Rain time in Thrissur and around!

 The heat of Kerala was at its top a couple of weeks back. The picture changed to slight drizzle and moderate rain, beginning May. Soon the enjoyment of new rain was changed to awe as a few days through the rain became incessant and all roads and canals started to submerge on severe rains. 

The overall sky was totally over clouded and a dark hue persisted in the mornings and afternoons. The wells in our area became almost filled but for one or two rings!

News were filled with reports of tree falls and such other minor accidents. One has to be extremely careful on journeys outside as climatic fury may come up at any time. 

We are taking care to drive slow and at late mornings through noon time. It's better to be back before dusk.

Happy and Blessed New Year to all who read this in 2025!

 The year 2024 is closing in on all of us and we are all ushering into 2025!

Our heart felt condolences and prayers for all those who could not make it

to the end of this year for various unfortunate reasons which we are told from

time to time by all kinds of media.  

A word of Congratulations to all of us who could make it and are entering

2025!  Let us all try and strive to make 2025 a beautiful year of brotherhood

and friendliness!

May God Bless one and all...!

The July end rain!

     July is rainy season in Kerala. That doesn't mean it rains all the time.  Only it remains mostly rainy.  But today it changed to a rain fury, a non stop rain from the early hours of the morning.

      By ten o clock the morning, the roads got partly submerged and where they did the road and the side canal, which is the normal water exit, were one with the road flow.  This makes it lethal to small children, elderly or people not used to the place to walk there on the road until the water exits.

     It takes usually three to four hours for the water to flow out to the lake after the rain stops.  But here, today the rain is not stopping.  We all wait for the rains to stop.

     Rains in different parts of the country and rain fury in other parts of the globe make one uneasy when faced with such continuous rain.   Hope it will stop soon..!

Little bathroom stories

 Bathroom stories:

The '30 per cent free' is a must see in the corner of the bath room.  It is a usage seen these days in all malls and supermarkets.  The eyes goes to such flags on the covers in the shops.  As prices go up the search also intensifies.  

There are other kinds of attractions too, '50 per cent off', 'buy one get one free', and the ubiquitous 'sale, sale, sale'.  Coming back to my bath room this is only a shaving cream tube with its cover with 30 per cent free.  

The shaving puff always gave a cosy feeling every time the eyes fell on the 30 per cent free.  As all common people I also fall into it.  The shaving lather with the lemon fragrance is an add on or extra.

The prices of things kept on went up, so did the shaving creams.  It is a matter of nostalgia to have the old shaving round back.  The old Godrej round was the lowest in prices and best in usage.  Then came the great TV entertainments and eye catching advertisements.  The Godrej went out and came in shaving cream tubes at a very higher cost.  We have to go with the advertisements in the TV.

After a long time I came back to the old Godrej round and it is a special feelings, my friends! 

Back pain and back

     It is not easy to get back from back pain.  As long as one does not have it, one does not know the pain of it.  It is like people going to church not understanding the pain of the one on the cross.  

The day I got it is vivid in my memory.  Can't move in the bed either to the left or to the right.  Next is the pain to get up  It will hurt at the girdle joining the backbone and shoot up to the right shoulder.  I can't sneeze or cough.  Careful me avoid doing both.  Slowly I crawl out of bed and move around with pain at every step.A long search brings out the ayurvedic oil in my stock and it is applied in the area of pain and gives some relief.  Quick relief.  Then is some hot water treatment which alleviates a little more pain.  At that point I am exhausted and crawl back to my bed and take rest.  Reason enough for not writing or sitting at the computer.

    Of course, walking and driving is out of question.  Can ruminate, read and watch the rains which is plenty in Kerala this time of the year!

The rain slowly stopped. Slowly my pain also got off. The sallaki tablets and the dashamoolam kashayam were working on me along with the oil massage which was done at the point of pain to alleviate the painful catch. 

The hot water baths after the massage also helped. Now I am some what back on the rail.

Thank God! It is really something to be in pain and be back.

Funerals make us sad, sick and Reviewing!

