Travelling to Fredericksburg by car and driving back!!

Travelling to Fredericksburg by car and driving back!!

Getting a Driving Licence was a big task for me  in USA.   After two failures at the hands of the African American ladies at the DMV at last I took a new Trainer called David and he saw me through the driving lessons and the right hand driving which I practised quickly.  Here in India we did everything on the left. But not so in America.  Most  of the things we did here in one way, is generally done the other way there!  So it went also for driving.  Once I had the licence I was jubilant and was in search of a car.

A friend of mine offered and took me to Fredericksburg Car bidding where he could bid a car for me.   I was thrilled.  He took me in his car and we were there at the bidding ground well in time one morning and  my friend bid a Honda Civic for a reasonable price.  He said the car will be ready with all paper work and temporary number in two days time asked me to come at that time.

On the appointed day, I was nervous, a bit, because it was a long way from Virginia where we lived.  We were only three people living together, my wife and daughter and myself.  I announced the matter at home and my daughter offered to accompany me!  That was a solace.  I may not have to come back alone.  My friend took us to the bidding station and got the car.  Here was really feeling upset!  The new country, the new place and to drive alone.  My daughter can't drive.  So it has to be me to reach home safe and sound!   We had procured the mapquest route maps and I started enquiring of my friend, a dare devil at driving or anything else, if I will be able to make it.   He looked at me and said very confidently, Yes of course you can.  Rest assured!  You were driving in Delhi, don't forget. Only different is the right hand side.   Rest, all are the same.  Now drive behind me upto the gate (this was a mile away).  Then I can tell you if you will make it.  In fact, I can watch you from the rw.  

We arrived at the gate almost together in front and behind and came out opening the doors of our respective cars at the same time.  And my friend exclaimed.  You have done it.  Now drive on!

That gave me a lot of strength and when I sat back at the wheel, my daughter was grinning saying, Dad don' worry you have done it! 

A recent journey to Delhi, the Capital!

This has nothing to do with nostalgia as this is a recent journey, as new as  it can be as I have only just got down at the Hazrat Nizzamuddin station and is walking out of the Station.

We started two days back in an evening from the Trichur Station after doing our home work for a two day journey. That took half a day. Kept on waiting at the station platform for half an hour and at the appointed time the train crawled in.  Before that we had to ascertain our coach position to know approximately where to wait.  We had to go over the overhead path, go to the first platform and go over to the front side portion of the main building to know where the coach will be.  Ours is the largest Railway in the world!!

If by any means one does not know the coach position, and the coach is far far from the individual standing, he or she will suffer for it, to enter the coach at a farther place, by running with the luggage or entering another coach and passing through the inside to the consternation of the passengers in every coach or lose the train the itself, but not being able to enter it.  If there is a computerised notice board in every platform showing the coach positions, this harassment can be avoided altogether.  But, the authorities are yet to give it a thought!

So, I went over looked at the coach position, came back pulled my luggage to the 13th position to enter my 10th coach!   I was exhausted as most of the passengers are when they enter the Sleeper class.  One has to be very much awake to enter and settle in the sleeper class!!
Here there is paradox everywhere.  A class in which one has to be very alert is called the sleeper class!  But then, of course, almost everybody sleeps after dinner and that is the only way to spend time, when you have to travel 44 hours at a stretch.  In a coach mentioning to sit and sleep 72, there will always be more people and there will also be small item sellers and a couple of wayside circus doing little families, whose little children will perform one or two acrobatic feats and ask for money or alms, what ever you think it is!

This class in which I was travelling was called second sleeper.  But, there is no first sleeper.  First is an air conditioned class, called first AC, and followed by a second AC and third AC.  This is almost like
the air planes Club Class, Business Class and Economy etc.  So, all kinds of people were in and some of them brought huge number of luggage and wanted to push it to every cavity.  The trains have improved from the olden times in time saving, in that,  they stop at stations only for a few minutes these days!  Olden days I remembered, they stopped for more time at large stations and at Junctions they stayed put for half an hour, by which time, the travellers could get out and have dinner or lunch or breakfast according to the time, from the stations' vegetarian or non vegetarian food halls and get back.  This was an old time luxury allowed to the passengers in olden days!  Alas, now we want to economise on time and that facility is not there now.  One has to be careful to get out of the train in that, the individual will be responsible if the train left and he got lost in transit.  There may also be other trains looking similar in immediate next tracks, so one has to be careful to keep an eye on his own train to get into it without getting into another train by mistake!

These are only my anxieties.  All the passengers, as I have found, were well knowledgeable and always was in their place all the time. The train squeaked, and moved and started making a rythm.  My prayer whenever I travel is that God allow me the company of Satwick people who ever they may be, what ever their religion. Whenever this did not happen, I consider that journey as hell!  Here since I was praying I was sure my prayer will be answered.  We had a side berth each to me and my wife, and we occupied the two seats by the windows.  On the inner side where three three berths faced each other, there was a family of three on one side and a family of five on the other with the bigger family having more than normal luggage.  They had a huge water can and a another huge food drum.  When huge families with paraphernalia came they mostly spoke among themselves and others are left out.  We were aloof in any case.  An then came an angel in the form of an anguished man.  He was a middle aged gentleman exuding confidence, but slightly ruffled, as it seemed to me, with long journeys.  He was anxious of getting a berth from the Conductor, who is the TTE and was awaiting him.   Since he could not find his exact seat until the TTE came and helped him I invited him to settle down near us so that we could converse on language and literature and also criticise the Indian Railways as everybody did when travelling on trains.

