The sadness and hope of a mother!

Mother lived in the village at the extreme end where the land started falling to the lower fields where paddy was the cultivation. The fall had some distance and all that places had large compounds with thorny hedge fences and at times huge bamboo groups which was house to small animals and snakes. Mother lived with all of us children, seven of us and Father. Two of the elders had gone away to live separately as they were married and had children. One had died in infancy due to 'karappan'. Karappan is a kind of disease which usually affected children and the effect of it brought out small pimples which eventually burst after ripening into swellings and the outer skin got affected on the legs and slowly upwards.  If not treated properly, it was lethal. Father and mother tried to treat the kid with the help of the local 'Vaidya' but did not succeed. The child died before it could reach a doctor.

The house was a simple one, called a 'irupathimukkole padinaaru', a measure according to the Malayalam Civil Engineers called Aseris who were good at fixing such small houses which were airy and good for natural living. It had a slanting roof with tiled top and below a large central hall-room, and 'chaayippus' on all sides one side of which being turned into kitchen. In those olden days forty years back such houses were the norm for the simple folk. They were easy to construct and not very hard on the pocket. They could also be made both with stone walls and also with mud walls. The house we were in were with mud walls. Since the two eldest brothers had left for separate living and the house was needing repairs, it was got done by a set of 'Aasaris' and within a period of a month or so of its repairs, the main wall at the back of the house developed cracks at night!

Mother revolved around the house or the whole things in the house revoved round the mother. Father was the hunter provider and he took the brunt of it, for all of us selflessly. In those days once a family, albeit, a small family is set up with a few children, (the nuclear family syndrome was not there at that time and women never shied away from carrying children or suckling them.), it was the father in the family who single handedly provided for the family, but the mother, continuously worked day in and day out to look after the children and the home. She looked after all of them and kept the house.

The children when they grew up according to age, from the age of six or seven onwards started to give a helping hand to the mother and at times stood for the other younger siblings. The living together and give and take they learned in the family from the very beginning. Same was the case here. The two brothers who had started to live separately was not very far away, but they visited the bigger family rarely due to their own loads.

None of the famillies had the sort of facilities that is seen now, and none of them had the over ambitions also. The life revolved around the village, the church, the market place, the normal old time villages.

In this setting in a month of May, the house wall was cracking and the load of the roof was daunting and threatening to come down. Eldest sister was doing her home work late at night and she heard the crack and the slow breaking of the wall as if it is an earth quake. All others were asleep. Mother was in the kitchen. Sister alerted Mother and all of us children who were sleeping were called up and we ran to safety quickly without knowing what had happened. It was a news in the neighbourhood and we were taken to a good neightbour's house and we spend the night in their verandah telling the fac ts and dissecting the reasons why it would have happened and thanking God for the miraculous escape!

Our immediate neighbour took a rosary from one of us, wore it and went into the cracking house to bring out the articles and food left prepared in the kitchen! He did it in three four goings in and coming out which we all watched breathlessly!

Now, the threat of the monsoon was in the air. We cannot continuously live in the verandah of our neighbour. Father went in search of people to redo the structure and a few people came. Some of them returned saying that we will not touch or get in a cracking house which is dangerous! One of the guys, a very dark gentleman, called 'Thevan'  used to farming work, stayed on and said: I shall do it, if you really want it. We can bring down the house and make a temporary one, as the wall can't be rebuilt, as it is a mud construction and the rains are near by! This was readily agreed to.

A new temporary house comes up!

Thevan, the farm worker, who offered to do the heroic work went up the tiled roof to the astonishment and dismay of every one around and stood there like a hero winner!! Every body down below stood with baited breath, in the anxiety of seeing a house collapsing and what may happen to this guy up there!!  But the house was very truthful and generous, so said Father.   The man started to remove the tiles slowly and pass it down to the on lookers and all of us who like small ants, collected them and put them in racks.  The house top was clean in a few hours time and the man came down.

Now all the elders pushed the house with crow bars and the whole house collapsed to one side.  Very quickly the upper roof all made of bamboo bars were dismantled and some more huge bamboos called 'Mala Mula" were ordered.   The elders had by now become a group and the whole motif were to make a temporary shed house.  The two elder brothers who had been away living separately appeared from no where and started to lead the work. When the group started the next morning, it was a real sight of team work and cooperation.   Mud bricks were made by some, the bamboos were cut and shaved by some, a few made the markings in the compound slightly away from the fallen structure house, some continuously drew water from the deep well for the whole work, and quickly with the help and guidance of Thevan, in the house corners poles were erected and on the top of it a temporary shed roof was hammered in.   The tiles were passed up as it came down and spread in style, the simple style as it used to be done in old Kerala, in rows with the 'moola odus'  on the top where the roof started slanting to both sides.  