 The father came to the end. The situation was pensive and people including the family members of the departed old lady sat around  her coffin.  The perfume of frankincence wafted from a thurible being swung for the occasion.  Most of the known people men, women and children kept on standing around.  Those who were around the coffin took part in the prayers which was led by the priest. 

The short service ended in a few minutes and the coffin was lifted to be put into the hearse van which is mostly available in churches in Kerala these days.  In earlier days the dead body is carried by people, generally the family members and near and dear.  Now only procession is attended by all attending and the body goes in the hearse and the priest and a few people follow is the church is near and in other cases they follow in other vehicles.

My wife and I attended as theirs were a dear family near to us and the deceased were well and good when we settled in the area.  But after a few years, her health started to dwindle and slowly she was bed ridden.  Many women in Kerala go down the lane in health once they get bed ridden.  Here also, it was not different.  Of course, friends and neighbours make visits from time to time but that is not enough for a good recovery if at all a recovery is possible.  Many a time, these days, a recovery is not possible due to high sugar, blood pressure or heart stroke etc.

We started walking to the church which is near by.  Within half an hour we were attending the service in the church followed by the burial.  All ended in a few more minutes.  All prayed for the departed which is now a relief as this was not possible in the last two years which just passed due to the Corona pandemic.  Now, God's grace, all are able to take part in the services! All returned home after the services.

The Muthappans in the Thattakams!

 Was picking up  wooden pieces to put them in the bright sun to warm them before using them for firewood..! In this November when rain is expected on and off, it is worth while to warm them in the bright sun whenever available.  The activity brought out a little frog hiding in the wood pieces.  Normally, they are shooed away. But not now, as the remembrance of Kovilan came to mind. He described the old saying in and around his place that the frogs around the house as the souls of the old forefathers who are coming to see the welfare of the present day followers!  

At every pick of the dry woods, the little frog moved a little to go under another piece and when they are picked to yet again to another wood piece.  At last, all the pieces were over and the little frog is now without any hiding place.  Yet, it slowly moved to a corner side of two walls joining and sat there as if it is a hiding place.

There was a large frog the day before which was jumping around the day before in the evening.  They do so to find the places where there are insects and worms which are edible to them.  But they are sensible enough to hide during the day away from the houses!

When all the pieces were over the little frog was left to its wise decision. When Kovilan wrote that the frogs, he called them 'Muthappans' in his novel 'Thattakom' , were believed to the the forefathers, coming up again it started me thinking. Even if we did not believe it, one thing for sure, they need for consideration and a loving look from all of us!   After a while I looked up the little frog.    It was long gone.   They find their own safe places, if not picked up by other preying birds!

A sigh of relief after the Corona period..!

 The corona years from March 2020 to 2022 was a numbing period. Travel became difficult. Moving around in the village became difficult.  The mask and sanitizer descended on us! An affidavit was required to move around to go and buy rations from the corner shop.  Some how, we out lived all that.  In between a number of our near and dear left this world unceremoniously.   Some did not even get a good funeral.  Many could not see the near and dear at the end hours and after that they went to polythene coverings  and straight to the burning ghats!  Many could not get that too as we heard in the news.

Tough times prevailed for those who travelled.  RTPCR and PPE kits were unavoidable in journeys!   That is how we all were numbed.  Now things are slowly back to normal.  Only face mask and sanitizer are the only need now. 

All have a sigh of relief now. 

One or two instruments helped all at those times were the Mobile phone and the television.  Those inventions really helped us to keep us abreast of most of the happenings around  and to contact near and dear!

Let us all take a sigh of relief..!

The train journey

 There he was to go to Chennai. The usual journey between Chennai and Thrissur. Car pulled up at the old entrance, that is. Due to various accidents, the entry has been shut fast with wire mesh. We travelled back again to an open staircase to the station for entry.

Here, four sets of steps staired at us. A climb with two suit cases and two bags is a thorough TMT test. I drank water at the top of the stairs and waited for the breath to be normal.

A walk on the overhead bridge was pleasant but there comes another four steps. Overcame that too. I had done twenty steps a little before, four steps are child play. But with two suit cases and one bag it is not that pleasant.

