23.3.08

Flying Jesus

It was a balmy beautiful night. The sea breeze, salty and comforting, found paths through my hair. It tickled, it caressed. Beside me was mommy, cotton clad, serious faced. In front of me, many rows away, was the priest. Face lighted from below (the candle on the altar), scary! The place was Pondicherry, the location was the makeshift altar of the Pondicherry cathedral since, the original one, inside the church was being renovated like the rest of it.

To say that I was bored, would be an understatement. It was a Tamil mass and I was the English-speaking 'Cluny Convent' girl! Twice my mother had stopped me from making faces at the people behind me and once, she had to physically stop me from performing a few Bharatnatyam steps which seemed apt for the tunes belted out by the choir that night!

So, when mom cajoled me to keep the palms of my hands together, throughout the mass, like I was saying a permanent 'vanakkam', I exasperatedly asked her what all this drama was about and why there were streamers all over the place? That's when mom said, 'Its Easter tonight!'

Eat-her...East-her..Eas-ter. What was that?!?!?!?!?! (mommy)

If I were at home, I would have either gotten spanked for being a pain or would have been the poor audience of an hour long lecture on the origin and meaning of the word! But, thank heavens, I was in the outdoor church! Anyways, mom got a brainwave. She said, 'Oh, today is Jesus' Resurrection day' pregnant pause 'he is going to heaven tonight!'

For a six year old, I think my reaction was pretty mature. I just held my dropped jaw in place, stared at my mom real hard, tried not to let my voice tremble, while I mustered an awe struck 'REALLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYY?????!!!' And that night, while the whole church stood, sat, knelt, sat, stood, knelt in that and other order, I sat, with the back of my head, touching the base of my neck, waiting to see Jesus, clad in white, beard et al, holding a cross in his right hand and waving to me with his left!!

Needless to say, I was one disappointed child that Easter night, suddenly doubting if mom's theory about eating lots of lady's finger making me get first rank in Maths was as valid as Flying Jesus!!!

This Easter, however, this girl ain't looking for Jesus flying in the sky!! Because, she knows that God ain't 'out there', he's 'in here!'! And she also knows that, all she needs to do is look into the eyes of a baby, the splendor of a morning, the beauty of a rose, the love of a loved one, the forgiveness of a wrong and she'll find God right there!!

Happy Easter everyone!!

9 comments:

Occasional Brilliance said...

so tru... he isnt "out there"... he's always been "in here"... it jst tks a lil bit f patience 4 tat thot 2 dawn on us...

Vadapoche said...

Happy Easter!!!! Nice post!

Bungz said...

Beautiful post! Hope you had a great Easter weekend!

Aarthi said...

Muahhhhhhhhhhhh.....when did u start talking like this..v sweet...:)

Unknown said...

This is a bit late, but Happy Easter!

Great post! :)

Gayatri Bhadran said...

wow brilliant post! belated happy easter! =D

Aarthi said...

Hey Aashiiiii...kalakura di...the best combi of serious stuff written in ur style...I jus love it lady...:)

Divia said...

If you had been in chennai that time in Anna Nagar you would really have seen a flying Jesus in the Tamizh Service which usually used to happen in Jessy Moses School.

Suddenly there would be crackers and a plaster of paris rock would break and Jesus rise by someone pulling him from the terrace!

it was gr8 sight for that age

'Stung by the splendor of a sudden thought!' said...

lol, flying Jesus??......none of my Easters were filled with such exciting anticipation!

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