Adventures of Dr Cloney - Dr Cloney and the Invisible Aliens

This is the story of Dr Cloney, a brainy scientist, who is an expert in modern physics and robotics. He uses this passion for creating amazing gadgets and devices which he ultimately uses to overcome the different problems faced by people.

He is part of the Save Earth Team that saves Earth from any disaster. He is assisted by his humanoid Robot, Robbie, and his bright apprentice Dan. In this adventure, Dr Cloney and team confront the invisible aliens who landed on earth.

Read the story to find out the intentions of the invisible aliens and whether Dr Cloney and team were successful in the venture they took up.


To purchase this book, please follow this link : amazon.com/author/josephl
This book is currently available only in kindle. You can purchase the book via the Kindle App. 

If you have a kindle-unlimited account, you can read this book absolutely free. 


Books to expect soon: 

-- POLICE in Blunderland
-- Adventures of Dr Cloney 2 - Dr Cloney and the Robocops

Aparthamma - The mother next door

As a kid I remember running to the neighbour's house when ever I got a chance. Our neighbour and us lived in a twin  house. We shared a common compound and gate. Though in the same compound I was supposed to ask permission to go next door and was never denied the permission.
I called the head of the family 'Doctor' and his wife 'Aparthamma'. Doctor was an Ayurvedic physician and so calling him so was not out of the ordinary. But when I think back now, 'Aparthamma' which meant 'Mother next door' had a very deep meaning though I never realised it as a kid.

I had the freedom to go into their house whenever I felt like it. I could even go into Doctor's consulting room even in the midst of a consultation. It never raised a brow. If my mother had to go for work on a school holiday, then Aparthamma's home doubled up as a daycare for my brother and me.

Aparthamma had four children, all of whom were much elder to me. However, I had two friends in the family. Her second and third kids; son named Ani and daughter named Lekshmi, both of whom were pursuing their graduation. Lekshmi was one of the prettiest ladies I had ever seen. She had long dark hair and I loved playing with it. Ani was popular in his college and he also won the college election. Spending time with them was the best entertainment I had as a kid.

The dishes that Aparthamma made had a special Malabar flavour. I can still feel in my taste buds the taste that I used to feel on drinking the Karingali (water flavoured with the bark of Cutch tree) after a ball of hot rice mixed with curry. Having the food on my own was good. But having Lekshmi feed me was even better. The way she mixed the curry and rice with her hands gave it special taste. Having dinner with Ani too was fun. He would tell me interesting stories while I had food.

Aparthamma was a simple lady with long curly hair and drooping eye lids. She always had a smile on her face and kept some goodies for me when ever I visited her. Her house was always well maintained and had guests most of the time. She was always busy with some work and seeing her rest was very rare.

Today when I think of her, I realise how big a heart she would have had to welcome two kids like that into her home. The lasting memories that I had of her family shows how deep an impression she left in my heart. Every time kids come to my family, her memories challenge me to be the good host like her. As I grow older, her memories become fonder as I realise how difficult it is to be the warm and smiling lady Aparthamma was.

Dedicated to the lovely family:
Dr. Madhavan Nambiar
Ms. Malathi Nambiar
Mr. Rajeev Nambiar
Mr. Ajay Nambiar
Ms. Lekshmi Nambiar
Mr. Manikuttan Nambiar

Sher - Smile (मुस्कराहट)

कहते है सब, आप की मुस्कराहट है हंसीन बड़ी।
कहते है सब, आप की मुस्कराहट है हंसीन बड़ी।
मगर वे क्या जाने ;
दिल में जो चिंगारियाँ है, उसी की रौशनी चहरे पे पड़ी ।।

The journey

The lady shouted at the boy. “Why is it that you cannot take care of even the simplest of tasks?” She angrily wiped off the crumbs from his shirt and the car’s seat. She then turned to the little girl next to him and snapped, “How many times have I told you not to shout into my ears? Can’t you remember the simplest of rules?”  The face of the kids turned dull. The boy kicked the floor of the car which invited further admonition from his mother. He sulked and looked out of the window with occasional comments which provoked his mother further. The husband then pitched in with his advice that kids need their freedom. “But not at the cost of discipline,” she retorted. “I have asked only for the basic discipline.” This triggered yet another heated argument between them.

I felt uneasy as I realised that I was looking at myself and was filled with remorse. It was only yesterday that we had planned to have a wonderful journey. Both kids had selected their favourite snacks with great interest.  I had resolved that I would keep the perfectionist within me under control. Early next morning, we had a quick breakfast, got dressed up and took the packed bags to the front door. My son was engrossed in using up his last minutes of video games on the tablet before we started. The kids were more interested in the last minute entertainment than starting on time. Jo did not seem to be too bothered about getting late. My resolve was melting and I showed the first sign of it when I snapped at my son for not helping with the luggage. Soon the chain reaction started which finally ended in a tussle of words between all four of us. The bad mood lingered as we got into the car and started the journey.

