The Seven sisters...!

The seven sister birds landed up on the jack fruit tree in the early morning itself.  They were just starting the day but from the early morning itself they had their differences of opinion.  The babbled so severely, that I had to make a show of 'about to throw a stone' acting on which they dispersed to distant trees but did not stop babbling. They kept on chirping on some unsolved issue as usual.

I never could get to know what could be their difference of opinion.  But from the various sisters who seemed to quarrel, these seven sisters could be human beings at a far far back time.  After a while I moved to the well to take water for daily use when these sisters came around again but without chirping.  They were keen looking for worms and other little food they could get under the trees where I had cleared some old leaves and branches. 

They also wait for my water which I used to put under the trees.  When the water is put they could get some water as well as some fresh worms which will come up when the loose soil is wet.  The well water is going down day by day as the summer is not receding even though there are shadows in the sky and at times lightning.  Monsoon is about to come.  The water in well has gone deep requiring the use of a pulley which I was avoiding so far.  The pulley marvel had helped people in this side of Kerala from a long long time.  The olden drum pulleys were built in wood which are generally non existent now.  The present pulley is made in steel with nice bearings on both sides.  The rope used in the pulley is now nylon instead of the old time coir which is now being revived.

The old time coir had an earlier competitor in the rubber beading rope which were generally cut out from the old time tyres etc.  Now that the tyre technology went on inserting steel plates etc. or so, the use of rubber rope is not seen being used or being av available. 

The 'seven sisters' have now moved away and a 'copper smith' has appeared on the scene looking for water and food.

In Honour of Mother...!

Mothers are a different lot. They come from heaven. They give everything they have to their children and become happy in what they have given. Then, they smile and return to heaven to smile at as twinkling stars at night to look after us. This was the case of my mother who never asked anything but always wanted to see us happy and wanted to give us something always, how so ever, little it was!

When we were little children she used to take us to the morning mass, through the short cut way, through the paddy fields and by lanes. In those days, the by lanes were un-tarred and on both sides were hedges made by little bamboo branches with thorns. Well done up by the artisans of the time and bound by the latest kind of steel wire, these hedges were places where snakes made their nests and even other wise grazing them will bruise us. Mother always watched over us to see we did not walk too close to the hedge or our feet do not strike against little rock stones which protruded at places on the walk path.

Once on the motor roads she was all eyes and ears to see that we cross the road safely, even though vehicular traffic was very little. She gave us directions to be pious in the church and be attentive before we entered the church. On the way back she allowed us to collect holy water for the house hold use from a special area where it was kept for taking by the parishners. At times I watched here during the mass and she was on her knees with the customary kerala Christian dress fully immersed in prayer. It seemed she was seeing Jesus and was talking to him for our well being. I never thought, she ever, prayed for herself. It will always be for us or for Father or somebody who is sick or in difficult circumstances in the family.

Once home, she was busy preparing food for us. In preparing food in olden times, it was A to Z work without the help of any kind of gadgeteries. Apart from the curring knife, scraping seat and the grinding stone everything had to be done by hand. The vessels were earthenware and the normal kitchen fire was smoky if one did it without expertise. Once suffered a lot of smoke and heat in the process any way as continuous standing near the item being cooked was a necessity as many of the dainty dishes were cooked under continuous stirring in low heat. Whenever things are put on low heat cooking, it is customary, the time taken will be much longer. This was the reason of the extreme patience of all golden mothers. And my mother did it every day.

The one and only request my mother made to me was “Son, now you can go and study”: She always said that and that sent me away to the front of the house where I used to sit down for study. While studying, she will come near me always asking “Do you want some tea?” Tea is only tea water only, a little tea dust boiled in water with a piece of jaggery. That was the stuff we had and that was the stuff we took. This too was normally supplied in the households only in the morning and evenings. But in our case as most of the children were studying, most of the time, one relaxation was put for us, that tea water is supplied and I was a permanent welcomer to this peculiar drink which till date thrills me. My mother will be smiling in heaven when I write this. She always knew, I liked it and she brought it to me upteen number of times, when she came to me to speak to me, about general matters.

Every once in a while she made some delicacy or the other and fed us. At times father brought choicest fish and it was mother who cooked it or fried it under father's directions. Such culinary delights from such ever fresh fish or meat, I have, never had even in the best of holtels, all over the world. Father used to say : “Eat as much as you can now when we are able to procure and feed it to you. In your own times, how so ever rich you may be, who knows, whether you can have all that delights”. He proved proverbial. Mother always sided with him and said : “Just heard what he said, have as much as you want” We did have as much as we wanted whenever supply was plenty.

Once while she was returning from church there was a small hurricane and all the trees were shaking. This was time just before the rains and rains were in the offing. She was walking home and she found the mango trees are shaken violently and all the ripe mangoes were falling on the road. She picked up as much mangoes as she could, kept in her whilte dothi (which she used to wear specially for church only) slowly walked back home without any consideration about her own safety. The garden fresh mangoes were a relishers delight. While relishing the mangoes, I asked her “Mother, you should have taken shelter somewhere, instead of going collecting the mangoes” She was casual in her reply : “When we come from church, Jesus will not allow any harm to come to us, not even a single mango tree or its branch fell whole of the time, I was on the road!” I was aghast at her deep faith!

Times went by and Ileft for my job to far off Delhi which took the first toll through the death of my father. He could not take the shock of my leaving the family. It became evident to me after a few months of my leaving home, which was a full home of several children and father and mother, as was the order of most of the households of the time. But against all odds, mother held on. She said “My son has got a good jobs far away in Delhi, but he comes every year” ! She said the every year with insistence. That was the ration of time, I could provide her! Once she said: “Ever since you leave, I keep counting the dates on the calendar..!” This statement of hers used to wet my eyes even to this day, even after long long she is gone..! She is still counting the dates for me in Heaver..!

The love of mothers...! That is unparalleled..! Those who enjoyed, those who relished it can never forget it..! (About the love of the father, next time...!)