The Show Must Go On

“Are you ready?“

“Yes pa; Ram and Roja are dressing up.“

“What about Ranjith?“

“I don’t know where he is pa; Kutti Mani said he saw him near Parvathy.“

“What is that stupid fellow upto anyways? The show is about to start in another 20 minutes.“

There was nothing to guess here. Kuttappan was certainly tensed. Never in his life had he been so nervous before, not even when he began his career 25 years ago. He was just 22 then. But that was because he was good at it. He didn’t have to keep pestering his dad to teach the secrets of the trade for more than three months; he was a good student.

So were his two sons and his daughter. In fact the eldest son was pretty good at it, much better than him sometimes, and what’s more the crowd loved him, and that’s what mattered.

‘No matter how good you are in your trade if you ain’t got the cheer from them you are a goner!‘ his father used to tell him. He was satisfied with what his three kids had to offer so far.

Nah, he wasn’t worried about them. It was the last son that bothered him most. A sort of a loafer when it came to the act that’s what he had been for two years and finally when Kuttappan was content that Ranjith could come outside the practice circle of his family to the big stage, he still was not ready to put him on center stage.

He decided Ranjith was much better doing the side-kick act for some time; till he felt he’s ready for it. And that day he decided he would quit. And he had longed for that moment had longed for it since his wife passed away 6 years before. He wanted to go away from the place which was so familiar to him; so much familiar that every corner, action and fragrance reminded him of his wife.

But this kid had been a thorn in doing that, and he had been very open to show his hatred. But that was in the past. Things were settling in their place now.