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Friday, December 31, 2004
Despatches 2: The waterline
We reach a village called Pudupettai, near Parangipettai, and halt our car about a kilometre from the sea. We get down from our Qualis and walk towards the sea, and as we get closer, we notice an interesting thing. Every building on our way has permanent markings on the walls that indicate the level at which the water settled when it stopped gushing forward. It’s five feet high at the building near which we get down, and starts climbing with every house we pass, till it’s seven feet, eight feet, nine feet, a record of where things stood. This does not indicate the height of the waves, of course, many of which crashed much higher, but the level at which the water remained for a long time before receding.
As the years go by, no doubt, these walls will be washed clean, one by one. Will the memories go too?
As the years go by, no doubt, these walls will be washed clean, one by one. Will the memories go too?
