AFVOA Newsletter May 2020

Section 3 - Memoirs Newsletter No. 1 / 2020 P a g e 41 | 101 This set me thinking – where from can I produce a white monkey! I certainly was not a magician. Many suggestions were put forth and it was then decided to somehow catch a monkey by hook or crook, dip it in a tub of white paint, then set it loose amongst its own tribe. This was no doubt a wonderful idea, which when put into action, was a miracle indeed. All monkeys fled hither-thither and were pushed into the other side of the forest area. Flying hours increased, footfalls in Campus theatre too showed an upward trend as people could venture without monkey fear. What more could a C.Adm.O want on the station. I would like to share an anecdote here when we had invited some living-in officers for breakfast on a Sunday. A double whammy for them as it was South Indian breakfast with Ramayan on Doordarshan. Most of the antennae were broken thanks to the monkeys using them as trapeze landing pads. Ours was thankfully spared. When everything was ready, my wife went in to refresh before the arrival of the guests. As the doorbell rang and we welcomed them, after initial gupshup, I just hopped across to the kitchen to bring the casseroles out to lay on the table. She switched on the TV so that they could start viewing Ramayan. I realised something was amiss & signalled to my wife to come immediately. To our utter consternation there was a troop of monkeys on our kitchen balcony, right down to the ground floor – each one passing on the vadas, idlis and veggie oothappam to the other. Had these mammalion friends peered into our drawing room & seen the TV screen, they may have seen the “Vanar Sena” there devouring fruits. I am sure it was destined, that we feed their Army along with our living-in friends. As they were glued to the TV, my wife rustled up vegetable upma and some dosas from the remaining batter. What a morning we had that day – our friends too saw the monkeys with all the delectable in their hands - on trees, on parapets & balconies. This was indeed a very strange kind of “encounter”.