This was in sharp contrast with our journey to Kathmandu. The visit was planned only for one week, but the joy of it was spread over a full month of planning and preparation. We bought ourselves a traveller’s guide to Nepal. I looked up the places mentioned in the guide on the internet and prepared an itinerary. My son meticulously researched the places chosen for the visit and found good hotels where we could stay and discussed his findings with his father when he returned from work. My daughter made a checklist of things that we would require for the entire journey. Then together with the kids, we made a big list for shopping which also included some items that they wanted for themselves. We spread the shopping over many days and the kids ticked off the items in the checklist as we purchased them. From the joy on their faces, I could see that for them the journey had already started in their imagination. At times they would tell me how they would use their cap and earmuffs and why having a jacket was useful. They were excited to pack the bags and both kids had their personal backpacks also in which they could carry items of their choice. They could also have a quick access to their caps, tissues and candies. Each day my son would come up with a new information he found about Nepal on the internet and would spend hours discussing its specialties and how he found it out with his father. We chose to book the hotel that my son suggested. He was proud that his parents took his advice though he was only nine at that time. My daughter who was seven too was happy to go through the checklist to make sure that we had everything that we needed. We were all happy that the packing was not a chore, but was part of the excitement.

My kids and I were going to board a flight for the first time. My husband was quite used to flights because of his business trips. So we took advice from him so as not to make a fool of ourselves. Kids were excited to be at the airport and they were full of questions on the new things they saw. They went through the clearance section with excitement. The luggage carousel, trolleys, auto walks and the escalators were all sources of excitement for them. The flight change at Chennai and the two-hour wait at the Delhi airport too were part of the fun as it was more like a visit to the mall for them and they were only very happy to walk around. I was tired walking around and I offered to sit and look after the luggage as my husband walked around with the kids.

The experiences at Nepal rejuvenated our spirits. The people, the cuisine, the beautiful hills and lakes and the clean streets were a treat to our senses. The end of the tour did not seem to disappoint the kids since they were again excited to board the flight. As we took off from Kathmandu, we got the final gift of the trip- the enchanting view of the Annapurna ranges that we missed at Pokhara due to the cloudy sky. We were in high spirits even after we reached back as we shared gifts and experiences with near and dear ones.

I snapped back to reality. Here I was in the car with three fuming souls and I realised that it was my responsibility now to change the mood. The message from a cartoon movie resounded in my mind - End definitely matters, but it is the Journey that matters at the end.

I turned back and offered the snack box to kids and said. “Here have this. I shall clean the seats when we stop over for breakfast. And watch out for your favourite restaurant. Make sure to remind papa to take the right turns. We don’t want to miss it.” I saw a smile break on my son’s face and within minutes, both the kids chatted away as they planned the food to be ordered for breakfast.

I exchanged glances with my husband and he gave me a smile indicating I could have done this earlier. He then laid his hand on my lap and started a conversation on one of my favourite topics. I felt my nerves ease up and I smiled to myself. 

The black dog

I see him walk past my house every day;

He never lifted his eyes from the bay;

Never seemed to notice people or what they say;

Every day his big black dog, followed him all the way.

He was never seen without this canine.

Both their faces were dark without a shine,

He never talked or smiled,

He was bound by fear of some kind.

None in the avenue tried or cared,

To give a warm wish or friendly smile.

To approach this man with the dog, none dared,

None had a pleasant chat with him in a  while.

I know that dog! I know him close.

A dark one peeped in  life when I didn't choose;

Then my heart was filled with gloom;

My fears arose of the awaiting doom.

Then, I felt a warm touch and friendly hug,

This magic renewed me from rags.

Yes, this was the magic which brought in the beam,

It drove away the black dog, he was nowhere to be seen.

Today, I knew a paying forward was due.

I walked to him as he crossed the avenue,

The dog growled and its fury grew;

Unbothered, I held out my hands, "Friend, how are you?"

Startled, he lifted his head and looked at me,

In his face, a cry for help I did see.

The canine kept growling and barking at me,

But, the lost glow in his eyes was what I yearned to see.

This repeated the next day and the one after,

Each day the dog grew smaller and his growl milder,

My friend lifted his eyes and his face grew brighter,

I knew he had conquered his captor.

The next time you see a black dog's captive. 

Look beyond the dog and hear the captive's silent cries.

