Vienna (The Magic)

VIENNA.

It is my dream destination. Along with Venice (a place I am fascinated with because it is surrounded by water)

But if I had to pick one place, I’d pick Vienna, Austria.

Most people would pick a place for it appeals to them and if Vienna is their choice, it’d most probably be because it is the “City of Dreams”, “City of Music” and of course, Danube !

But I pick Vienna for a very different reason. My reason is a book. A book by Betty Neels titled “Magic In Vienna” (Oh please give me a break, I had just started high School when I read it and Harlequin romances are allowed at that age). Though the book by itself is not “mind blowing”, I am very emotionally attached to it.

I did not have much time with my parents and I have always wanted to learn things about them. There are a lot of stories about my father that are told even today. His pranks, how he charmed everyone etc and about mother, it’s always;” she was very quiet, loving and read a lot”.  When I started High school, 2 huge gunny sacks were brought down from the attic and given to me.

My mother’s collection of Novels.

I hadn't pegged Amma as someone who enjoyed reading English novels much less M&B / Harlequin. Much to my amazement, there in that stack of wonderful Kannada Novels, were 2 English Novels. One was “Magic In Vienna”. Incidentally, it was also my first English Novel as I had only read Kannada till then.

It was after reading “Magic in Vienna”, that I decided to travel to Vienna and Venice, at least once in this lifetime. I know how I visualized Vienna when I was reading the book. It is illogical but I have this feeling that Amma felt very similar too. Amma would want to visit too but couldn’t because she did not live to.

It might me being desperate to feel her presence but that is how it is. I want to go there and feel the City and then tell Amma, “Look, here we are!” (Please don’t think I am a loony but yes a belief seeped into my mind in my formative years that Amma is with me when I read fictions and is waiting for me to take her to Vienna)

Sigh. I want to go to Vienna for Amma. For myself. For us. To feel that she is still around me and to tell her that “We made it. We are seeing what Cordelia saw when she first landed in Vienna” 

Sadly, the book was lost thanks to my brother who threw a whole lot because they were infested with Carpet Beetles/Cigarrete Beetles and Booklice. I wish I was home to stop him. But then....