Before the thought of my age I glance upon an escalator. My heart jumped. I pulled my cases straight to it to be greeted with the huge sign board saying the escalator is not allowed for down journeys. My heart sank. I took the deep breath exercise again. 

Now the down journey to the platform.  Twenty steps down. Bags and suit cases down one by one. Then pull them on the platform, thanks to the suit wheels. On a bench, the mosquitoes of Thrissur sign us off.

The Alleppey Chennai Express is a majestic one. Slight late coming always agreed with us.

The pilot stopped the train. Our coach number 8 was on the dotted position of number 18. On the waiting bench we got a great companion, a professor of IT. We spent 25 minutes in great friendly talk and entrained. The professor was a great help to get in. 

Once in Alleppey Chennai Express one can relax. The coaches are old, but have an elegance of their own! I would sleep through the night, but for my prostrate making get up for urinal visits at nights. But I am used to it now. With time, anybody get used to any thing. 

It is getting late friends. All my co travellers have gone to bed and put off the lights. Time to retire now. Good Night until we see in Chennai tomorrow. Hope for a cloudy sky. May God Bless!

The Corona Times!

 

The Corona Times!

The days were running fine with the news broadcasts about a virus in the air!   People were all busy as is usual on any given day.  Still it struck some as something unusual as a subject to come through the television sets.

Many news items and many movies are always telecast.  Mostly matters connected with the day to day living and some accidents etc.  But a virus thing was not there.

This was making us apprehensive.  Over and above a symbolic one day curfew was being mentioned on the third or fourth Sunday of March of 2020.  Since we were to reach Kerala before that, I argued with my son, "We are just going on time.  We don't know when we can travel back to Chennai".  He was confident and said: "Oh..you can e a ticket after Sunday.  The curfew is only for one day, that too as a sample"

There he was right.  But once in Kerala, we were stay put to hear the random spread of virus and there by a halt in all kinds of traffic, announced by Governments and local bodies, afterwards. At times roads were blocked in the name of containment zone activation and so on. It took us one and a half years to travel back to Chennai again!   By that time, things had improved a lot.  In between, there was a total stoppage of travel including rail travel and air travel.  We read in newspapers that people walked kilometers and kilometers to reach their loved ones in far off places.  Daily deaths were reported in the TV and papers.  The news all through the day almost made us sick.  However, a strong faith in God and prayers acted as an energizer all through those tough times.

The State Government saw to it that all got food kits which was a real blessing when movement were totally banned and all were asked to be at home and not to come out except for rations or emergency occasions.  The only places we went were the ration shop and the groceries.   Oh..those times, was an eye opener from the earlier free free times.

The Bargaining Beggar..!

 The Bargaining Beggar!

Oh..these are hard times. We always melt by the writings in the newspapers and visuals in the tv sets.

A lady coming to our house for alms used to get two rupees earlier.  The conditions changing, it was raised to five.  Then the simple lady said:  Please give ten rupees which did not go very well with me, even though I did not say anything to her.  At times I paid her ten also.  Once she got ten rupees, she always expected ten rupees.  Once she said she is going to her native place and wanted a little more.I thought it reasonable and gave her a slightly bigger sum. She went happily.

Now I shifted my station to a bigger city in South India.  Here I used to travel with my family.  Once day, a lady seemingly poor but healthy stood on the side of the road and signed for stopping our car.  I brush off such stuff, as I do not accept the way side bullying for alms or for that matter for begging at red lights during heavy traffic.  Since I was not in the driving seat, I had no role and my friend stopped the car and slid down the wind shield.  The lady looked in and asked for alms.  My friend pulled out his purse and took out a hundred rupee note and gave her.  I thought it was a huge sum for alms as it goes and expected the lady to thank or bless him.    Nay...,  she said..."Enna Saamy, hundred fifty kodungaiaah" (Hundred?, Give hundred and fifty!).  I was dismayed at the audacity of the woman.  My friend drove off.

PS: Later, that day, I advised him that he should not have stopped the car in the first instance)

An Old Bicycle Accident

         I had to prove it in competition.  The old school master was kind as well as tough.  He had been allowed two bicycles on rent by a benefactor of his, to teach us students, around twenty of us.  