The shed house was ready by the evening!  In the extreme front of the house was a 'Karisu' tree which was used as such as a pillar of the house and the acute top of the house was co-joined to it. It became the Samson's pillar holding the house in the front.  Exactly like the front pillar was another a little smaller 'Karisu' tree was at the back side of the shed house which carried it from the back side.   On these two 'Karisu' tree pillars stood the house with the support of a lot of junglee bamboo poles, with the express idea of the walls to come up later, slowly, as and when the mud bricks dried up.   In a matter of two three days, quite a few small rectangular mud bricks were dry and ready, and  the team of nine and Mother and Father hastened to put the mud bricks in place, Thevan, the farm worker leading the works and guiding all of us in various ways of putting them in place.   By the evening a line of half walls were ready and it really looked like a house!!  

When the farm worker and our two brothers left for the day, the rest of the family sat down for prayers and to thank God for his abundance kindness of getting us such a great house in such a short time!!  After prayers Father and mother led a discussion in which it was decided that the bottom side of the mud brick walls had to be supported with loose earth as an embankment from outside and cemented by wetting the mud slightly from outside to make it a bit clayish,  and then to cover the upper uncovered areas with 'panambu'  a kind of bamboo mats.  Without the bamboo mat coverings the house seemed to be an air conditioned open air theater where we enjoyed our frugal night meal for the first time in days, in the peace and quietness of the starry night.   After the meal all of us came out and walked up and down in the front of the house and over the old fallen house in the brightly lit moon light!!

For privacy reasons, the house was got covered with the panambu sheets the next day.  Now, it looked a gorgeous house indeed!   We set up prayer stand, made partitions among the walls, making the whole structure into three large rooms with customary door frames from room to room and the last room was done up as kitchen!!  The kitchen fire was started in right earnest, and it did not go off normally for the next ten, fifteen years! That night when we sat down for supper, it started to rain!  Yes, a spell of  monsoon, called the 'Thulavarsham'  had arrived without radio news and TV shows, as was customary in those days.   It came according to the seasons unannounced!

The 'Rithus' or seasons changed unannounced.   The only available thing  was the gramophone which did not give news!  The news papers were  available in the City and Town only!  And the people were happy without them, even though at times they were seen in rich houses which could afford them!

The earlier house lied in a heap of rubbble and mud, in front of the new shed house as a grim reminder of our sudden loss of our good house in which we had lived!  There was a coconut tree which had too few coconuts and a mango tree which never gave any fruit but had a lot of foliage on it.  We had a dog, a brownie, too loving, and always receiving us at home when ever we came from outside!  The cats in the house were numberless!

The joy of living was there!  The joy of having the dog and the cats around us were superb.  The cats purred on us whenever we sat down to study or do some work.  If they can't climb on to our lap they remained near us on the ground.  Whenever we came from outside, first the dog will greet us by coming running to us far up, before we reached the house and once at the house all the cats surrounded us meowing and touching us with their up raised tails and going around our legs again and again.  This went on for one or two minutes.  Then they will go away and wait to see the next activity.  If there is no activity, they will go and sleep.

The dog also settled down in a sitting position for a while watching the immediate activities!  All the same, the dog did not simply sit there.  His ears kept on turning in one direction or the other from where any kind of sounds came.  If he detected something or heard and unusual sound or noise, he bolted to that side like a general going to a war front.   At times, we can hear incessant barking of bow..wows... and then we followed the dog to see what is happening.  This could be anything from another dog straying to his area, a tropical snake, some other animal or straying cattle.  Some times it could suspicious people too!  Dogs have a peculiar way of barking at suspicious people!  Strange of them how they recognize it.

The most important service he used to do is giving us company when we went out at night.  He forewarned us of a snake anytime he came across one! He will bark at it and also stop us from moving forward by coming running to us and standing in our way even touching our leg!  Great beings, these dogs!   A rat etc. he did not bark at.  He simply went and caught hold of it.  Thats all.  But then, the cats normally took care of the rats and small snakes.

Mother fed all of these along with all of us children!  The dog had a small plate in which his food was served from time to time plus a share of food given by father to him as a special endearment.  The dog always waited for it.  He knew his master well.  Again strange ways of dogs.  Food was made by mother two times a day once in the morning and once in the afternoon.   We had a huge earthen pot in which rice was cooked on a kitchen fire for serving the hot rice during noon and in the late evening.   It took time to cook as the old time cooking was with cut pieces of dry wood being burned in the kitchen fire and the earthen pot over it.  Apart from the two major foods there used to be a morning meal of kanji with a side dish in normal times if the situations were conducive.  In the evening at times we had tea without milk.

