Alleppeeyyahh!

I do not remember when was it exactly that I met them first. There they were at the next dinner table one day. He was smiling broadly at me, as though we were old friends. We didn’t talk that day.

It was raining the next morning. I saw his wife pass me by first and then him. As is the norm on The Way, I caught up with him some time later. He had that broad smile again.

“India?” he asked.

“Yes, India,” I replied.

“Country? India?” he asked again.

“Yes, yes. India,” I told him again.

“No. India, country?” he repeated.

Ah, I got it now. “Kerala,” I responded.

His face lighted up as if a thousand watt bulb had been switched on inside.

“Kerala, Allepeeeyah!”

“You have been to Alleppey?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. For someone who had been searching for a fellow Indian on the path for the past few days this was like divine manna, straight from heaven.

He rushed to his wife who was waiting ahead and said something in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Later they told me they are French and is from Bordeaux.

The wife translated in halting English, “ Yes, we were in Alleppey many years ago. Beautiful beach.”

Now my face lighted up in reflected glory.

More French.

”We were there again two years ago. By the beach, huge bridge. Ugly” They were shaking their heads in disapproval.

Uh oh!

Some more French. He was gesturing at my face now.

“Your face told me you are from Alleppey.”

😳😳😳😳

Well. You can take a girl out of her town, but not the town out of her, I guess 😀😀

p.s.

They were there again, a few bends in the road later. A pink phone in hand, taking pictures.

”I got myself a new phone just before the trip. The pictures come out so beautiful,” she said as if a magician had creeped into the phone and was churning out something wondrous.

”Can I take a picture of yours?” she asked.

”Why not?” I replied.

I had to agree with her. The pictures were coming out  beautiful indeed 😉