        The first selection for the aspirant learners by calling who can freely bicycle on the road in the afternoon if they are provided with a bicycle.  The two bicycles were standing beside us, one a brand new white half bicycle which was a great stuff in the sixties (1960s). Another one was a black one, new but not so elegant.

        I was filled with excitement and my hand went up.  The master ji said : "Give him the first cycle".  Next, I was bicycling on that brand new bicycle with an elder brother holding me from behind to keep me not falling.  As it was a boarding school for those in the poorer echelons of life, but good to study, this brother whom we called Desiettan was always minding us when he was available there.  He later went on to become priest.   He patiently guided me on the bicycle, how to balance, how to keep looking forward while bicycling etc.  

        After half a day's running by him behind me and myself trying to take in the intricacies of this great art, I was well balanced by lunch time.  After lunch we were taken out for the competition.  The other bicycle had been shared by two boys as number of aspirants had gone up after me. We were arranged on the Trichur highway to go to the Chiyyaram side a one kilometre ride.  A few boys stood guard at various points to watch if we are doing it properly and not getting down on the way.  

        We all started earnestly and went past on our left, according to the left side driving followed here and without much problem reached Chiyyaram.  The road was smooth, occasional vehicles passing up or down. On either side of the road was water flowing canals with overgrown green grass.  I got down at Chiyyaram and after a couple of leg pushes got on to my return trip, our well placed watch guards (our school friends) watching me.  So far, so good!  Here after was the incident of my life.  I was bicycling cool, when  a bus was coming against and a car was honking from my behind.  On to my left in front was an elderly gentleman walking leisurely with his dothi up in one hand and a packet on the other.  I was almost reaching him and the car fellow honked again from just my back.  OH....That did it.  I was so terrified, I went through the arm pit of the elderly gentleman,...on to..the..water canal.  You can imagine. In the fright, I did not fear the water or the condition of the canal, but as the car which was coming after me.  Neither could I brake nor look back how far away the car was.  I went sprawling into the water and mud, the little bicycle between my thighs.  I stood on my hands for a few seconds before recovering from the shock.

        Then, slowly I came out to face the elderly gentleman!  I was afraid he would beat me.  He didn't, but consoled me saying "I have children like you at home.  Tell me if you have any pain"  That was a solace.  He had his well pieced mutton scattered all over by my sudden hit from behind.  I feebly enquired of him if I could get him replacement for the lost meat.  He  said "I told you, you just be good and return home and don't bicycle on this high way.  It is dangerous. Do it on the inner roads.  Meat and all, I can take care of"   He was an angel for me at that moment.

        I thanked him,  and afterwards, God for him and started pushing the cycle for  a while.  Once he was out of sight, I climbed on again and completed the trip. All the same, report had gone, that I have failed the Test...!   I had fallen/got down from the bicycle on the way..!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boy who made it to the Capital: Reclamation of lost time!We were losing time. Al...

The boy who made it to the Capital:  Reclamation of lost time!We were losing time.  Al...:   Reclamation of lost time! We were losing time.   Always checked if a day could be more than 24 hours. But it never could be stretched. T...

 

Reclamation of lost time!

We were losing time.  Always checked if a day could be more than 24 hours. But it never could be stretched. The amount of information we wanted to take in and the kind of work we wanted to do in a day was enormous.  Earlier, there was a set of works for a day.  It slowly changed with the telephone and internet.  The writing machines were also there.  First the radio and afterwards, the TV were also to be given time.

We did all that.  Earlier more time was spent with father, mother and siblings.  Slowly we took the best out of them and avoided them to attend to the new items which appeared.  They felt the erosion in the love and affection.  They explained it by the time erosion in their common spent time.

Children growing up is like a steam engine being prepared for the long haul.  The father and mother are busy supporting the little ones and enjoying their lovely antiques of childhood.  They grow up and their needs increase.  The father and mother never give up.  They increase their effort to fulfil the needs of the young ones who also grow up in between.  Like the firemen throwing more coal to the furnace and the train picking up speed.  The train pick up speed and whistle!  What a joy, the parents think.  What a joy, the children think.  Then all are certain of the level speed. 

