The grasshopper story started a few years ago and since I can’t recollect the year – let’s say it started in 2003, the last possible date, since this was the year when I had completed my graduation and had moved to the University to do my masters and this was the year of my grandpa’s first ceremony.
I remember vividly one sunny day back during one of the years of graduation that my friend told me the grasshopper story. The tale of how the spirits of those you love come back every year on the day of their ceremony in the form of a grasshopper. I listened, I smiled and thought – that never happens. I would faint out of shock if I ever saw a spirit in whichever form it may be.
My grandpa left us just after I completed my graduation and entered the University for my Masters. My grandma had expired when I was barely three so I have no recollection of her. But I was fortunate to spend my 20’s with my grandpa who was nearing his century. It was one of the best days of my life. Coming home to hear my grandpa give me beauty tips that he saw in the afternoon T.V. Feeding him everything from Maggie to Limca to icecreams to his totally mashed vegetable filled semi-solid food, combing his hair, making a French beard which he so loved – my sisters and I used to freak out completely. So it was but natural that on his first anniversary I suddenly remembered the grasshopper story. My sister and I decided to keep a look out for a grasshopper to validate the story. My father had gone back to Chennai –my grandpa’s home to perform his ceremony. We saw no grasshopper on the day of the ceremony and were a little dejected. But on the morning of the day my dad returned back – we all saw a small grasshopper sitting on the kitchen- balcony door as if listening to our conversation. My sister and I smiled and gave a hi-fi. My dad and mom shook their head in amusement.
The grasshopper story is not about that day but for that day every year hence when it came home – during both my grandma’s and grandpa’s ceremony days. Now it is not only me or my sister but dad and mom too who have become accustomed to the visiting grasshopper who makes it appearance only two days in a year – not more – not less. I have always found it in my kitchen – balcony door. I never remember the grasshopper at any other time of the year but never forget to look for it during those two days either. And all this is from someone who never believes in supernatural. I was happy to know that in this world what you see is what it is. But I had a special liking to the grasshopper and it felt nice to know that your grandparents were still there looking at you.
One special year that shook all of us went like this – as usual we were cleaning the house getting ready for the ceremony and there was no sighting of the grasshopper still. I lamented a bit to my dad on this and asked him why the grasshopper would miss coming this year. As I just said those words, I bent to pick up the tub below and my fingers touched something on the inside of the rim of the tub. Out of shock I flung the tub and as we turned it to see what I had touched, I saw this beautiful large green grasshopper sitting in the inside of the tub. I jumped, danced and went mad because for me it was not the grasshopper now, but the fact that I could have held the tub anywhere along its circumference. But something made me hold it there – there where my fingers would touch the grasshopper and I would know that it was with us this year too. Guess it proved a point that in this world there is more than the eye can see.
I don’t know the significance of a grasshopper coming during a ceremony of a loved one nor have we checked any scriptures. All I know is that it is too much of a coincidence to have a grasshopper sit on your kitchen-balcony door every year only on those two days of the ceremony.
All I know is that if man ever thought that he was the One – the supreme power – then he needs to think again because he is just a frog in the well.
And if you ever thought that you were alone in this world – think again – there might be a grasshopper waiting for you somewhere to give its love to you.
There are some things in the world that cannot be answered by science. They are best left to be answered by belief and love.
I remember vividly one sunny day back during one of the years of graduation that my friend told me the grasshopper story. The tale of how the spirits of those you love come back every year on the day of their ceremony in the form of a grasshopper. I listened, I smiled and thought – that never happens. I would faint out of shock if I ever saw a spirit in whichever form it may be.
My grandpa left us just after I completed my graduation and entered the University for my Masters. My grandma had expired when I was barely three so I have no recollection of her. But I was fortunate to spend my 20’s with my grandpa who was nearing his century. It was one of the best days of my life. Coming home to hear my grandpa give me beauty tips that he saw in the afternoon T.V. Feeding him everything from Maggie to Limca to icecreams to his totally mashed vegetable filled semi-solid food, combing his hair, making a French beard which he so loved – my sisters and I used to freak out completely. So it was but natural that on his first anniversary I suddenly remembered the grasshopper story. My sister and I decided to keep a look out for a grasshopper to validate the story. My father had gone back to Chennai –my grandpa’s home to perform his ceremony. We saw no grasshopper on the day of the ceremony and were a little dejected. But on the morning of the day my dad returned back – we all saw a small grasshopper sitting on the kitchen- balcony door as if listening to our conversation. My sister and I smiled and gave a hi-fi. My dad and mom shook their head in amusement.
The grasshopper story is not about that day but for that day every year hence when it came home – during both my grandma’s and grandpa’s ceremony days. Now it is not only me or my sister but dad and mom too who have become accustomed to the visiting grasshopper who makes it appearance only two days in a year – not more – not less. I have always found it in my kitchen – balcony door. I never remember the grasshopper at any other time of the year but never forget to look for it during those two days either. And all this is from someone who never believes in supernatural. I was happy to know that in this world what you see is what it is. But I had a special liking to the grasshopper and it felt nice to know that your grandparents were still there looking at you.
One special year that shook all of us went like this – as usual we were cleaning the house getting ready for the ceremony and there was no sighting of the grasshopper still. I lamented a bit to my dad on this and asked him why the grasshopper would miss coming this year. As I just said those words, I bent to pick up the tub below and my fingers touched something on the inside of the rim of the tub. Out of shock I flung the tub and as we turned it to see what I had touched, I saw this beautiful large green grasshopper sitting in the inside of the tub. I jumped, danced and went mad because for me it was not the grasshopper now, but the fact that I could have held the tub anywhere along its circumference. But something made me hold it there – there where my fingers would touch the grasshopper and I would know that it was with us this year too. Guess it proved a point that in this world there is more than the eye can see.
I don’t know the significance of a grasshopper coming during a ceremony of a loved one nor have we checked any scriptures. All I know is that it is too much of a coincidence to have a grasshopper sit on your kitchen-balcony door every year only on those two days of the ceremony.
All I know is that if man ever thought that he was the One – the supreme power – then he needs to think again because he is just a frog in the well.
And if you ever thought that you were alone in this world – think again – there might be a grasshopper waiting for you somewhere to give its love to you.
There are some things in the world that cannot be answered by science. They are best left to be answered by belief and love.
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