing we have learnt to share and empathies with others. Right?
7. The slide PRAGUE: What this reminds me is - how I have wasted some of my energy in frivolous moments. I could only realise this very late. Considering our life time as 70 years - we realise that the time is very short. There is so much to learn - so much to do. Time passes us. At least we should be able to create an environment for purer souls in this short duration.
8. The slide DRESDEN: There are 2 slides with DRESDEN - and through both the message is very clear. Unless you express, how can anyone know what your feelings are? We all have abundant love for each other. True. But let us express it too. At any least possible chance, we should be expressive of our LOVE for each other. I have heard and observed others say "All Big Drama". So let it be. If they think it is drama - it is a pity, they have never had such love as I had from my elders - let them. Leave them alone. I can relate some incidents of my child hood. [I am born in the year 1952, August]

(a) The scene - CHITOOR(1955) - Eldest brother had come home – fromwhere? I do not know - He took us - Myself, Sarvesam Annayya and Ammani akkayya - to some Hilly area, there was a cave which had two entries (or exits). he was making us play by going through those entries into and out of the cave - perhaps it is not a cave but a high place and some huge boulders - as I am a small child, everthing used to appear big - The point is 'he was moving past and slowly, we were made to run without fear in and out of the cave' LOVE pure love for his sibilings.
(b) The scene - TIRUPATHY (1958-59) - the first day of my school, in a new
city, new school. My eldest brother was taking me on a Bi-cycle. I was sitting on the bar in front. The school had a circular road around it. (Subsequently I have visited the school area - I was shocked to find these roads what I referred are very narrow lanes) We were approaching the school. He would not stop the bike. He goads me" stop - stop. The cycle is not stopping. You have to stop it. I am only cycling" to stop the bike. I try hard and keep holding the handle-bar tight. No use. I realise my brother is much more stronger than me. He can do anything. Such a huge machine. He handles it very easily. The poor me I can't even stop it to reach school. Such FUN. How many of us could find time to play at a latter time to play with the young.

(THERE ARE MANY INCIDENTS TO QUOTE - TIME AND PLACE I WILL FIND SOME OTHER TIME). The bottom line is his unstinted LOVE. Love personified.

Much latter. The Scene - Visakhapatnam - 1966. I have scored 100% marks in
mathematics Matriculation final exams conducted by the Andhra Univercity.
Eldest brother instantaneously takes out his wrist watch of his hand and presents
it to me. Even today I cannot stop tears rooling of my eyes. LOVE - LOVE and
more LOVE nothing else.

The scene VIZAG (1978) - We have all gathered for Sarvesam Annayya'smarriage. My brother asks me "What are Your plans of Future? How long you will continue like this?" What is that he is trying to convey?. I did not understand him at all. I was going through a turmoil. Madhu's birth was in the offing. All my brother-in-laws were putting lot of pressure on him. While the insults they have showered on me did not have much effect. There was lot of pressure on my eldest brother. He was forced to insult me by my brother-in-law. It was YOU who had come to my rescue and declared that enough is enough. If anybody does not like the situation -they have to lump-it. You have dealt the situation with a firm hand and I received the much needed respite. I have come back to Bangalore and the rest is history.

How lucky I am!. I have always received help from my brothers and sisters in time of need. ALL THIS SHOWS THE CHRACTER OF THE FAMILY ELDERS. LOVE IN DEED - that is what is at the bottom of the heart.
9. The slide LAS VEGAS: Do it now. It is never too late to start to show the feelings you have for others. Yes, let us make conscious effort to meet often and give ourselves an opportunity to show the inherent love we have within us. Let us create an environment, where every other emotion turns into LOVE.
10. The slide VENICE: The proposal to create a home away from home, if put into practice, will help us do what the Noble Laureate so prudently says "KEEP THEM NEAR YOU AND SHOW THEM THAT YOU LOVE THEM".

The intention of the above is just to pour out my thoughts. Never to hurt anybody. I fully desrve any blame that was there at various times on me.
BUT I DO BEG FROM ALL OF YOU TO CONTINUE TO LOVE ME THE SAME IF NOT MORE.
Thank you once again for that wonderful presentation, which has brought out so many feelings of LOVE, SORROW & CONTENTMENT, DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING USEFULL AND ABOVE ALL LOVE ONE AND ALL.
With Lots of gratitude and LOVE
-Suryam