I read Roald Dhal’s cook book in
a library in Canberra when I visited Rajan over ten years ago. I liked the way
it was written. I wanted to own the book, even though I will not be cooking any
of the dishes featured in it. After years of searching when I visited a Mall in
Bangalore with Rajan I was thrilled when I was told it was available in a book
store there. The high cost of the book made me hesitate only for a few minutes
before I bought it. Actually Rajan bought it for me. It was one of my pride possessions
all these years. I wanted to write a cook book along the same lines.
Last week a friend of mine
brought a young girl from Philippines to visit me. As soon as she entered my cottage, right away
the girl noticed that I have a Roald Dhal’s book in my book shelf. She asked to
see that. She was so impressed by that book and a few other books I had in the
shelf. She has read Bill Bryson’s books and also ‘To kill a mocking bird’ and
The Alchemist. Her love for books was so obvious and the similarity in our
taste in books was so uncanny.
After about half an hour when she
was ready to leave I gifted her the Roald Dhal’s cook book. She couldn’t
believe it. I have to insist that she take
it. She was so happy.
I felt that the book has found
its rightful owner. I was only a trustee
all these years. I was so surprised that I could easily give away the book to a
total stranger. I thought the entire event was some kind of a mystical miracle.
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