Me and my lunatic friends — crazy buddies to the core

Memories cherished and etched in the mind.

I compliment my close buddies by calling them crazy, wild, and unconventional. I embraced them and lived the way I am and was confined to myself what others thought crazy. Their scary ways sometimes bothered me, but not before a few things ran out of control and got bad-mouths from elders and people who were the target. By the end of the day, everything was enjoyed and forgotten. They are my close buddies. I am always proud to be part of them.

Those are the days when I am not a boy and not yet an adult. An incident happened when Google started a new app for directions. A nerd — name withheld — used Google Maps and came asking for it. He asked in our mother tongue Kannada, “ee address yelli barutte?” (Where will this address come? ) My friend said, “adu baralla neene hogbeku” (It won’t come, you have to go) and continued. Head straight on this road, take a left turn at the end of the road, and to the left again on the third cross. It will take you to a curved road and continue to reach this point. Use Google Maps to find your place. Perplexed by the directions given, he left cursing. We laughed our hearts out. Even today, that fellow avoids us and swears whenever we cross each other. A lesson learned — impossible with lighter heads can make things possible without fear.

Another lunatic experience that almost landed us in trouble while on an expedition on the motorbike to Wynadu, Kerala. After two hours of journey, we stopped for food at the available decent-looking restaurant. Malayalam is the language of Kerala. Only one in our group had half a knowledge of Malayalam. We ordered the available food which we did not like. Almost at the end of the course, I asked for the ghee. A friend excitedly said in Kannada yes, Thuppa, Thuppa and waited.

All around us who were dining stared at us and started murmuring. A few called the manager and pointed at us. The manager approached with a big question mark and asked what the problem was. Pointing to the food, the friend said Thuppa, Thuppa. The manager peered at the plate and said no Thuppa and my friends were lying. He got angry and started shouting we were creating the scene to avoid paying the bill. We gathered around him with anger and showed our wallets stacked with money.

Meanwhile, a friend — with half a knowledge of Malayalam — who had gone to the washroom was back and explained what Thuppa in Kannada meant to the manager. Suddenly, a friend pointed to the plate showing some dead insects. The entire scene changed. The manager was apologetic. Politely, the manager requested us not to make a scene out of it and that he would settle the issue. However, we paid the bill. While outside, people dining at the side table swore at us and went back.

Not knowing what they said, we waited for the other friend and hurriedly started our journey. With speed, we reached Wynadu early. In the hotel room, the friend who pointed the fly in the plate confessed to sneaking the dead flies on the plate. He also said that he got back some money from the manager and the secret of sneaking flies informed by somebody but managed to escape and hurried us to ride faster. Thinking about the disaster and consequences that could have been if caught still haunts me.

Those are the hay days of my life with great crazy, lunatic, and unreliable buddies. Their crazy but timely thinking with knack and witticism, coming out of any situation with chaos no one can match even today. It could be perceived as a false story by someone. Left to the way they look at life and friends.

Inspired by the song “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick, I’ll be on your side forever more, Keep smilin’ and keep shinin’ Knowing you can always count on me for sure, In good times and bad times.

We are always together whenever we need each other, for good times and bad times.