Mother took a lot of pains in making these as cooking was a great labour with the old time kitchen without any facilities.  Water was drawn from a near by well which was very deep.  May be fifty sixty feet.  There was a 'pala' which was tied on both sides with a small bamboo stick in the centre from side to side and made into a contraption to hold water.  Both corner tied well and the stick running from corner to corner made it look like a boat.  From corner to corner two small  ropes and tide and brought into a common joint to be tied to the main drawing rope.  The drawing rope is passed through a pulley on two poles of 'Karisu' tree which took root after planting there in a slanting position to hold a small cross bar of wood on which a pulley is hung.  Through this pulley the water is drawn regularly.

Most of the houses., I mean the poor houses, used to draw water in the near around houses like this.  Those who had a better income used to have a well cover made up with stones and cemented with proper pulley poles and pulley on them.  A well cover or man cover as it was called was necessary to protect people from falling into the deep well accidentally and many times ending in deaths.  Those poor beings pulling water from the coverless wells was somewhat risking their lives in the process, which was at that point of time, nobody gave a thought to. As I was slowly growing and inquisitive, I was keen to see how this is being done and asked permission from mother to draw water!  She straight away refused me, saying it is not for me at that age to draw water.  She said, she is in any case, destined for it and had no complaints and she did not want me to die at that small age of drowning in the well.

I knew, she was saying this out of filial love and affection!  I persisted.  At last she relented on the condition, I should be very very careful and always keep in mind this is a tricky thing and not for children.  I slowly proceeded to the well poles and checked the strength of the 'Karisu poles'.   Perhaps, father had planted them. They were very strong and had a few sprouts on the top with plenty of leaves and a few flowers. I applied my force on the poles and looked into the well.  Oh..!!  It was too deep and full of water!  The water looked green as there was not enough light reaching the bottom.  There were hostoria grass on the side walls of the well, making looking inside difficult to an extend!  But the side from which I was looking, from where water was being drawn regularly was clear of the moss and grass as due to continuous usage of the rope going down and up, they cannot grow there.

I slowly sent in the 'pala' contraption and in the water it made a small blurp sound.  I pulled it a little and dipped it again to check the fullness and after one or two dippings, started pulling it up.  The pulley turned on the rod beautifully and the full water 'pala' came up. I held the rope on the left hand tight and with the right hand pulled and took hold of the water full 'pala'  to my side.  I poured the water in the earthen 'kodams' ( a kodam is a small necked round vessel to store water in olden days) and took them to the back side of house near the kitchen and kept them there and announced my first drawing of water to mother.  Naturally, she was happy.  That made me too happy.  Some little help.  I announced:  "Any time you need water, just tell me, this is nothing, I shall draw any number of times whever you needed water" !
She retorted by saying "No..no.. You don't have to draw water here, that I will do, you go and study, that is your work!"

I returned to my studies and mother returned to her chores.  After cooking she had washing, which was substantial.  The only solace was at that point of time, the house hold conditions being very poor, we had too few dresses, minimising the wash load.  There were no washing machines or special magic powders! The only thing available was bar soap, washing soda and hot water! With these things mother worked lke a washing machine too.  Then some dresses were being pressed.  This was mostly the work of eldest sister at times assisted by younger sisters.  Very hot rice was put in a brass plate and this plate is moved on the dresses to get them pressed!  This continued for a while till we got our first brass iron-box. If sisters were busy studying or any other urgent works, mother did it.  Any left over work, mother did.

Naturally, my eyes were on both the plate type pressing as well as the iron-box pressing!  The plate thing did not interest me, as the brass plate got unduly hot and I could not hold it.  So that was a strict no no for me.  I will, rather, wear an unpressed dress, rather than risking the hot brass plate in my bare hands.  A hand glouse etc. was unheard off.  The came the pressing box! Even though it was called an iron-box, it was actually made of coarse-brass with a very polished bottom.  It had a lid with hinges on one side, and with a holdable wooden handle and a small locking device on the other side where the lid could be locked with a turnable 'palli' (the common wall lizard)  with its tail becoming the lock which went into a slot.  The lid had to be opened and coconut shell charcoal is put in it and fired into a small furnace.  Once the fire is in top position like the old coal trains, the lid is closed and locked and used the handle, the box is moved on the cloths as required!

I took permission as usual, at the earliest, to be trained in this pressing stuff too.  I started doing the pressing, especially father's shirt which had a lot of tucks here and there.  Even though, I did it for a while, soon I was losing interest in it.  I was always curious to learn any new trick, but once mastered, I slowly lost interest, and thought that anybody can do it.  What is there?  Oh..pressing.  But no.  Whenever, mother came and asked me seriously, I was for it.  When I thought of the difficulties she was taking to hold the family, any work she said was a pleasure and I did it.  She never said anything unnecessarily.  Almost everything she did herself.  We were a family and we were nine members there and doing it all for nine individuals every day every time was some work.  Had our two brothers living away had been there she would have done it without complaint for them too.  The brothers and their wives were kind to us, so they went away with their children who were also little kids.