He was a Teacher, that too, an expert in Malayalam and again teaching that subject to children of a far off State, Haryana.  That was strange to me and Malayalam was  a subject I liked to talk about!  I understood, that he is the answer to my prayer!  Since he was worried about the berth, I told him, if you don't get a berth, make bed near our place as there was no other place to go if he does not get his berth, at that point of time.  He jovially said, looks like that have to be done as a last resort.  But the TTE said he would come and get me a seat as I am way ahead in reservation against cancellations, here lovingly called RAC.

True, the TTE came and allotted him a seat in the next section itself and this was very convenient to both of us.  He came from the Ottappalam Station of Palghat district and was returning after executing some important household works, in his annual vacation time.  He was a young gentleman who was a well wisher of all whom he met.  That was me too.  We started with educational arrangements in the School in which he taught Malayalam.  That was a Navodaya Vidyalaya in Haryana.  A few more hours journey from Delhi.  The climate initially was very pleasant upto Bhopal, where after it started becoming hot and humid and by the time, we reached it was steamy and everybody was tired!

The surroundings of the seats where we settled were not too very good.  But that can be suffered in a Sleeper class.  The berths or the sleeping arrangements for us is one of us in the lower berths formed by the two seats put together  and on the upside berth, naturally me, as my wife settled down in the lower berth, had to climb up.  I did so to inspect the same wiped the dust out with a cloth which we all ways carried, thanks to my wife (I generally carry nothing), and lied down to rest.  The length of the berth in the side berths are smaller among all the berths and is generally measuring five feet seven.  I can just fit into it, but if I wanted to lift up my legs this is a convenient place as there are wooden path sides.  The only problem in this berths, one does not get enough air and in the hot summer one gets dehydrated.

I slept to the rocking of the train, with its wheel grinding song and the rail changing (changing the tracks) drum beats.Sometime after the middle of the night I scrambled down to go to the urinal which was a feat which I had done when I was twenty in my first long journey!  As the train was overbooked people slept in all places including the floors.  I had to tip toe among them to reach the toilet and come back.   One more set of sleep, it is morning in Madhyapradesh.  Some shrewd people men or women come begging (ofcourse they are in need!), inside the coach.  But it depends on ones conscience to give them any thing.  Many people have different opinions about them.  But no harm in giving them something! What ever any one gives, will not make much harm to them, as the whole amount one will part with will only be a pittance, but the receivers at times bless you profusely !

This is one good part of many of us Indians, we bless others when they do a good turn.  When they bless from their heart is God who hears their blessings and loosens His purse strings!

Then there are all types of food sellers who come in, and whenever I am travelling alone, I take the opportunity to savour as many of them and really enjoy the trip.  Along with the food sellers will be knick knack sellers.  One of the knick knack I used to buy in the train are the tooth pick cum ear cleaner.  This is a small item in copper, but great handi work by craftsmen with copper wires.  There used to be a tooth pick, a little forceps, and an ear pick all put in a small ring.  This has kept my ears clean for the last forty years!  But they do not come any more now.  Perhaps, those who made them may have taken up other works as this was not fetching them a good wage as the price quoted was too little.  Or by doctors advice as no doctor will advice to anyone to clean their ears themselves as they may damage their ears! Whatever said, it was a convenient tool, if used with caution, which was not the case with many.

Andhra Pradesh had two stations famous for their fruit juice sales, namely Warangal and Vijayawada.  This was followed by Nagpur which was a preferred place to buy oranges in winter when the crop was plenty in olden days.  The train chughs through parts of Madhya Pradesh and UP to enter Haryana and on to Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin where we get down.  The station is good but not very friendly as one has to climb several steps with ones luggage and again climb down the steps with them which is a breath taking exercise and too difficult for senior citizens and ladies if the luggage is heavy.  The charges levied by helps or porters, as they are called, are debatable.

Once outside the some people surround you for helping you, offering taxis or auto-rikshaws.  One has to be very careful before accepting such help and if accepting should clearly spell out the rates and agree upon it, to avoid future quarrels and unhappiness. But, ultimately, everybody agree with someone over the rates and almost all are transported to their destinations.  If you are lucky to have a relative or friend to pick you up you are blessed!  Once outside, the roads are really good!

A marriage in the family!!

A marriage in the family!!

I was studying in Class II in the Sisters' Convent School at that time.  I should be around six or seven years old   My brother also may be nine years old.  

One day father told us that we go for a set of new dress.   This was unusual!  We always wore one or two set dresses which were washed by mother  aga.  in and again.  When a new dress became absolutely necessary it needed many representations through mother to father after which we got a new set.  Here, father was telling us to go for a new set of dresses when there was no such demand.  In my little mind, I thought, there could be something the reason!  Either father has got a raise in work or has started a new company or something!     

I also found many of our relatives also coming and going and father and mother receiving them and there were avid talks and tea.  Anyway, since it is a new dress, we went along and gave our measurements and father got new green silk cloth and entrusted the tailor master with the express request that we needed it in two days.  Since the tailor master was well known to my father we got it as requested.  When we were trying out that dress I asked mother what was the reason for the new dress.  She informed me  that our two eldest brothers were getting married.  She asked me if I had not seen all these people coming and going these few days.  That was for the fixation of the marriage and  making arrangements for the ceremony itself.

There was a feeling in the air, that  something good was going to happen.  The two marriageable brothers,  were our two eldest brothers and were our two heroes.  One was  tall and handsome  with a small but regular job.  The other brother, younger to him, was a super hero and knew all kinds of jobs but rarely stuck with one.   But he always earned his bread at one job or the other and also helped us in times of need.  He was a good master at whatever work he did but he could not go along if the Masters were bad.  Anything not honourable was not accepted.   He was a hero of sorts and had charming good looks and was easy to talk.  They were aged twenty one and a half and twenty respectively.  

