please mr postman

TookBefore the Mavelets, the Beatles or the Carpenters sang “Please Mr. Postman”, three words almost daily sounded silently in the hearts of lovers as they eagerly await a letter from their beloved.

Before the arrival of email, messaging, WhatsApp and what have you, the khaki-clad man on a bicycle with his signature bell “Tring, Tring” was a much-anticipated visitor to most homes.

It was not just the love-struck people who were waiting for the postman. From pensioners to parents, job seekers to watchmen, everyone’s hopes or apprehensions rested on what was written within a letter that this daily visitor brought to homes.

Good news, not-so-good news, bad news to surprise with approach and prize of ups and dears, it all came in the form of letters, postcards, postal covers or erograms inland. Leaving what they were doing, the mothers ran to the gate when they heard the postman’s “Tring, Tring”. On those days when we kids were at home, we were the first to rush to grab the letter.

I remember my mother who often wrote letters to her mother in Mangaluru and siblings in different cities and could not wait for their reply. As soon as she received the letter, her eyes lit up and, standing right near the gate, she would open it to read. In the excitement of reading the letter, it didn’t bother him too much if the meat or vegetables were overcooked!

Conversely, if the letters did not arrive regularly, the mother would get worried. She would fret and sweat wondering why her fans didn’t write. And then, hearing a crow “caw-cawing” outside, she would let out a pleasant scream, “Oh, a letter is coming”!

For most of us, the week before our birthday was filled with anticipation waiting for cards from friends and relatives. Sometimes we’d get a telegram to congratulate us on our birthdays!

It was during December that we received most of the cards and letters, the first one from Auntie the week before, indicating the Yuletide. In the days following and even before the new year, Mr. Postman showered us with greeting cards.

If the postman’s visit was something worth looking forward to, then a visit to the post office was an equally interesting experience. Some post offices in Bangalore exuded a colonial, old-world charm, while others were housed in quaint bungalows, distinguished by bright red post boxes near the gates. The time of collection of letters was clearly delineated in white letters on a black patch of a red letter box.

Inside, postmen could be seen busy sorting out letters road-wise before setting out on their rounds, while counter clerks were among the customers looking to buy stamps, inland letters, covers, money order forms, or send registered letters, parcels. used to come daily. And so on.

It was common practice to apply the glue given at the post office to the letters and drop them in the post box.

The public telephone in one corner of the post office was in great demand, for making calls in the days when few homes had telephones.

One of the cool things of the pre-internet days was letter writing and writing for really long hours. There was a personal touch to the handwritten letters that bound people of cities, states or countries. In some ways, regular letter writing made one creative and expressive, honing one’s writing skills.

Similarly, the postal age also created a curiosity for postage stamps that in some cases led to the pursuit of philately as a hobby. We also went through that phase of collecting stamps and making a scrap book, but it didn’t last as long as many other hobbies.

Many of my generation will remember how carefully we pulled out the stamps. We used to cut the stamp neatly with the envelope, put it in water for a few seconds to separate the paper envelope from the stamp, and then let the stamp dry.

If only! Easy telephone calls, instant messaging, Facebook, email and, unknown to us, all those memories stamped on, what else is to come.

Today, finding a postman is as difficult as finding a sparrow in Bengaluru and some of the post boxes on street corners look time-out and neglected.

Thankfully, the memories remain. Happy World Post Day (9 October)!

stanleycarvalho@gmail.com