A teasy interview

There is one of Amma’s famous statements about not having eaten enough iron when she was pregnant with me, and which has made me a really dumb person. She has said this to every friend of mine and, and I have noticed not a flicker in her eye, no sign of a joke. She says it very seriously and my friends nod very seriously. There is a strange unanimity among all when it comes to the topic of my dumbness. So when I tell this story of how a new director teased me, few are surprised.

It was at the time of the film festival earlier this month. I had to call this new director S for a quote.

Cris: This is your first time at the fest, how was it?

S: Good

Cris: Err, can you be a little more elaborate?

S: Ok… Trivandrum looked a lot different this time, than from my previous visits and I thought ‘Aha what a beautiful Trivandrum’. I then went to the delegate cell, and thought, ‘Aha what a beautiful delegate cell’. I parked my car outside in second gear, in case it may fall downhill. I spent some time inside and then went back to my car and listened to some FM Radio. I then drove to the hotel I was to stay. They gave me some papers to sign. And took me to my room. I looked at the room. There was a big window, a double cot, a chair…

Cris (I was busy writing down every word all this while, but suddenly realise something): S, I don’t think I have space to write all that. Can you just give me a shorter comment? (I sound apologetic at having to cut him short)

S (laughs): You can write anything you want kutty, I don’t have a problem.

I narrate the story to Amma later. She says “Ayeee, he teased you”. And yes, it finally strikes me too. “That’s what he did, isn’t it?”
Amma says, “I told you it is that iron. Only you would not understand these things.”

I wonder if my reaction would have been any different if I understood it earlier. I would probably have felt a tad insulted. But that would have been worse, as another episode with a musician B recently revealed. I am not going into that story now. Maybe this is better, to not understand things. And take everything one says to you at its face value, not dig for their hidden meanings. If someone wants to tease me, they have to give me a warning, a very clear subtext. “PS: Cris, I am teasing you”. Would help.