Memory over the morning tea!

 Morning tea is fantastic. That too with a dash of honey prefaced by banana slices - wow make the morning break great.

The taste buds, are they linked to some archival memories? Suddenly an old memory slips into the cup. Yea some years ago when everything was books to a poor soul (thats me) .. when I was checking out of University Lib, the person who used to give back our bags against the tokens, wanted to see the books I have taken. A bit strange... May be he wanted to just do his duty in seeing the issue seal. But no, he was opening the book and looked here one page there one page, trying to read the title and guess what that book was about. A minute passed, 'Sir what is this book...'

A curiosity which I wanted to see in many of my intellectual acquaintances and on many occasions failed, when shown by that innocent person made me curious and I joined the game. I explained to him what it was about. -- that Aristotle was a great philosopher, a Greek, and Hasdai Cresca has summed up the Physics of Aristotle in some 25 propositions and has appended each with his detailed commentary in Hebrew. Which book along with copious and erudite notes has been translated very ably by H A Wolfson in those hefty two volumes, first the original and translation and the second volume all the notes. Much of what I said was perhaps lost on him. Doesn't matter. I liked his curiosity. In his own way he was 'living', which was quite evident in his dilated eyes. He was trying to 'read ' the book in his own way and that surprised me. He saw the issue slip pasted on the inside page and exclaimed 'Sir! this book was purchased in 1934 and so far only two persons have taken this out for reading!'. I wanted to see who was the yet another person who took that. But I remembered and told him 'no no the first loan out date was also to me only. I am just taking it now again after some five months. His reply threw me into laughs. 'Then, for your only sake this book was bought way back in 1934!' I was happy with him at that moment.

I do not know why the tea conjures up that memory now. But it tastes good even after many many years and perhaps remain so for ever. Wait! I will go for another cup. See you!

Srirangam Mohanarangan

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