‘From the Tile Factory to the Altar’ “Ottukambaniyilninnu Altharayilekku” by Fr. Davis Kuttikkat..!

Now Reading: (personal)

‘From the Tile Factory to the Altar’ “Ottukambaniyilninnu Altharayilekku” by

Fr. Davis Kuttikkat..!

Devassy Chettan was locvingly called 'Dessiettan'.  An elder brother is always addressed as Ettan in Malayalam.  Nd Dessiettan was the way we little children around him always addressed him in the times of old.  Then the set up was a School where we were twelve to fourteen children around the big boy Dessiettan, spic and span in charming white dothi (Mundu) and white shirt.  Always ready to help any of us in need and when not helping us, would be doing some other serious errand from the Head Maser Manager of the School. That was Dessiettan in those days.  We children never knew why he was there or what his role was as were there to study well and in English medium.

The book in hand was about him, sort of a biography-cum-auto biography.

There are many books one read, but when a book enthuse us or help us to lead our life the purity’s way, one will quickly feel it.  One such book is the autobiographical book written by Fr. Davis Kuttikkat.  From time to time we all hear about the divine call to some one or the other in our surroundings among our friends or relatives.  Then they go for a pre-Seminary period, a Seminary period coupled with both general studies and theology and assorted studies and at last come out as fresh young priests.  All that interest us, enthuse us to an extent, no doubt.

But Fr. Davis’  story is different.   When one reads it he will be cleansed of his sins.  In another way to say is it will enthuse any one in the Christian way to live a better Christian life. Fr. Davis was called by God directly from childhood.  He had seen God in the eyes of his parents who used to make ardent prayer at the little prayer stand at home and it was common in the previous decades for all in the families in Kerala, to get together for the family prayer.  Also he was advised by his mother to live in purity and simplicity which he took to heart in those little years when the family was in utter poverty and in turmoil to make both ends meet.

His eldest brother who was looking after the household (after the death of his father) put him in various jobs from bonded labour to hard work in other companies including his job in the Tile Factory where he met with Father Jenesius as his says, being the leader of the Catholic Labour Association.  That leadership sat with him for a while as he was a very very devoted Catholic Prayer warrior without knowing it himself.  The Father enthused him so much he approached him to become a priest.  The Good Father gave him a letter to meet the Head Master cum Manager of a would be great School called St. Joseph’s Model Boys School of Thrissur where we met.

We were all like the pebbles in a turbulent river, without knowing it, and rolled over and over again, all of us!  We met again after a while in Thrissur me back to my household and studying for Pre Degree when Dessiettan in his usual spic and span white, with his unfailing smile, enquiring of me and my situation.  Offering to help me to get one concession or the other he took me through various organizations, guided me with the concerned application form filling and also coming with me to meet the heads of the organizations most of whom he knew personally. Then again we rolled on and I was thrown over to Delhi after trying a few other jobs and I lost contact with Dessiettan for a while.  I came home once in an year and at times met Dear Dessiettan at a bus stop or a busy intersection in a priestly cassock, and I raised the address to Brother Davis.  Then I heard he became a priest and congratulated him for that without knowing the pains he had taken, the rolls he had taken as a rolling stone in a turbulent river.

Now he had become Father Davis Kuttikkat.  Great to say that a congratulate him.  But when we heard the story of his pains and troubles, the bottle necks he had to pass through, many of them put in front of him by the Church authorities themselves, many a time not knowing the resilience and perseverance of Father Davis Kuttikkat.  For  knowing all that one has to read the bio-auto-biographical he has published in the name of ‘Ottukambaniyil Ninnu Altharayilekku’ (From the Tile Factory to the Altar) in Malayalam (for the time being until its English version comes out).

A Rainy Morning in Enamavu...!

The early morning in August 9 was really wet! The little ford on the side of our house gurgled continuously.  The water bird came early and was sitting on the verge of the ford in anticipation of the fish coming in the gushing waters.  The sky’s portent was for impending rain. 

The internet had said ‘Namasthe’ the day before.  Every time it happened when the rain hardened.  Once the net goes of the next item on the list is the TV which went off along with last evening’s severe thunder which was followed by heavy rain.  The heavy rain was continued on to the early morning with light rain and occasional spurt of heavy down pours.  However, the rain had stopped in the morning.  So the day break was good ! 

At day break the electricity had returned.  But that has not helped the TV transmissions which was still missing.  The news the day before were not good as several parts of Kerala was under water and more of rain was pouring in.  This had created anxiety to run to the TV to find out the latest hoping to hear the situation is improving.  Instead, our own TV has become detached now.  A check up on the telephones said the boosting towers do not have enough strength or no strength at all.  Now the picture is complete with the rain restarting.  The rain started with precision at 9 am as if a worker comes on the morning and starting work..!

All are well that ends well.  This is a time to think and return to the old times.  The books left to read, the news paper which has come of all odds bringing the news around all are to be taken up now.

There are two books collected from the Thrissur Public Library,  ‘The Hound of Baskervilles’and the Úprooting the Pumpkin’ both new books which have been selected as they are new books and new prints.  Both smelled good and delicious to the say the least!  The new prints have a fragrance of the ghee in the ink they use coupled with the freshness of the paper.  All make it mesmerising as one think of the childhood textbooks, which were bought at the beginning of the new classes.  In those days, once the new book is in hand, first thing done was opening it for the beauty of the print and then smelling it to see the fragrance they brought.  Then they were covered with good calendar papers or brown paper with great love as they are to be used all through the year!  Once that is done, then labelling is an art, either putting up small bits of white paper with the name, class, subject and name of school etc. ware neatly written in the best of hand possible.  These label slips are pasted with great care either on the top right corner or in the centre.  All these details are again repeated in the first inner page top right again, for fear, if ever the front cover is not seen or lost, then the book should have some details on the inner side. 

Many a times, no body else looked at it except the original user, but all of us got a feeling of doing it to the full required extent by doing all that.  The books generally were handled with great care and kept without any contact with water or other dirt regardless of the rain and other situations.  One may get wet in rain or slanting winds but not the books.  That was the care we gave in those days.  The books smelled good and remained fresh may be till the middle of the year and slowly they lost the feel of freshness and the fragrance of the newness through constant opening and closing which is a must in deep studies.  But nonetheless, they remained clean and neat by the upkeep.  Now that the new gadgets have come, books, book-reading and writing has become scant.  Even people go for a song or write up on the G-phone, instead of reading from a book or a sheet of paper with the song duly copy written.

Now the situation is suddenly reminding one to return to the times of old, as all the phones and TV are put to no use by the flood like situation and incessant rains.  The gurgle of the ford and the caressing rain with its drumming on the tin roof on the shed all make  musical orchestra.  All other sounds are off as electricity has failed ! There are umpteen number of reports in the only newspaper available in the morning, which means it will be a while when the power returned to activate the TV or any other sound making instruments.  In these circumstances, one can only read or write as one wished, nothing else!  The roads and bylanes also get water puddles and at times overflowing water which is a must watch and drive or drivers in the rain.  The one things missing of course is the sound of the frogs which used to be in plenty and making music in the times of old.  Where have they disappeared all on a sudden we don’t know. 

Yesterday was the anniversary of the floods of last year and the sudden spurt in rain and fury of the wind gusts have made all to wonder whether the flood itself has decided to return on the exact date!  We all hoped it is not so, but only a reminder.  We are all now waiting for the weather to improve and the weatherman to tell us all will be well soon.