THE GRANDCHILD

The only thing on the up these days as for as I am concerned are my age,blood sugar, fat content[kozhuppu],temper. I hate to meet anything walking on two limbs and usually cover my face with the towel as if attempting the nearest ‘ kallu shappu ‘ since any dick and harry has no other question for me other than ‘when are you going to be a grandfather?’ as if I don’t have any other problem.Even Sreevalsan’s dog has the same questioning look as I peer down from my balcony window.
Usually when I am faced with problems I either steer it between the slips or glance it on the legside for a single and frantically try to reach the opposite end,I never play through the ‘V’ as you may call it.But off late I am unable to fend these deliberate googlies .So I am in deep thought and the grey cells work over time to solve the crisis,then fatigued they delegate it to the white cells and go to sleep.Suddenly I wake up from meditation and call my legal adviser Ram Jethmalani at midnight ‘ is there any provision for adopting a grand child’,I query. ‘ sir , I will call you back in the morning since I am in the throes of a vertigo at present’.The night was never ending till the sun took over and Ram called back ‘ Sir,me and my assistants have gone through all the law books but there is no precedence.I don’t think we have any valid case,since there’ s lot of legal implications in paternity,legal heirship etc etc’.’So what do you advise me’ I am furious . ‘We may have to bring an amendment to article 56 D of constitution and by the time that happens you may be in need for adopting a great grand child’ .
I am crestfallen.What independence are we enjoying if we can’t even adopt a grandchild,leave alone adopting parents,aunts, a mother-in-law,a friend,a neighbour or even a second cousin. What a pity.