Pension
1. Bombay Sweets:
Sameer Appa and Adu Kareem Maama went to the CMC to collect Appa's pension. They took a taxi to the Pettah and bought lots of sweetmeats from the Bombay Sweet Meat Mart.
On arrival, back at 298, they both hurriedly disembark the taxi and enter the house only to find that the sweetmeat bag has been left behind in the taxi.
Appa: "I thought you had the sweet bag Machaan?"
Adu Kareem Maama: "I thought you had it?"
That was the end of the sweetmeats. The lucky taxi driver must have enjoyed his evening with his family?
Re that incident where the Bombay sweetmeats were not picked up by one of them, they really arrived flying down in a Morris Minor taxi down Lily Ave, where I believe Wapamma was temporarily staying, both seated like top corporate directors in the rear seat with the sweets placed between them.
On arrival, they have paid the fare and thereafter both have opened their respective doors and breezed out from their sides without a care in the world leaving the box of sweets on the seat.
After the taxi departed, Sameer Appa asked Maama: “Adhu Careem, pottiya eduthingalaa?”
Maama replies: “Illay! Naan nenechan neenga edithangadu!”
Subject closed!
2. Bus ride to the CMC
We used to accompany Sameer Appa by bus to the CMC to collect his pension. While seated in the bus we used to be mortally embarrassed when Sameer Appa would belt out at his loudest, passing the Colombo Museum, all the historical stories about it being built by Wapchi Marikar Bass and when and how and who he was and what he did for Zahira College, Education etc. All the passengers would look hard at us.
3. Pension Shopping List
Every time we went out with Appa to collect his pension Wapamma would quickly slip in a list of goodies that we were supposed to purchase. It had all the items she required. On return home after shopping Sameer Appa used to run through his own list of how to manage his monies and on it was a line that mentioned Wapamma's name and how much she should receive.
4. The large Safety Pin
Appa was always spruced in his natty beige jacket and tie typical of the old school Colonial past.
Wapamma always attached a large safety pin underneath the inside pocket of Sameer Appa's jacket. This was meant to attache his pension envelope securely on to his pocket in case a pickpocket would make an attempt to grab it during his shopping spree after collecting the cash. Wapamma gave us strict instructions on how the pension envelope must be attached.
5. The Shopping Spree
Pension day was an awseome time of the month for us to look forward to as we accompanid Sameer Appa to the CMC. Appa would meet, greet, and chat to many of his e colleagues who have also come to collect their pensions. Thereafter, we would take a taxi to the Pettah and pick up Bombay Sweets, Rose Syrup and other sweetmeats from the Bombay Sweetmeat Mart down Keyzer Street. Then back to Maradana for a sumptious Chicken Biriyani lunch at Buhari Hotel. Fully satiated we would move to MD Gunasena Book Shop to buy all Appa's stationery requirements for the month. Then the rest of the stuff on Wapamma's list and a bee line home.
Sameer Appa and Adu Kareem Maama went to the CMC to collect Appa's pension. They took a taxi to the Pettah and bought lots of sweetmeats from the Bombay Sweet Meat Mart.
On arrival, back at 298, they both hurriedly disembark the taxi and enter the house only to find that the sweetmeat bag has been left behind in the taxi.
Appa: "I thought you had the sweet bag Machaan?"
Adu Kareem Maama: "I thought you had it?"
That was the end of the sweetmeats. The lucky taxi driver must have enjoyed his evening with his family?
Re that incident where the Bombay sweetmeats were not picked up by one of them, they really arrived flying down in a Morris Minor taxi down Lily Ave, where I believe Wapamma was temporarily staying, both seated like top corporate directors in the rear seat with the sweets placed between them.
On arrival, they have paid the fare and thereafter both have opened their respective doors and breezed out from their sides without a care in the world leaving the box of sweets on the seat.
After the taxi departed, Sameer Appa asked Maama: “Adhu Careem, pottiya eduthingalaa?”
Maama replies: “Illay! Naan nenechan neenga edithangadu!”
Subject closed!
2. Bus ride to the CMC
We used to accompany Sameer Appa by bus to the CMC to collect his pension. While seated in the bus we used to be mortally embarrassed when Sameer Appa would belt out at his loudest, passing the Colombo Museum, all the historical stories about it being built by Wapchi Marikar Bass and when and how and who he was and what he did for Zahira College, Education etc. All the passengers would look hard at us.
3. Pension Shopping List
Every time we went out with Appa to collect his pension Wapamma would quickly slip in a list of goodies that we were supposed to purchase. It had all the items she required. On return home after shopping Sameer Appa used to run through his own list of how to manage his monies and on it was a line that mentioned Wapamma's name and how much she should receive.
4. The large Safety Pin
Appa was always spruced in his natty beige jacket and tie typical of the old school Colonial past.
Wapamma always attached a large safety pin underneath the inside pocket of Sameer Appa's jacket. This was meant to attache his pension envelope securely on to his pocket in case a pickpocket would make an attempt to grab it during his shopping spree after collecting the cash. Wapamma gave us strict instructions on how the pension envelope must be attached.
5. The Shopping Spree
Pension day was an awseome time of the month for us to look forward to as we accompanid Sameer Appa to the CMC. Appa would meet, greet, and chat to many of his e colleagues who have also come to collect their pensions. Thereafter, we would take a taxi to the Pettah and pick up Bombay Sweets, Rose Syrup and other sweetmeats from the Bombay Sweetmeat Mart down Keyzer Street. Then back to Maradana for a sumptious Chicken Biriyani lunch at Buhari Hotel. Fully satiated we would move to MD Gunasena Book Shop to buy all Appa's stationery requirements for the month. Then the rest of the stuff on Wapamma's list and a bee line home.
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