The morning ‘hush’ hour

The arrival of the newspaper meant a long silence for its reading

It was a cherished morning ritual during our early years. Our ears pricked up when we heard the swish and thud of the morning newspaper against the front gate. It was a signal for us children to abandon our books and break into a run, competing with one another to be the first to fetch the newspaper and place it on our father’s outstretched palms. It was an unwritten rule that he should be the first to read it since he had to leave early for work.

The next hour, however, was the toughest part of the day. We were expected to maintain absolute silence while father pored over the news. The frequent rustle of the paper whenever he turned the pages and the inevitable clang of vessels from the kitchen where mother was busy, were the only exceptions in the prevailing quietude.

It would seem as though our father was temporarily afflicted by misophonia while reading the newspaper. Even if he heard the slightest sound like the tapping of the pen or the crunching of ‘murukku’ from one of us, he would fix the offender with a steady stern glare till he or she froze on the spot. In a way, it helped us master the art of consuming even the crispiest of savouries soundlessly with a sense of decorum.

While he read the newspaper, we instinctively knew which page had caught his attention at a certain point of time through his body language. A quick up -and-down movement of his eyes on the front page meant he was caught in a maze of headlines and was undecided as to which news report should be given top priority. At last, his eyes would settle on the most interesting snippet of them all with a promise of extensive coverage in the inner pages. If his face wore an amused cynical smile then it was a clear indication that he was reading the contents of a speech or interview by some politician. A long lingering pause suggested a total concentration on the editorial page, opinion articles and letters from readers. Once in a while, he would read out aloud the news of a burglary or a con job somewhere in the city, as that was supposed to carry a lesson in precaution for everyone at home. For instance, the case of a careless family that had left the back door of the house unlocked at night. The thieves not only broke into the house easily but also had ample time to raid the kitchen and have a hearty meal before decamping with the loot. Or the temporary house help who donned the dirty clothes kept for wash and made a ‘clean’ getaway when no one was looking. Such information could be funny, though it was no laughing matter for him.

As time ticked on, our father would quickly flip through the other pages with an instruction to us, “Don’t forget to read the editorial! I might discuss it in the evening,” before speeding towards the wash room.

It was the moment we were waiting for. The way we pounced on the newspaper appeared somewhat like a feeding frenzy among smaller animals over leftovers after the lion was done with its kill. The boys would invariably go for the sports pages and local news, while we girls opted for the supplement and comics section. The cacophony of quibbling noises from us was in sharp contrast to the subdued stillness of the previous hour.

All said and done, the print edition of the daily newspaper is a much-awaited feature of the day, despite advances in electronic communication. You pick up where you left off, anytime if you cannot read the entire paper at one go, whereas in an electronic device you tend to get distracted easily, due to too many apps demanding attention. No doubt, the newspaper gives a sense of total satisfaction of living and breathing news every day.

saraswathi100@yahoo.com

Published - November 03, 2024 12:18 am IST