Continued from Part 3
Accidents
10. Childhood is rarely complete without a dog-bite. I had my share while at Korattur. Clearly remember going to the Kilpauk periodically, to get the anti-rabies injunction. During one such visit I came across an accident victim. I did not see him, could not see him. He was inside a Pallavan Transport bus, with a huge crowd surrounding the bus. He kept screaming in agony. Must have been 30 years ago, but I still distinctly remember it. Time has erased from my memory the noise of that scream, but not the impressions of pain that it voiced.
11. I also suffered a freakish accident. One day while being taken to school on a cycle, I somehow managed to get my leg between the spokes of the rear wheel. I feel down from the cycle, and was dragged a distance because my leg was still stuck up in the wheel. I remember dad being angry with the guy who was taking me to school. He was staying in our house, but was not related to us. He was probably son or relative of someone known to us, and new to Chennai and so was staying with us. Anyway, that was the last I remember of him.
12. Electric Shock – had that too while at Korattur. And no clue how it happened. I was playing with a few other kids on the terrace of a neighboring house when I strayed and somehow came in contact with a wire close to a Television antenna. I remember spending the rest of the day at home lying on the bed. I became an object of curiosity for the colony people for rest of the day, with everyone I know and even some people whom I didn’t know coming to visit us and enquire about the mishap. But the incident blessed me with a scar that I have been marking for identification purposes in all my records since. 🙂
To be continued …..
VijVen 