Anyhow, the marriage was to take place on a Monday.  The pandal was done up and covered with white cloth and ornamented.  A table was set up for a gramophone box which was ordered.  An immediate neighbours son, of the same age as our brother offered to operate the same.  It was a nice box with a huge brass spitoon to spread the sound.  There was a turn table with a central knob in steel.  A black plate was put on it and a swaying handle with a pin was touched on the plate going in circles when wound by a handle on the side of the box.  Song started to come out of it.  "Kaathu sookshichoru kasthoori mampazham....." I still remember that song.

Now our eldest brother was to be married on a Monday and my second elder brother was getting married on the oncoming Wednesday.  I have only vague inkling about the marriage ceremony in the church.But many things in the house are still clear.  First, the house was done up.    It was a small 23-16 kol measured house with chaayippus (chaayippus are side rooms) on both sides of the main hall.  A tent or pandal was erected and those who came to erect it also fixedd some great white washed wooden nets and ornamented them with eenthapana leaves  (a kind of ornamental leaf which can be said to be a bonsai type of the small palm leaves).  All together everything enthused vitality and everybody was doing something or the other.  We the children of the house, especially, the smaller ones including me were neglected among all this hurry worry.  

We had a reclining wooden chair which we called the 'sheela kasera' .  It had a sheet put to place with two small wooden rulers and I was reclining in this sheela kasera.  I remember was it was evening.   As I did not have any role in the whole drama, I reclined in the chair which was kept outside the pandal to save space inside.  .This was in the outer courtyard. I faced the sky when I reclined in the chair.  It was a wonderful sight in the sky.  It was getting reddish and reddish as evening was slowly setting in.

I thought of myself in the green silk dress.  I was thrilled from the time I got the new dress.  Now all were inside the pandal and the house.  I was alone in the outer courtyard   The reddishness of the sky made me sad.  I did not know why.  The evening, especially, if it is silent and we looked at the sky it always made us morose.  It had a smell of the end of everything  or death.  I don't know why I felt like that.  In between I was shaken frfom my reverie by my Ilayamma who was the wife of my second Paternal Uncle.  Ilayamma was an adept talker and good at holding any body in wonderfully happy talk.  She said "What is being thought of in such extreme silence?"   I liked the question.  Not for the question, but that some one at least spoke to me.  She wore the attire of the kerala christian women of those yesteryears, in which the upper side is a collarless top in white and lower side in beautiful arrangement of white long cloth which they made a tail also at the back.  The peacock type tail hid thheir buttocks and back side, but when one looked at them from a distance it increased their beauty.  If they went out they wore a milk white musline or super cotton cloth (this was called neriyathu in malayalam)  which they put over their head and held both sides in their hands.  In totallity those who saw them appreciated the elegant beauty.  My ilayamma was not wearing the neriyathu at that time.  I replied lazily "Onnulya"  meaning nothing!  Actually, I cannot tell them, that I was sad about the evening or the reddish sky in which the white clouds came breezing and changed colour and also changed shape.  Some shapes were sweet and soothing, where as some were tricky, dangerous and diabolic.  The sailed through and changed form again and slowly moved to the east into darkness.  She slowly came near and have me two ari undas (this a sweet rice recipe, the rice power and jaggery mix is pressed into a ball) which is a very enthusing thing for her to do.  Her sweetness was in that she mixed her talk with something sweet to eat which always enthused me.  I liked eating all the time.  Ilayamma told me to come inside and not get into deep thoughts at this little age, but be inside with others and join the mileu and there will be something for me to do as well as enjoy.

Once inside, I noticed the gramaphone again, the music had changed and now someother song was being played.  Various relatives came and went at times spoke to our elders and the important people spoke to my father.  One neighbourly gentleman in the age group of my eldest brother, who was also his friend was operating the gramophone.  Various new dress were being shown to the relatives, mostly ladies, some of them commenting on them and some appreciating.  The men spoke of the arrangements for the great feast which was to take place, some of them sipping tea and smoking, at times their foreheads twitching and at times looking up at the smoke they sent up in deep thought and arriving at decisions which they shared among themselves.  

As night fell, more of the neighbours and our own relatives started arriving.  One of them brought a gas light as there was no electric light in the house in those days and a wick lamp will not do in such occasions.  Most of the houses used to get these kind of kerosene gas lights which had a present day bulb like structure below and a circular kerosene tank above with a hook on top which can be hung on a bar or something inside the tent.  The bottom portion of this contraption I liked the most as all the light came to the place below, throwing the whole area into great light.   This lifted my spirits.  There was a second gas light, but this had its kerosene tank below, just like our hurricane lamp.  Both had to be pumped for air which mixed with the kerosene and the spray went to the mantle filament of some rare cotton.  The cotton filament came as a cloth net and this was tied on the tube end inside the bulb position and the nozzle of the lamp is opened a little to make it wet.  Once wet, a match is struck and the buring flame is shown under the filament which burned initially with red flames and once the whole filament is burnt, the gas nozzle is turned to increase and decrease and again increase the kerosene spray to establish a very bright burning light.

Once the bright light is established, the gas light is suspended from a high bar or something.  It gave great light for a few hours and then the light started diminishing due to lack of air pressure for the kerosene spray.  The a youngster or a brave intelligent person is needed to take it down hang it at a convenient height, and pump the air in, without shaking the lamp.  If the lamp is unduly shaken, the bright burning filament, which is an already burnt cotton net will fall of and one has to go for a new filament which will be really cumbersome at such occasions.   Luckily, there was no dearth of youngsters at such occasions.