All the same they visited us at times which made us very happy.  At times when they separate living had problems both the brothers and their little families joined us and the whole house was agog with activities and sinergy.  At such times there twenty or more people at every meal.  Mother used to say, we do not have lunch or supper, but a feast all the time!!

Sisters used to broom the front area and sides of the house first thing in the morning.  But mother's works started even earlier before it became dawn.  She got up from the sleep when all of us will be dreaming and away out of this world but not mother.   She would have started a new fire in the kitchen stove with small firewood and the first meal would be being readied for those who had to leave early and tea will be on another stove which is given to all of us on getting up and brushing!   Each of us brought new problems which she went on solving and if there is anything beyond her, then she referred it to father!

Once most of us are off and almost all her works are over, she will come to the front side of the make shift house and will inspect the 'Karisu' tree holding the front side of the house!  She always worried that the 'Karisu' is growing with new sprouts and that had to be cut out.  If the new sprouts or new little branches are not cut out, they will slowly lift the tiles over them and let rain water seep into the rooms and also the walls!  The walls were made of earthen bricks which should not get wet or else they will slowly give way by dissolving in rain water!!

Along with her, I also looked at the 'Karisu' tree and felt that has to be cut out! I was growing up.  I thought that it would be a bad idea to help mother by cutting them out!  I asked her permission for the same and she hasitatingly gave it saying that I shall be extra careful not to slip which is a normal common difficulty on slanting tile roofs. I slowly but carefully, fixed the ladder, got on to the roof top and reached the 'Karisu' and cut out the extra branches! The slightly lifted up tiles now sat in place.  Mother was happy and told about it to father in the evening.  And he said:  'Hereafter you can tell such things to him, he will do it, he is my son!"  I was thrilled by that honour!  This was more than a diploma or degree to me!

Once that was over, the rains started!  Of course, the water from the roof did not occur.   But water started dripping at places where two tiles joined.  Normally it should not. But when the down pour is too heavy, some of the tiles, which had less depth on their grooves will send out overflow drippings into the inside of the house.  Again, mother was worried and this was brought to my notice where I was reading.  She asked if I can do something! "Yes, of course, we can stop it" was my reply.  I knew a little trick which in those days, everybody used to do.   A 'paala' (the la here is pronounced as the la in colour') is cut into pieces and one long piece is brought beneath the leaking joint and fixed by sending the two ends inside the wooden support holding the tiles.  That did the work and the leaking stopped.

For all kinds of works our home dog gave company. In the company of the dog, we were never alone.  He was a village dog, a brownie, but stood his ground when anybody was in difficulty. We, the children played with him to grow up.  He was too little when he was brought to our house.  He was bottle fed for a few days and given a gunny bag to sleep.  I still recalled my second eldest brother feeding him from a milk bottle.  Mind you, it was a time, when we children rarely got milk!  The little guy was cute and fast to grow up.  Soon he started to eat all kinds of foods and will be at our feet all the time, especially when we were at any meal.  Everybody out of love and affection gave him a little food or part of a delicacy which he relished.  But with father the bonding was different.  He had kept a small plate for him and food was equally served in his plate as well by mother.

He grew up and grew us all up by playing with us and protecting us and moving to places dangerous, where we could not.  He also forewarned us of impending dangers!  He was a guard to us all the time!  The most interesting part was when he slept just outside the door.  The door was not closed in those days at night.  Father used to sleep near the door.  He was an epitome of strength and when he was at the door, we had nothing to fear!  But the Brownie protected father too at night, by sleeping outside the door in the verandah.  Many times we saw when the temperature dipped the guy slowly crept in and slept side by side with father or any of us who were near by.

Soon when he was one foot in height and the canines were out he started to bark and at times growl.  That was menacing.  We reported the matter to father and he had a close look at Brownie.  He said :  "Oh..it is time he is castrated.  I will get Thomachettan to do it".  Thomachettan came next day with a 'X' trap and some leaf combination cream.  We children were asked to move away and he and father and eldest brother got to gether in the treatment and in a matter of half an hour the operation was done.  Thomachettan gave final warnings and instructions, not to distrub the dog for three days, and give some medicines which he entrusted father.  The dog should not be moved away from the gunny bag and allowed to rest.  A new leather dog collar and a chain (here chains are common instead of the leash) was brought and fixed on him, so that he may not run away to take his rounds, which was customary for him. 

We found he was operated for the removal of his testicles and we were told since it was a country dog, this part of it made him more docile and tamed. That was true.  He healed quickly surprising all of us children.  In a while we forgot all about it.  Brownie started to jump and run as usual and played with us.  The occasional growl and showing of the canines had gone!  Next ten to fifteen years were an epitome of man dog bond in which we were companion to each other.  The dog had a family in all of us and we had a loving Brownie who still lingers in our minds, after many many years of his passing away due to old age!