30 p.m. when
it arrived at Chennai Central railway station. I was to be met at the
station by my parents' long-time friend K. Manoharan. Uncle Mano and
Aunty Sagu had willingly agreed to look after me during my stay in
Chennai, even though both of them were not keeping good health. Not
knowing where exactly Uncle Mano would be waiting I walked towards the
entrance keeping a careful lookout for him. Yet, I failed to recognise
him when I saw him for his hair was whiter than when I had seen him
last. He recognised me, however, from the bright yellow haversack that
I carried. He took me home in a rickshaw. I had some food there and
went straight off to sleep. Uncle Mano suggested that I relax the next
day, which I did, watching T.V., looking at photo albums and generally
chatting with them about my sabbatical so far and about my plans in
Chennai.
Early the following morning Uncle Mano and I set off for New College
where Dr Sultan Ismail's Earthworm Institute is located and where I
would spend the next fortnight studying earthworms and vermiculture.
Actually I had a choice of studying at Dr Bhawalkar's centre in Pune or
Dr Ismail's institute in Chennai. But I chose Chennai because I had
heard Dr Ismail speak at the organic farmers' convention in Kottayam
and had liked his talk very much.
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