Many of the neighbours started with a number of vegetables and onions which they cleaned, pealed, cut in different shapes for various preparations the day next.   A few of our relatives were cleaning chickens and other fish and meat items.  Many coconuts were being cut and scraped.  The smell of onions, green chillies, cocunuts, and assortment of vegetables filled the air.  There were quite a good number of planten bunches which were brought in and hanged in an inner chaayippu (side room).  Father was in his impeccable best, which dothi and shirt with paan in his mouth offering paan or murukkan to the elders around and asking them their opinion on various matters regarding the marriage, and asking them to make themselves comfortable.  The two brothers were trying out their new dress for the next day morning ceremony of marriage.  Both of them had a fresh hair cut and looked great in their white shirt and double mundu, which was the kalyana vastram (marriage dress).  There was a new umbrella, which I was told for the varan to be taken out and also for the couple to return until they reached the motor car which was rented for the occasion.

We needed only one umbrella as the marriage were on different days.  This was curved handled big umbrella, very costly for the time and was called a kaal koda or sheela koda, meaning it had a kaalu or leg (or sheela koda meaning an umbrella with black cloth).  The importance of sheela koda is that at that point of time, ola kodas were also in use.  The ola kodas were made of the leave of dried palm leaf spreads with a wooden leg.  This was a symbol of Jemindari for centuries, but fell on bad days, when the foldable sheela kodas appeared.   The convenience of the sheela kodas slowly made the high caste ola koda into an outcaste.

We had one or two of them at home and often times used this to go out when it rained or when we had to go shopping for daily needs.  The ola kodas cannot be folded like the sheela kodas.  This had to be kept at a place always open and hence took more space. When placed,  it may also roll to any of the sides as it was circular in shape all through.  

On the night before the marriage the the bridegroom, this time eldest brother, first hero and dressed up in the traditional white double dothi and a fitting white shirt and was seated on a chair in the centre of the pandal where all the family relatives had assembled.  One of the elders took a plate with sugar in it and asked aloud "Checkanu madhuram kodukkatte?"  All the relatives and their women fold made a loud "Haaa" to this and this repeated three times and at the third time the fold replied "Ha....madhuram kodutholu!"  at which the sugar plate was shown to the bride groom and he majestically took three pinches of sugar or almost acted as if he was taking, and put it to his mouth.  Once this is over the plate was handed back to some one standing behind and the holder of the sugar plate was given a Kindi (a water carrying brassware with a with a wide ornamental mouth and a side tube to pour out the water), from which the bridegroom was asked to take three times, mouthfuls of water and spit it into a spitoon which was also shown to him by another person.  The moment it is over, the Kindi and spittoon is sent back and there come a towel for the groom to swipe his mouth.
With this the ceremony with the bridegroom for the evening is complete.  A few more minutes the relatives sit around enquiring various matters connected to the marriage, 

After this the relatives start offering various gifts to the groom for the marriage, in cash, in gold, at times in kind too.  These are all taken down a register as these presents had to be returned to the givers family whenever there was a marriage in that indiividuals family.big d


After this, all present, including the neighbours who would be helping in the preparation for the big day lunch, for dinner.  This time dinner is simple except, the elderly relatives and some of the neighbours disappeared for a while and came back to the pandal very happy and speaking in loud voices!  Even those, who never opened their mouths or uttered anyting all through will be seen to be very happy, talking in loud tones, relating the other evening dinners where they had a good time and sometimes singing.  A few of them ordered the volume of the song of the gramophone be increased which was readily agree to.  The bridegroom was allowed to retire for the day.


After the dinner the the backside pandal (there was another small pandal where all the cutting, boiling, cooking etc. were being done) was vibrating with lot of cutting, cleaning and cooking by all the neighbours and relatives all the while talking among themselves in happy tones.  The gas light kept on burning all through shedding a wonderful light in the pandals. Both pandals had their own gas lights.  I got up from my sleep to see if the lights are burning alright, from time to time as I was very happy at the lights.  And they did burn through to the morning next.

Early morning my brother was awakened for his ablutions and after that he was attired in the marriage dress, and taken out to the car.  One of the persons accompanying the groom held the large umbrella.  The car left for the Church.  Quite a few of the people walked to the church through a short cut paadam -route.  I was allowed a car ride in another big car in which upteen number of ladies and small children were packed.  This was indeed a taxi car but they were not called taxis there in those days.  All were equally honourable people and friends.  One had a very private car which he brought to any public function service on demand and agreed upon a charge for the service.  The car was not tampered with yellow paint or any such thing.  The cars were few and far between and those who knew how to operate it was still less.  This was light blue plymouth car as I remember.It had a smilling sister's face and very heavy doors.  Its front lights, like  eyes, stood at the end of special tubular cavities like the ones on which we see aeroplane propellers are mounted.  

In the church when we reached, the function had already begun.  There was a cute lady on the side of my brother and two silk cushions in red with designs on them were put in front of them.   These were to kneel down when they had to according to the rules of the ceremony. When I reached the church father who was conducting the ceremony was reading out to my brother to be repeated after him " in sadness and happiness, in poverty and in wealth.....etc....that my brother was being made to repeat that he shall be with this lovely and cute lady all through both of their lives.  

Altogether, I understood, that this is a life sentence, which my brother was undertaking so happily, all others looking at the couple with rejoicing eyes and feeling a high.  After the sayings a gold thaali was brought out putting it on a black thread given to the priest, who blessed it and gave to the groom to be tied around the neck of the lady.  The lady leaned her neck a little and my brother made the knot and that was done.   Once this was over it was time for the puja or mass. 

The bride and groom kneeled on the cushions and they looked so cute.  The lade was darkish compared to my brother, but cute, she was.   My brother was having a very soft countenance on his face even though on normal days  kept a magestic mafe and spoke only when spoken to and always gave wise replies to any body who brought up any questions of local importance.  He was always kind of leader-like.  Today he was soft faced. I hope, you understand what I mean.