 

Then the children notice they have grown up.  They notice they can manage the train by themselves! New acquaintances come into near proximity bringing in new knowledge and advices. The big station comes and the youngsters think the parents can get down.  That is a beginning.  Those who get down can get back in when the train returns!  The youngsters who leave will always return and be reunited! 

The ones moving away fondly remember the good times, but has to take care of new works and assignments.  For which all gadgets are useful! From practice of the old type-writing to electric, electronic type-writing to computer and associated equipment and floppy drive – pen-drive mechanisms are all used.  One has to keep up with the day to day news for which the TV and its connected stuff all come into daily lives. Connected are the radio and the present ubiquitous Android. 

Whenever they get cut of,  one remembers the old times and the good old times. But alas, we have lost precious love time.  At times, the loved ones are not there and at times they are too old to enjoy normal matters of life. 

Now I am reclaiming time.  By putting off my TV set and not watching my android. Covid has taught me that.  The authorities have given us more time by clamping up the lock-down.  No going out any where like spirits who don’t get any respite in the netherworld.  Absolute peace! No ride outside, no going for drive, no going for taking in the breeze and no stepping out of the house!

I had previous experience of this during the time of my youth hood when I used to travel to Delhi in the Jayanthi Janata express.  It used to take around 56 hours who later became 48 and still after wards was curtained to 36 hours.  In those trips no body ever going anywhere out of the train coach.  Timely food and drinks are served by very efficient stewards who used to find joy in that work. That was roughly two and half days at a stretch in a train coach.  With 72 to 80 people in every coach, it was not thought to be so strenuous in those days.

Even though such travels were enjoyable, the love time with out parents were being curtailed as we were going away from them. Neither of us knew or thought of it at that time.  Slowly it dawned on us, by the time one parent was gone, one was ailing and siblings who went far and wide were scarce to  interact due to their own new lives.

 

Now we all have returned to the roots to count the old days and reclaim the times lost..!  But the some of the near ones are lost, parents and gone and the many are ailing.  Still the silver lining is there.  Even though ailing they are alive and without major problems!  Is that not a great thing to thank God?

The mass and prayers during Covid…!

 

The mass and prayers during Covid…!

 

The news of not more than 5 people or 20 people to assemble for mass was the beginning.  Added was the addition those above 65 years and below 10 years shall not attend to avoid Corona.

From March 3^rd week on wards on 2020 this has been the state.  By this time the small television channels through which Holy Mass was telecast became a solace in the morning mass.  There was mass in all the rites available in Kerala including Latin Malayalam Mass which is usually telecast at 8 in the morning.

The mass in the Latin, is always crisp and to the point and generally takes half an hour.  Usually it is telecast on 'Shalom'TV at 8 am.  The Father blesses all with absolution and proceeds with the mass procedures and deep prayers!   Our Father in Heaven is said after the main Mass Hymns ae pronounced by the celebrant.  The peace is exchanged and the declaration and hope of the death and resurrection of our Lord is declared and the pronunciation of the Glory and Honour to the Lord is done.  The father receives the Holy Communion.  Then the final blessings follow and the Celebrant declares the end of the mass and asks the attendants that ‘The Mass is ended, Go and serve the Lord…!’

The same mass in the Syro Malabar rites would take about an hour if not more.  Some prayers would be repeated and there may or may not be singing in between.

An evening walk during the Covid days...!

The evening walk is a 40-50 minute exercise.  The dress up and leaving is complete with a face mask which is made by a white cotton hand-ker-chief.  It is cumbersome in the beginning but one gets used to it.  That is how I found it.  Only thing is the exhaling air moves up into the spectacles and grounds its surface which we have to remove and swipe often times.