Jackson, Williams, Hemingway or Chester we wouldn't have lost,

With a bold warm friend, if they were close.

L. Joseph July, 21,2017

This poem is now published in an international blog twodropsofink.com
https://twodropsofink.com/2017/08/31/poetry-break-by-lily-antony/
Pin it here :  https://in.pinterest.com/pin/149041068901774307/

Slow Down

Slow down... slow down...
To see the sun set and the leaves fall down.
Slow down...  slow down...
To hear him fret and soothe her frown.

Slow down... slow down...
Be here in the present, time never slows down.
So, slow down... slow down...
To play with Ria and read with Ron.

Time goes on, on and on...
Time spent with them would play Epione.
Soothe the pain and dry tears flown;
Mend little minds and the little hearts torn

                        -L. Joseph, June, 2013

Paying Forward-Trigger an Uncontrolled Chain Reaction

He pulled up his sleeve exposing his forearm and looked at the man with expectation and hope. There were others before him with money in their hands waiting for their turn to get the Mehandi tattoo on their forearms. He has chosen the design he wanted on his forearm- the one with lotus and the peacock. That was a rare one, and it would look good. He extended his arm forward whenever the Mehandi man completed his work on a person’s hand. The person standing next to him waved his hand high with an open palm, indicating that the boy would now get spanking if he did not move out of the line. The boy soon withdrew his hand and moved back, but a few moments later, he came back again and kept trying to extend his exposed forearm. Finally, the man called the boy near and asked him which tattoo he wanted on his hand. The boy pointed to the one with lotus and peacock. The man arranged for the boy's arm to be tattooed and paid for it to the Mehandi man. The boy’s face lit up and he looked around at all the people standing there with pride on his face; showing off his tattoo. The boy nodded his head and thanked him in Nepali and ran off with his forearm still exposed and face lit with the full smile.

The Mehndi tattoo on his arm would soon fade away, but the tattoo that was imprinted on his heart by the stranger’s kindness would stay for a very long time.

On a train trip to Trissur last month, the seat next to my husband was occupied by a person who came with his daughter. I found the person’s body language to be different from normal people. When he was trying to talk to his daughter in the front row, he stooped low, focusing his eyes on some invisible point and was a bit clumsy in returning back to his seat. He picked up a conversation with my husband. The conversation soon diverted to technology and the mobile app that helps him to refer books. The app would read out books for him and help him prepare for his class. He had only 10% vision and that too in the straight direction. This explained his peculiar body language. In the midst of the discussion, the conversation deviated to the kindness of a person who had sponsored his education after high school. With the help of the sponsorship, he completed his education and gained the job of a teacher in a government school. He mentioned that without this help he would have become another helpless person struggling to make both ends meet.

We are moved by stories and acts of kindness and feel good, touched and emotional on hearing such stories. But how much does it take to help a stranger or a person in need? Some acts of kindness are motivated by the expectation of getting it back at a later time. We may also have experiences of paying back the kindness we received in our lives, by offering help and kindness to a person who was good to us earlier. We feel obliged, indebted and compelled to take this step of kindness till we feel that the ‘Thulaas’ is balanced.  This pay-back is only a reaction to the first act of kindness extended by the person and it stops at paying back; unless the payback is done to the nearest kin of the kind person which again triggers the payback instinct when they are capable enough.

Being the person at the start of a chain reaction of acts of kindness, expecting nothing in return, is often not easy and comes out of a conscious choice with a selfless motive. One great way of making reaction an ‘Uncontrolled Chain Reaction’ is the act of paying forward and not stop with payback - as the stranger at the bank counter taught me.

At the bank cash counter, I searched my bag for a pen. The queue behind me was long and I was keeping people waiting. Not finding a pen, I sheepishly asked the lady near me for a pen; which she gave with a pleasant smile. After filling the form I returned it. But she asked me to keep it. I thought she wanted me to keep it till the transaction is over so that I don’t bother her again when I need a pen. But later when I tried again, she refused saying, “Keep it, I have another pen with me” and left the counter with the same pleasant smile. I was a bit taken aback. That was the first time somebody reacted that way. The people at the counter were watching us with amusement. The lady was kind and did not embarrass me in any way, but had sown a thought. I left the counter with the pen in my bag, deciding to pay forward.

I held out my hand to my son,

He’d extend it back when I’m old

I said, “Be good to others, my son”,

But his reaction was nothing but cold.

I was good to my neighbor, a ton

He would return it later two fold

I said, “Look and learn from me, my son”

But the advice remained unsold.

I lend my hands to the stranger,

He couldn’t return it; he was old.

Then, my son extended hand forward to another

The chain reaction started untold.

-L. Joseph, June 2013