The mass over, the umbrella came out and when the bride and bridegroom was brought out of the church, the umbrella was help above them by one of the elders.  They were slowly walked into the car!  The other parttakers left through the short cut paadam route again and the rest of the ladies andwithout fail me too, left in the large, light blue coloured Plymouth car which gentleman at the wheel steered into our house with great expertise.  The marriage ceremony, puja etc. are over and now is the time for a "Mangala Pathram" which is a general statement of all the well wishes printed in poetry, written by some local favourite poet, who was adept at writing such mangalams (Good wishes for long married life).  

Time was becoming around 11 or 12 noon and people part-taking in all these had started to become rough and started to speak in slightly upped volumes.  Those who became rough, were called to a side room by one of the elders very jovially, and once they went in and came out they were soft and happy and spoke lovingly to every one else.  I knew, there was something the matter, in that room!  Some of the well fitting guys who were not rough also went in and came out and when they came out some of them became slightly rough!  We the children, were never called to that room!!  At times, one of the elderly gentlemen was heard saying "send the children to the pandal for lunch, let the lunch start, children first, we are already getting late etc."   You would have understood the scenario.  

We were arranged to sit on matsand nice little pieces of green plantain leaves were put in front of us.  Hot rice was brought in a 'new panambu thotti'  (this is a bamboo handi craft vessel which was used for vrious purposes in a house hold, but when used for serving rice etc. it should be brand new bamboo craft)  This was followed by many others serving curries such as fish, chicken and pork (this is a delicay in Kerala which is appreciated among many people).  There were different kinds of fried plantain pieces with and without jaggery, all done in coconut oil.  A plantain fruit, called poovanpazham each was also served.  Drinking wsater was also given in glasses.  As children, we simply had and enjoyed the meal, ate the pazham  ( special type of costly banana), pocketed the cut banana recepies and got up to wash.

We did not much care if the elders ate or not or whatever they did.  We knew none of them will be left out!  Our concern was about ourselves first!  When it came to these matters,  I was a bit selfish, even in those too young days. Now I have a name for it "ideal selfishness"  without which life becomes tricky and dangerous for any one.Even in that pandal I had noticed there were differential treatment to different people, especially, elders and the greats and good lookings and accomplisheds, but the only group which was generally left out were, we the children.   Among all the multitude coming and assembling there, I vividly remembered only on of the Ilayammas had the kindness to speak to me and of course, she was very good to me, and by the Grace of God I could have a beautiful relationship with that Ilayappan and Ilayamma to their very ripe old age!!  (Ilayappan is the husband of Ilayamma and Ilayamma is the wife of my father's younger brother, who used to run a Vaidyashala.  A vaidyashala dispensed ayurvedic medicines for a fee and hence, he had a cash box of his own with wood, brass plated on the sides.  It was an ornamental piece, which I liked through and through!!).

The people who really got pressed and crushed in this whole celebration was father and mother, mother especially, as she kept on at the kitchen fire, making one recepie or the other and if that was not enough, upteen number of times tea for all those who came and went every hour.  But she never complained.  Among doing all that, she used to do other works as well and still found time to keep an eye on us, children!!  The two brothers getting married also did quite a lot of work themselves and all my elder sisters joined in all kinds of works connected to the celebration and feast.  My immediate elder brother, who was just like me and in the same class as Class II like me(we were in the same class-for company's sake father had put us in the same class, which we enjoyed and did not know the beauty of it at that young age).and my two younger sisters were not in the working group.   

After lunch, when other elders were eating, we the children moved out to another part of the  pandal.  This was the place, all those who have finished lunch and relaxed on steel chairs which were arranged for the invitees to relax.  Such nice painted chairs came on rent and several numbers were brought at occasions in every house.  I reclined in one of them to eat the cut banana flies which I had kept in my pocket.  There were many of the invitees taking betal leaves with chunnambu (raw calcium)  and adakka which made their mouths red.  All these items were kept in a large plate and nearby was kept a brass chunnambu kutti (Calcium Holder in brass, with a small stick or stock put through its mouth. Every time one took it out there would be wet calcium on the stick and this can be swiped on the betel leaves which one intented to eat adding a few pieces of arecanut to it)  Those who had daring and were well grown up also took a piece of pukayila (raw tobacco leaf) to chew with the 'murukkan' 'paan' (a mix of all the items I mentioned above).  The pukayila in those days came from Jaffna in Ceylon and it went straight to the head of the chewer!  

I was not used to or ever had the daring to look to the murukkan side in those days, small I was and even otherwise I did not understand the beauty of the stuff.  Neither any of my near friends including my brother or younger sisters knew it.  Father was adept at it and he at times ate it with elan!  Whenever he called the elderly neighbours for discussion, murukkan was a must!  But mother never ate murukkan, never drank, never took any kind of intoxicants.  She only worked, worked and worked more still all the while looking after us, children and always having an eye on our welfare!   She was great indeed!!

The fashionable ones smoked also, either beedis or cigarettes according to their position in life!  I could not stand the smell of these in those days, and if the smell became too much, I vomited.  So I moved away to the inside of the house.   


There were two three elders in the family sitting near the table with these assortment of items with a register.  Some of the invitees came and gave money to them in place of marriage gifts and these were noted with the name and address of the givers very carefully.

By the evening one marriage was over.  Our dear Velliettan was married for life! We all liked the new young lady, a bit darkish, but very handsome.  She spoke to all of us children very kindly and she had a way with children which we liked.  We decided that she will be great company!

There was a sort of silence by the evening in that the gramophone had stopped singing due to a technical snag cropped up during the operation as some one not knowing the operation had tried to operate it.  The gas lights had gone back.  Most of the guests had left, except a few of the relatives who were elderly.  There was my old granny also who had come for the marriage.  She normally used to live with father's youngest brother.  She was a very fair old lady but with lines of very hard work on her forehead!  She was overseeing most of the goings on!   Mother kept on bringing tea to her and everybody else  who were elders.  After that she kept on with other works without any complaint.  In those days, it was like that.  The lady of the house will be a work machine and she  would have to work continuously!  They never had to be paid any wages or special mention for that.  In fact, if any mistakes occurred from her that was highlighted well and also reported in family circles.  Mother never gave any room for this.  The day passed!

