DINNER

Come at 8.30 sharp !  I accepted the invitation the way you might accept an invitation to walk over hot coals, knowing there would be drama, a sense of occasion, definitely a trial by fire, but ultimately an interesting experience.

The house is more like a fortress - a tall box with massive doors and high walls - it's built to withstand earthquakes and any other natural disaster.  The interior was different to the way I'd seen it before - now it looked gentler in the soft light of lamps, rose red and emerald green cushions on the sofa set the theme and added to the atmosphere  The hostess was not yet down, but some of corps-de-ballet were gathered, dressed in pretty kortas, .  The occasion was New Year for the State of Kerala, known as Vishu.  Each language group in India has its own New Year date and celebration.

Then, there she was coming down the wide stairs, the old lady's daughter - black, kohl rimmed eyes and streaming black hair.  She was dressed entirely in black.  The stage was set, candles were lit.  The old lady entered next, just as I remembered her, thin and timeless.  The doorbell rang at intervals as guests arrived at pre-arranged times - they were greeted with gusto. A girl, with extravagantly protruding ears, was the last to arrive and on this occasion our hostess hugged her and then pulled her around the room in a dance.

Protagonists were arranged in chairs or on sofas, the corps-de-ballet flitted lightly around the room, taking their cue from the hostess as she arranged them in different patterns, they circulated among the guests.  She focused on us one by one, challenging us, testing us, seeing what reactions she could provoke.  Our hostess seemed to hear every conversation in that huge room and participate  in every dialogue, curled up in a chair or sitting cross-legged and sideways on the sofa - pulsating energy

At the end of the evening, guests departed on cue, the old lady drifted away in fluttering tendrils of silk, my rickshaw was ordered and the hostess came out to see me off -  she called to the sleepy driver and gave him my address - from the road I could barely see her, hidden by the immensely high wall and greenery - her final command to him was that he was not to speak to me for the duration of the journey home!   And so we had been woven, intertwined and framed for a few hours...