Muthu — Malayalam Magazine

His grandmother would sigh. His mother would frown. But his grandfather, Appuppan, would just smile and rock silently in his old wooden chair.

By evening, the power returned. But Unnikuttan did not run inside. muthu malayalam magazine

Appuppan closed his newspaper and chuckled. "Come, Unni. I want to show you something." His grandmother would sigh

Appuppan didn’t answer. He took the top, wound the string expertly, and threw it to the ground. Whirrrrr. The top spun like a blue blur. Then, he picked up three flat stones and skipped them across the small pond near the fence. Plip. Plip. Plip. The ripples spread wide. By evening, the power returned

For two hours, the grandfather and grandson played under the mango tree. Appuppan taught him how to balance the top with a flick of the wrist. He taught him the secret angle to throw the stones so they would dance on water.

"Muthassi! Where is the remote?" he would shout.

Unnikuttan hugged her. "No, Muthassi. Appuppan has a better story. A secret one. And I am the hero of it."