The next day was Tuesday and arrangements had to be made for the next marriage of my second elder brother, just younger to the Velliettan.  The gas lights appeared, raw food articles came to the small pandal where they were to be prepared and a lunch feast was to be repeated on Wednesday after the main ceremony of marriage.  All the earlier marriage's preparations were repeated except for the gramophone which it was mentioned can't be made available as it could not be repaired immediately.  In fact, we children were looking forward to listening to the songs in it. 

Just before noon time, the marriage party arrived from the church in the two big cars as was done for the previous marriage.  My second elder brother who was darkish in colour had a very fair lady, tall in stature near him and the umbrella was held by someone from behind as if to cover both of them.  They slowly walked in with the entourage and others assembled and was received by mother !  The bride and groom were asked to stand on two wooden pedestals and some raw paddy was put on and at their feet and over which water was poured from a 'Kindi'  which is a side tubed brass vessel.  Once this was over, they were allowed into the house.  This is a custom which was believed to bring prosperity into the house.

Once they went in, the bride is made to change her dress and was asked to drape the ceremonial sari given by the groom,called the 'Manthrakodi' along with matching blouse or top and come out with all the other bridal wear except the tiara or flowers worn in the head.Both husband and wife are seated and the 'Mangalapathram' is presented to them.  This was done by the grooms friends mostly.  After that the lunch feast proper began with we the children first!  We repeated all the activities of the last marriage feast and left with the cut banana recipes!   The marriages came to an end.

After a day or two, two brothers of my eldest brother's wife arrived to take back their sister home.  They were duly received, niceties  exchanged and asked for lunch.  After a good lunch it was time to leave this time with the new young darkish lady and my eldest brother.  My eldest sister-in-law, as I said was very kind.  She asked us two little brothers to accompany them as she will be coming back in a couple of days.  This was great news and surprising to both of us!  But we did not know what father will say.  So the matter was taken to father who looked at them quizzically and said  "That all would be difficult for you people.  Let them be here.  Here what do they lack?"  Sister in law said"That is right father.  But let them see a new place. It will not be difficult for us at all'   at which father relented.  We were overjoyed.

Our first joy was that we can move out of the house.  Second of course, is that we will be seeing a new place.  True to her world, we were taken along with them.











 

A Bus Ride to the Town to buy the English Medium Books!

The school was in a village and the books of the English medium especially the Text Books were available only in Trichur Town, if at all they were available.  So I decided to make an adventure to go to the Town by myself, even though I had not done so earlier. 

I was sure I can make it, as I had accompanied others to the town, on one or two occasions.  I had made by-heart, the route of those trips.    First I had to take the red bus called Sreeramachandra and get down at the black, long and huge round pipes.  When I reach the pipes I have to see the King on the other side.  I have to get down here near the King and walk straight.  On the walk I should see the Government Hospital on the left and straight up should enter the High Road where the Road is very narrow.  Both sides of the road are shops of various everyday requirements and a furlong afterwards passing the Chackolas' Silk House and the Anju Vilakku (The five lamps) and the Tharaku (The vegetable wholesale market) comes the H&C Stores.  That was the only Stores who cared to bring all sorts of books to cater the needs of those used to engage themselves in all kinds of studies.  Before reaching the H&C Stores on the left hand side is the imposing huge St. Mary's New Church which does not have to be seen as it is not exactly on the High Road.  There is a small road turning left taking one to the New Church.  In that travel plan I was to go very straight so that I can reach the shop, get my books and straight get back so that I may not get lost.

So I decided to take the adventure and submitted the matter, for money for the purchase and permission, to travel to my mother.  She in turn took advise from my father who said "No harm in the lad travelling. Let him learn travelling.  Give him the money".   Next advice was from my sister.  She asked me "Have you not seen the King's Statue? Get down there and walk straight up till the shop and walk straight back once you have the books.  Come the place you got down.  That is where the bus will start its return trip. That is it. You got it?"  I readily got it!  I said happily "Yes, I got it."  The King's Statue, straight up, and the Book Shop.  Have the books and return straight back. Reach the place I got down.  The bus will come there!

English, Science and Social Studies are the three text books I needed.  With the money given to me by my mother I was ready to move.  When I was ready, my mother consoled me. "There is nothing to worry or be upset.  It will all go very well. Just don't go here and there and don't go if anybody calls you here and there.  If anybody tries to trouble you beyond your control shout, somebody or the other, will extend help.  So be brave and go"  I kept those advice in my heart for life and walked to the bus stop to catch the great red bus called Sreeramachandra which used to pass the turn joining the tarred road.  

The road was tarred only after two furlongs where our little mud road joined the main gravel road.  But we liked to call it the tarred road because that is the only road having tar on one side.  The place where I stood for the bus is a joining of three road.  There was an 'athani' on one side and the athani was used by those carrying heavy head loads to push the load on to the great stone bar kept on two pedestals so that they can relax a bit.  Some words were written on the huge stone to say that it was erected by some great guy to help those under heavy burden.  Some date in Malayalam old characters were also carved on it.  The area joining the three roads had a small tea shop and on the side of the tea shop was a huge Madras Eentha which had fruits on it which fell down from time to time.  It was such a huge tree, its spread shaded the whole area as a great canopy.  The bus passed under it.

