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Doctor Lollypop

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There is a narrow wooden bench close to Dr.Lollpop's chamber flanked by a thatched tea stall selling tea in tiny flimsy plastic cups @ Rs.3/- a cup. As a matter of habit Big Poet sits on the bench from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. sipping umpteen cups of sweet milk tea watching the doctors patients come and go - some with heavy escorts.Yes.. you're right it is the same Dr. Lollypop from "The Island of Poets" But let me tell you  Big Poet is now a fast friend of Dr. Lollypop.Readers might be wondering that what does Big Poet do all the time sitting on the narrow bench apart from sipping tea.Often he has a guy or two sitting beside him for a few minutes till they finish their tea. Big lazily watches the passers by and unconsciously makes mental notes of them.Suppose he sees 50 wayfarers he finds that they of 50 different types. No... Poet doesn't carry any writing pad,cellphone or laptop to write down what he saw.

A yellow cab came to a halt before Dr. Lollypop's shop. Four people alighted.One frail lady and a burly man was trying their best to restrain a young man from running away.The other man clad in a crumpled dhoti and kurta got down from the front side of the cab. The young man who appeared to be ill was screaming abuses loudly at his captors. Big Poet craned his neck to have a closer look. Somehow he couldn't understand why the young man was screaming abuses and why at all those two -including a lady- were restraining him. All four of them pushed themselves into Dr. Lollypop's cavern. Big Poet made a mental note.

It was Bigs daily routine to trundle into Dr. Lollypop's chamber just after 10 p.m. to have a friendly chat -- the ex-poet to aspiring poet type. Today also he trodded into the brightly lit chamber whre the doctor was seated in his padded chair counting the earnings for the evening.Rs.4500/- today with Rs.500/- from the last patient whom you saw coming here all screaming and struggling. Half hour of my "medicine" has almost cured him provided he takes it twice a day. "What was wrong with him?" Big asked. "Nothing much... he was too practical and worldly..He'll be just fine in a weeks time..."

Dr. Lollypop took out a big leather bound diary from his drawer,opened it to 10th October and thrust it towards Poet while he waddled to the cold coffee dispenser after taking off his white coat and stethoscope.He also took off his black leather shoes and changed into a pair of light kolhapuri chappals. "Ahhh... that's better.." exclaimed Dr.Lollypop while he twiddled his bare toes happily watching Bigs face for signs of approval of his latest write. That morning as every morning Dr.Lollypop had written a ten-liner on "Lost Poet".The wide satisfied grin on his face said that he enjoyed writing it very much.

"This is really a great piece" Big exclaimed. "Thank you my dearest friend Big !! You are never short of ideas. It is your ideas which you give me every night I pen down in my diary... What's your tip to me for today?" Big Poet told him about his seeing the yellow taxi and its occupants.The frail lady was probably Mr.Crazy's wife and the one in the crumpled dhoti kurta his father.The other guy was a well wisher from the neighbourhood.

Big Poet's gaze fell appreatingly on the silver-plated laptop with a high-speed internet dongle.Dr. Lollypop never used any so called "conventional medicine" .He simply gave his patients a low dosage tranquiliser injection after which the patient would usually calm down. Then he'd proceed to make a big show of "show your tongue" .. using a flashlight to see down his throat.. measuring blood pressure, temperature et al. Dr. Lollypop would then log onto www.postpoems.org/authors/bern and read out one or two fairy tales. Then he'd tell the patient directly or the escort to make him/her read at least three pieces of fairy tales daily and report back after a week. No patient ever had to come back to Dr.Lollypop who is a loyal fan of the Fairy Award Winner Poet.Dr Lollypop continues to write during the day and "treat" patients from 7 to 10 p.m.Big Poet off late has been addicted to chewable antacids from drinking too much tea on an empty stomach.