When we were kids (around 30 odd years back) we were staying in Kannoor a beautiful place in Kerala. My sister, one of my brothers and I lived with our parents in Kannoor while our eldest and second brothers stayed with our grand parents in Trichur. We used to travel from Kannoor to Trichur once a month to meet our grandparents and brothers. Normally it would be a weekend.

My mom used to cook yummy iddlies, smear them with molagappodi ennai and we used to carry two tiffin carriers loaded with our packed fare on these trips. This particular trip started out the same and we were (dad mom and three of us kids - two of our brothers lived with GPs) having a whale of a time, singing, arguing, playing games. We used to carry our old tape recorder. We had to remember to take the batteries for them. As our favorite songs flowed from the cassettes, we would try to sing along and if it went off pitch there would be giggles and laughter and ribbing and tears of anger fro the one who was being ribbed. Finally heated words would be cooled down by mom and if it didn't work a yell from dad would bring back the calm.

One of our favorite past time on these trips would be to goad our dad into overt taking lorries and buses. If the driver was good enough to allow us to pass, we would be waving with wide grins on our faces. On the other hand if we had to try real hard and get the better of the driver ahead to over take, then three faces would be thumping their noses at the driver who would be eating our dust anyways.

Half way through  listening to a song (I still remember it was Jeevan ki bhagiya mehakegi from Tere Mere Sapne) some one asked did you keep the tiffin carriers inside the boot?
There was sudden silence in the car as each one tried to recall if it was done or not. There on, there was silence in the car. Each one of us scared to make a wrong comment and rub our dad the wrong way.

Our normal schedule would be to stop at the IB (inspection Bungalow) in Calicut. My dad was a Govt. Servant then. We could utilize the dining room to have our food. As usual, the car turned into the IB and we got out of the car stretching our limbs waiting to tuck in the yum idlis. The boot was opened to remove the lunch basket. And all of us gawked. Each one looked at the other in shock. There was no basket loaded with the tiffin carriers. Mom and Dad started arguing saying I thought you took it and I thought you would have kept it in the boot. (thank god we were too small to be blamed). Anyway the tiffin carriers were safely locked inside a house devoid of any human being. Then dad took us to Alakapuri a famous hotel to have our breakfast. (We kids may have rejoiced the missing of the iddli carriers for the unexpected treat in a hotel).

After three days we returned home to find the carriers safe inside the house. The idllies had become colorful - enveloped by fungus of different species. It is a trip we could never forget.

I yearn for such a trip now - filled with music, laughter, love of togetherness.......