At the joining area, I waited for the bus.  There were people in groups carrying toddy, fish, milk and curd etc. on 'kavus'  (bambu shoulderbars) The kavs will have two baskets or coir nets on both sides and these will carry all the materials in earthen vessels likes kodams or huge 'bambu thottis'  which will all be covered with bambu nets or pala kumbils (funnel shaped palas-which are the aricanut leaf stalks).  These gentlemen usually did not wear any shirt or such stuff, but only a half dothi very sharply done up at their waists and they walked with a special gait unceasingly.  Few of them used a stick in one hand to support them.  At times a group also moved with a call by one of the group saying 'elo...elo.......elo...elo'  It had a rythm and the group moved long distances and reached their destinations at their appointed times.

After a few such groups moved, there was a  whirr and  pull sound of the Sreeramachandra.  I was excited and thrilled.  I held the two 'anas' (anas were prevalent at that time) for the bus fare, in my hand and waited.  The bus pulled up and stopped as I showed my hand to stop the bus.  That was how bus was stopped in those days.  Whenever one needed to get  in, one stood on the side of the road and extended the left hand so as to obstruct the bus from passing further.  The driver can see this from a distance and stopped the bus at the closest to the passenger.  There were not busstops as we see now, and buses stopped to any one who wanted to board and showed a hand!

Once the bus stopped, the cleaner man swung down and asked me to get in through the back door.Only men were allowed to get in by the back door.  When I call or say, back door,  this has no bad connotation.  I only mean, the door at the back end of the bus.  There usually were  two doors on the left side, one at the front for women and children and the cleaner man always hung to a bar at the door to see the incoming passengers and also as a cover for the women and children who entered from that door.   At the back side, there was no such need, as the grown up men were supposed to save themselves and avoid accidents.  I was happy to have been asked to get in through the back door.  I am treated as a grown up.  I held on the bar and entered the bus climbing the two steps and went and sat on a side-seat above the back wheel over which was the wheel cover  where I could put my feet at a raised platform and look out!  The cleaner man at the front door made a long whistle and the bus whirred and started moving!

It was a hilarious trip.  The conductor came and asked where I was going to which I said Thrissur.  'Two anas'.  I gave the two anas  to him.  He put it in his leather bag which he was wearing in his shoulder like a cross belt and moved on.  He also had a wistle in silver colour which I liked.  We played with such a whistle at times.  But our whistle was smaller and the sound was very shrill.as it was made of tin instead of silver.  We used to have those whistles from the Perunal shops.

Perunal is the feast of a Chrfistian saint or some thing attributed to Jesus Christ himself.  Church only conducted the usual mass or puja and other light celebrations like a procession with the saints statue accompanied in the front and back with coloured ornamental umbrellas and having a team of drummers (chenda vadyam) and the one team with the Kombu (a long curved horn made of bronze or so).  There may also be a team of the new era band with polished brass bugles, clarinest, new drums of different sizes etc.  The mostly played tunes resembling prayer songs attributed to the saints or at times simply film song tunes.  We as children were thrilled at the shows but our minds always lurked with the thoughts of the small guddie guddie shops which will spring up all around the church before and after the Perunnal.  These shop keepers brought all types of things which we could dream of.  They were dream sellers.  Then, there were the fruit and sweet sellers in which the orange sellers really made it.  Any body worth his salt bought a few organges as these were not bought on usual days.  Unless for the perunal, it was never a house hold item.  Same was the case with the Karimbu (huge cane stems) sold in plenty at the perunal.  There were two types of karimbus.  One gtreen in colour and the other the blue coloured selam karimbu named after the famous place of its cultivation.  The blue karimbus were costly as they had more sweetness and juice.  Among them were a number of shops selling all kinds of plastic and other toys which had the whistles as one of the attractions, and this was at times in our affordable reach if any of our  elders had given us some money to put as offering in the church.

If you agree not to tell any one I shall tell you a secret!  Whenever we were given any small amount to put as an offering in the church, we pocketed it and never put it in the offering box if it can be helped.  If it was absolutely necessary, we short put the amount and kept the rest to buy a whistle or a  baloon whistle.  This was a sin, and something very wrong to do, but since we had not started the confession of sins to a father and receiving the 'Holy communion' we thought the saint may, perhaps, not mind these little beings having a whistle, which made such a nice shrill sound or a baloon or a baloon whistle or any other goodie-goodie.  If we purchased any sweets or oranges, we took it home for all to share.  

The moved at a set rythm and passed several compounds and houses on either side of the road and gave side to a single or double bullock cart.  Sometimes the driver called to the Cart driver if he was known to him.  On the way it stopped at the Police station.  The conductor ran out to the station went in for a few seconds and ran back and gave a long whistle from his silver whistle and the bus moved again.  Later I found out the whistle was not actually silver, but made of brass and coated outside only with chromium.  

The driver had an assistant boy to hold the gear shifting lever as it sometimes collapsed to the floor!  The held it on most diligently but at times his attention did not hold and the lever fell down to the floor at which the driver scolded him profusely.  But it never made difference to the boy and he simply picked it up and lifted it so tht the driver can shift the gear.When he shifted the gear the bus made huge noises from below, but since the driver was unmoved by any of those sounds, the travellers were also unmoved.  When the bus started to reach near the town, the houses started to become bigger and at places groups of shops appeared and there were also petrol bunks at places.  The colour of the road changed from black to white.  This was the asphalt road we were told which was made before independence.  After a while the big big pepul  tree appeared and we were in the swaraj round which is Trichur town.  The bus circled the huge ground with a large temple in the centre.  This is the Poorapparambu also called Thekkinkadu Maidan.  

And now the Kings statue appeared in black colour on a huge pedestal and the large black tubes on the right.  The conductor made a long whistle, the bus stopped and the conductor announced 'ellavarum erangikko'  - all .get down and with this he left the bus with the cleaner boy and the gear lever holder walking in front of him and the driver following him.  I was the last one to leave the bus.  In fact I did not want to leave, but since everybody had left and the bus was totally empty, there was no point in sitting in it anymore.  I got down.  Once outside, I pushed my hands and stretched my legs to the new fresh air of the morning town.  

