A CAT BRINGS PROSPERITY TO HOME !!.

As a part of my struggle for existance (Darwinian theory), I took a second appointment after retirement in a central govt. hospital. The second employment of 25 years was more eventful than that of 15 years in the Airforce. I am not sure whether this experience will entertain my esteemed members as the characters and contexts are unfamiliar to you. In Airforce, as I told you earlier that all my postings were away from home and in hard living areas, I always prayed, "God, Grant me a non-transferable job after retirement, by which I could settle down at one place, bidding farewell to a nomad"s life, like moving stone, carrying no moss. "God listened to my prayer and I was in Trivandrum for twenty-five years.

But I realised later that transferable institutions have plenty of merits comparitively, as they have better promotion avenues by having proliferated branches. You also enjoy a new place, new context, new faces, over and above an incarnation in a new rank at a new place, where you will be respected more than that in your old place where you might have been an embodiment of monotony!. Of course, you might have been cajoled with a lot of honey flowing felicitations even by your lifelong enemies at your farewell function, in which you may even feel worried that you are very late to realise such punching impressions of your colleagues and friends and you might apprise yourself to a much higher value, which later might prove fake.

Anyhow, let me come to Trivandrum. There was one female physiotherapist, named, Mrs. Laxmi,(an imaginary name) among six other male colleagues. Mrs. Laxmi was 10 years senior to me in the department and one year junior to me in age. So she was HOD. at that time. Mrs. Laxmi was from Tamilnadu, near Madhurai Meenakshi temple. She was very Godfearing and her moral side was spotless clear. She observed all her religious rites perfectly and had her role of advice to us for any human errors. She had some hardcore beliefs in many things like specific days and times to start a new job, to visit patients at home, to start for some exams for herself and children, etc, etc. But her one strong belief was that an uninvited coming of a cat or kitten to the house is a very good omen for prosperity. She had some worries also for not having her own house and for staying in a rented house for six years etc. I heard her telling many times that someday God will bless by sending a cat to my house, bringing prosperity. We subscribed to her belief, although none of the other six had any faith in that. She pointed out many examples of people who prospered by the blessing of Holy cats.

I purchased a house within two months of my joining, with the pension benefits, I received, as there was no transfer from Trivandrum. It is not that Mrs. Laxmi did not have money to buy a house, but the fulfillment of many of her firm beliefs, like Vasthu, the direction of the rising and setting sun from the plot, the fire corner, etc, etc delayed her purchase for six years. If one aspect tallys, the other won't. She was not prepared to compromise with the universal truth that ready-built house has to be compromised. I was somewhat compromised with my purchased house with my experience of compromising with many inadequate houses in Airforce, including ™Bashas" in Chabua. I always told her that I was very happy with my purchased house, although I was not. I had many problems, of my house, one of which is the core area of our anecdote, that will be revealed later. She was not very happy of my contentment of my house as a concealed natural envy of a female governned her.

My house was a ten-year-old double-decker, in which the upstairs was made of wood and roof thatched with tiles. The upstairs was unused as the ground floor was enough for us with plenty of rooms. The upstairs was not suitable for being rented out and so it became the abode of cats arrived from elsewhere. As we were habitual users of fish and meat, the cats were loving us for their favourite cuisines and did not want to bid farewell from us in spite of our harassment. The wooden upstairs was very convenient for their procreation and it went on smoothly. There were average three-four kittens in six months and will come down when they are grown up enough for self-feeding. As the cats" sterilization was not practical, my intermittent task was to put these kittens in the vacant rice bag, take them in scooter and leave the bag open in some wilderness at twilight for the survival of the fittest, according to Darvin's theory.

I wanted to provide a royal abode for one kitten and a favour for Mrs. Laxmi, my colleague, whose house, I knew very well. I took the kitten in a bag at night and reached her house front in a scooter and slowly left the bag open in her compound. I, hidingly ensured by seeing the cat walking towards her open house door and entering the house. I was sure that she would be happy to receive the blessed kitten as the long-awaited advent of her property.

The next morning, I was waiting in the department for Mrs. Laxmi's arrival to see her reaction. Her husband left her, as usual, to the hospital in a scooter at 8 AM. I observed her expressions and body language shown to those came in front. As expected, she was in merriment, when she entered the corridor. She said loudly in Tamil, "A lovely kitten has come to my house. I am very happy today. I gave rice with crushed coconut to the kitten to tame it". etc etc. She passed the whole day describing the kitten and its love towards her. It may be difficult for you to believe if l describe her ecstasy which depicted a fanaticism.

Months and years passed. Fortune's wheel turned towards her. She purchased a good plot of her elegant choice, built a beautiful house, and happily shifted to the dream house. We all were invited for the house warming ceremony. The grief-stricken face vanished from Mrs. Laksmi. The blessed cat was given more and more care in the new house. It grew up to an adult female cat. She was like the princess of Great Britain, a very valuable creation. Mrs. Laxmi joyously narrated the contribution of the cat, without any inhibition to everybody whomever she came across. But at the same time, she had an apprehension of being the cat stollen by its publicity.

After two years, her one daughter got admission for MBBS by merit, and the other for Engineering, thereby saving a total of Rs .25, lakhs from giving donations. Prospects for physiotherapists was very good in 1987 in USA. Mrs. Lakshmi and I got the selection to USA. subject to passing licencing exam in eighteen months. We both applied for sabbatical leave to our Director. Her leave was approved as she was ten years senior to me and mine was turned down. It was a risk to resign from such a good hospital and try my luck. Any way my worry also was addressed by my God by giving me the vacant post of HOD, which I continued till retirement in 2012.

We arranged a farewell party for Mrs. Laxmi. It was a grand party, in which our Director, Medical supdt., senior professors, colleagues and other staff of the hospital were present. Director, Med. Supdt. and all professors spoke very highly of her esteemed opportunity in their felicitations. Mrs. Lakshmi delivered a long thanksgiving speech, in which, without any inhibition, highlighted her overwhelming gratitude, to her favourite cat who brought all this prosperity. She was a firm believer in that concept. The audience was wonderstruck on her conviction, but did not make any adverse comments, giving respect to the farewell guest.

When the situation became suitable, I requested for my turn of facilitation, as a representative of the colleagues. I said, "Mrs. Laxmi, ladies and gentlemen, I am extremely happy to be a part taker of this auspicious occasion. I am still more happy to learn from Mrs.. Laxmi, that her favourite cat showered all her achievements like Alladin's magic lamp. There is reason to think also for us that we were witnessing all these steps by step developments in the last two years, which was not there two years ago. I would also like to reveal a mystery, that it was I, who is instrumental to all your prosperity by leaving that kitten which was born in my house two years ago. I had no hope for the kitten to bring prosperity to you, it was mischief done to make you happy. Then all my other colleagues, whom, I had earlier revealed two years ago, clapped their hands and laughed. All the wonder-struck dignitaries and the whole audience laughed with applause.

Mrs.Laxmi, slightly with a bleached face, knowing that it was difficult to convince the veracity of her superstitious conviction to the elite audience, still gathered courage, and said," Mr. Vincent, Whatever be your expectations, you did a great thing, which God had made you an instrument. I am extremely thankful to you and all the dignitaries and friends for the farewell party and giving me an opportunity for sharing my testimony. "Probably, at least some people might have taken her testimony to heart as a real fact. Within a week she bid farewell to India.

My only worry left behind was that I lost all instruments of prosperity when I shifted to my newly built house where there is no room for cat breeding.