The days were slipping by and we
got into a daily routine. Wake up in the morning, go to the University, rather
walk to the university and take classes. Back in 2002 it was quite normal for faculty
members to go back home or do whatever fancies during their free time.
In very clear terms, it meant
that once you do your teaching effectively you are left very much to yourself.
Most Ethiopian teachers took off and came back to take their classes whenever
they had a class to take. But most Indian teachers stayed back in the
university. They simply did not have much to do at homes. Many of them were
forced bachelors and for all others, sitting all the time at home was quite alien
to their work ethic.
Amma and Nannagaru had called.
They said that a Telugu faculty member (hence forth called TFM) was coming over
to Bahirdar. I was told that Global Placements had given my name as a reference
for new contract holders. Nannagaru said that TFM and his wife had called him and
asked many questions. They had pried out lot of information from an otherwise reticent
Nannagaru. TFM had infact even promised Nannagaru that he will come home and pick
up a small package for Pranav and Sahithi (some sweets and chocolates for sweet
starved grand-children).
The next day Nannagaru called. He
sounded disappointed. TFM told him that he could not come as HE WAS BUSY and
that they were already carrying LOT OF WEIGHT! Nannagaru was taken aback. But being
a very polite person he wished TFM all the best.
A week later, Padma and me met
the illustrious TFM. TFM was a diminutive man. Fair and chubby he and his small
framed wife were a sight to behold. TFM greeted me "Anil garu, I heard so much
about you, Ela Vunnaru (how are you)?" Not taking a step back I said “Hope you
have heard nice things” I added blithely “I am fine”.
Mrs. TFM piped in “Sorry andi, we
could not go to your house and collect the package” Padma, a naïve and innocent
poor lady was all sympathy “that is all right, I am sure that for places like
LB Nagar and Vanashathipuram, Banjara Hills (our locality in Hyderabad) is very
far away”.
“Oh No” giggled Mrs. TFM like a teenager
“we stayed in Erramanzil (hardly a kilometre away from our house in Banjara
Hills). We did not have time”. Padma was stunned. She could not recover for nearly
an hour. She was fuming “They had all the time in the world to bother Nannagaru
and pester him with doubts and details, but did not have time to go to Banjara
Hills.” She said HUU, HUU, HUU gutturally. Her grunts made Sahithi and Pranav erupt
into uncontrollable giggles and howls of laughter.
TFM was a freshly minted PhD. Like
all new PhDs he was very conscious about his degree. One week into his contract
an Ethiopian student appeared in the faculty room. Ethiopian students are quite
informal and address their faculty members by name. I believe he went up to TFM
and said “TFM?”. TFM gave him a stare and said “not me”. The student was taken
aback. He went back to the door, checked the roster (that displays all the faculty
names) came back and said “It is written there; you are TFM!”
TFM got up and tried to appear as
tall as his Five foot four-inch frame could afford. The Lanky strapping Ethiopian
(well over six feet in height) was not impressed. He looked on impassively. TFM
thundered “I am not TFM, I am Dr. TFM!”. In his own mind TFM thought he sounded
like James Bond who says “My name is Bond, James Bond!”
The student went out and tom
tommed this in the entire university and the legend called TFM started to make
his presence felt. TFM had a very prominent telugu accent and a very peculiar
way of speaking. Once I was rushing to my class. He waylaid me and said nasally
“Going to class aa”. I almost fell off the second floor balcony. He spoke in English
but it sounded like Telugu. That comment some-how got etched in my mind and I
am sure that all my Ethiopian students would have wondered “Why is Anil’s face
sporting a permanent silly grin!”
TFM was our scapegoat in the
canteen. Once he was being ribbed. He retorted “why are you climbing me up the drumstick
tree?”. The telugu teaching faculty members were stunned. He true translated
the telugu idiom (meeru nannu Munaga Chettu ekkisthunnaru).
Later during the same conversation,
TFM looked at the Injira very critically and remarked “Injira is very
fragmented”. Now it was the Ethiopians turn to look confused “Fragmented, what
do you mean?”. I climbed into the conversation and said “what he means is ‘Fermented’
and not fragmented”.
TFM was getting fed up. He got up
in a huff and announced “I am a big bore. I would like to leave now”. There was
a pin drop silence. Even the Ethiopians got the joke now. One of them said “Yes
Dr. you are; why don’t you go home”. TFM made a grand exit. All us were laughing
like mad men. TFM meant that he was getting bored in a big way but he managed
to convey the exact feeling of all the other people around him. I thank my
stars for giving us TFM who made our days lighter and merrier with his butler English,
Butler Telugu and later even Butler Amharic!