I looked at the King from his side.  His was an embossing huge statue in black  bronze with all his ornamental dress.  He had a huge face with a large nose and piercing eyes.  If one kept on looking at the statue, one will feel the king is coming alive.  It was a great sight.  Since I was alone I kept on looking at him for a while.  How would he have ruled his State?  He, was, as far as I know the King of Cochin, the Ruler of the erstwhile State of Cochin-Travancore.  

Now I turned around and looked at the other side to see the huge black tubes or pipes.  They seemed to be for making water tunnels somewhere.   Behind the tubes were some very huge water tanks with domed heads on concrete legs,  that too three or four of them.  From a distance it seemed as if they were people engrossed in thought and in a meeting!Now since the location I have got correct I turned to my left to hurry to the High Road and further to the Book Shop.  I reached the shop without much difficult, all the while looking at the shops on either side.  As I was new to the place alone, I was curious about the shops.   Those who knew the place never looked at any of the shops but only saw their destination, like the long route Bus drivers.

The shop was busy with so many people in front of it for the new books for the new academic year which was already begun.  I had some difficulty to get the attention of one of the shop assistants.  Once I got his attention, I informed him of my requirement of the Class V English Medium book.  He said, after a little thought by scratching his head, that the books had not come except for the English Text Book.  I got it, paid for it and returned.

It was a brand new book in rose coloured cover and smelled great as all new good books.  I covered it with an old news paper and hurried back to the place near the King, so that I can catch the 'Sreeramachandra' on its return trip! 

This was my first trip on my own by bus.  I had at times got a few trips along with the elders.  At times, my second elder brother  got me a dummy trip with his clout and bravado in a running bus which appeased me initially but made me consternate when I knew the trick.  He knew the conductor and driver of the bus and will go to the bus as if we are going to travel and climb the bus and speak to the Conductor and at times the driver and when the bus is about to leave, he will get down.  The old bus that it was, always kept on started and was never put off until it rested at night.  The reason for this is, if it is put off, it used to take a lot of effort to get it started again and at times sending in a handle from the front and turning vigorously by another person when the driver will keep pulling the wires and pushing the pedals.  This went on until the whole bus shivered, threw thick smoke from the exhaust and whirred into life, when the handle turner would run and put the handle in the bus and heave a sigh of relief.   The handle turner will be the least paid of employees of the bus and is considered to be a learner or student.  The driver can abuse him if he so desired generally with reason.  At other times they used to be great company and in a few years he will meta-morph into another ustad driver (Master Driver).  


I waited for sometime and the bus came and stopped near me, near the King's Statue.  Of course near the black grill covering the little park with its statue and its pedestal.  Once the bus stopped I got in and settled in one of the side seats this time more comfortably as I was by now one bus trip old and knew the way of the bus ride almost!  But once I was in, I found all the operators are out.  This was for their usual refreshments only and for a few minutes by which time the bus got filled up by various passengers and luggage.  There was a howler youth outside, who kept on shouting gosthayi, kuriachira, chiyaram, anjeri, kambani padi, ollur, marathakkara, thrikkur etc. in a very fast pace and repeated it often times until the Driver Conductor Cleaner triisome came back. e not only howled aloud, he also showed signs to prospective commuters and at times very jovially coaxed them to make a trip in his great bus.  He was a bit dark in colour, a charming youth in impeccable white dress with a small hand-kerchief tied in style round his neck!  He made a great job of it, oh..he really did!  I wished if I could howl like that and call people to the bus.   But I did not have a bus.  Afterwards when the Trisome returned he came to the conductor and said that his job is done and had made a bus full of passengers and extended his hand in which the Conductor put some money and said the bus is not as full as you are saying.  The howler youth again very jovially retorted that he could not get the evening travellers for the morning trip at which everybody laughed.  The bus started moving.

I had a free sight seeing trip back home.  All kinds of buildings, shops, odd sights like the slaughter house, the 'thotis'  (those who carry human excreta were in those days called 'thotis' and their lives very doomed) carrying human faeces in huge wheel drums (I was seeing this for the first time in my life! and was surprised!). 

Many people climbed the bus with small house hold lugggages bought from the Town market, and at times one or two odd people had huge bundles which were packed at the back side or behind the Driver apart from the regular luggage put or packed on the top of the bus, mainly of agricultural produce and stationery materials. The bus moved, sdtopped and moved to the whistle of the Conductor.  At times, the Conductor especially if he is near the front gate did not blow the whistle, but made a sound "weisss..." to which the Driver behaved as if he had heard the whistle.  Much afterwards, I deciphered this sound to mean 'Please' and it was the short form for 'Stop Please'.  In the southern part of India, most of the usages will have short forms which we need not necessarily fully know, but the ones using it will use it with much alacrity, so as not to disturb the customers.


At many places I found the board ''Kallu"  painted in huge white letters on pitch dark or thick black boards.  Kallu is the local palm excretion an intoxicating drink which grown up men of matter had in the evenings after work  and pestered their women folk at home.

Near the Police Station the bus stopped, the Conductor made his customary up and down run and the drill told me my stop is near by.  I came near the door where the Conductor was standing and motioned him to stop.  I wished him to say "weiss..."  but this time he took out his silver whistle and blew it a long whistle and the bus stopped under the Madras eentha tree where I got down.

Yes. I have done it!  I now know how to travel by bus, and if need be, alone.  I walked home my chest full and the new ghee smelling book in my hand and presented it to my mother who looked at me as if I had done something great!  She said hilariously: "I knew you can do it, now you can done it"  Show it to father and sister when they come!  And thus started my bus travel and it thrilled me every time!

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