Walking out, the by-lane roads are mostly empty due to the covid threat and only very necessary people come out.   As it is rainy, there could be an occasional shower any time and water crossing the road or at places stagnating is usual.  There are hens checking the mud for little worms and competing with them are the crows, minahs and n occasional copper smith.  As long as it is the road up to the paddy fields, this is the state.  Once I enter the paddy field area, just after the "Konchira Muthi" shrine,  (Muthi is the Malayalam for Grand Mother which the local people have given to St. Mary of Pompey, who is venerated in the shrine) I make a sign of  "In the name of the Father...." and proceed on to the paddy field road where there are intersecting canals carrying a lot of water where a few guys are sitting with long fishing rods and on the green fields are the small cranes, water birds looking for the fish available in the water.  An occasional king fisher sits on a lonely tree waiting for a rare sighting of his daily meal which is a small fish.  Once he locates one, now he located one, he went into the water and flew up with the little fish in its beak.!

In this drama, there was a little commotion on my left side water body from where a small crane fluttered out giving a "eeek..eeek" sound.  It was a small frog in the beak of the crane which was making its sos call.  But in the natural scenario there is nothing much to be done as the crane was going over a water expanse and going to a choice place to take his early dinner.  Since it crossed me I turned around to see its trajectory.  It went over an exanse encircling me,  reached a place on the road which I had already covered and settled to have its dinner.   I walked on.  The field expanse if a 10-12 kilometre area or more which is said to be 'kole-padam'  (said to be below sea level paddy fields).
One gets to see a good expanse of the free sky here with various cloud formations and wind movements and the evening skies make a colourful canvas at times.

Walking up at the end of my country road and turning to the tarred road between various houses the land scape changes to house compounds on both sides and an occasional motor cycle or car or any kind of other vehicles coming at times.  Those who walk for walking a too little or nil.  But there are people going or coming with daily errants or needs such as going to the market etc. would be there. In some houses children will be playing at some other vehicles and cars would be seen parked.  The vehicles mostly don't run after covid.  They all are parked mostly.  Rare occasions they try to run. The earlier days before covid, most of them rarely used to stop, now the plate is reversed.

On the way comes the city market of the village where most of the wares are sold and purchased.  This place too people are less out marketing.  And those who come are all in their masks and keeping a fair distance.  After the market comes the church of St. Mary, now so silent, the mother blessing all of us passing by.  As all are taking precautions and directions given by the local government, the daily mass etc. are conducted with very few able bodied only in attendance and other programmes are generally postponed.

After the church, a few more steps, I hear my next compound neighbour firing his bullet motor cycle for his evening run.  That makes my evening walk during these covid times, my friends!

The boy who made it to the Capital: A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus

The boy who made it to the Capital: A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus: This is a story from one of my earlier trips..!          We reached the bus stop early in the morning.   Had just come out of the Rai...

A 'Morning Mass' in the Line Bus

This is a story from one of my earlier trips..!

         We reached the bus stop early in the morning.  Had just come out of the Railway Station after a strict health check up.  But we were a bit too early for the next bus.  The bus stop lacks space as the on coming buses for Kozhikode and Kunnamkulam come almost to your toes.  One has to be careful here and paste oneself to the boundary wall not to get hurt.  And there are other travellers or those waiting for other buses.  Most of the people left for Guruvayur, a pilgrimage centre and to either Kunnamkulam or Kozhikode.  Now we were left with ourselves (my wife and I) and an elderly poor looking Tamilian lady.  As we could be spotted as travellers the auto rikshaw operators will come one after the other to  invite us as their passengers. We refuse. Next is the Guruvayoor Bus conductors.  We refuse them too as their route doesn’t suit us.  Then they would want to know where we are headed.  Out of courtesy we blurt out our destination.  They tell us as much guidance as a return courtesy.  Next was the old lady standing near us. ‘Where are you going?’ We feel we don’t have to. But don’t want to be counted arrogant, we reply ‘Enamavu’.  She explains we are too early.  The first bus in this route is six fifteen.  ‘I also take that bus ahead to Guruvayur’ .  A sudden feeling of closeness comes among us.  Now we are free to talk. But we don’t have nothing much to speak.So the lady continues by hearself: “I go to Guruvayoor everyday to sell jasmine flowers.” I reply to show courtesy ‘Oh..’   And she takes it as my interest and continues:  “I live here in a big house of a big officer. They never take any rent from me.  I can live there all my life”   “Oh….” I say again and she continue “But I shall never become a burden or trouble for them”  “I sell flowers in front of Guruvayoorppan.  He keeps me well in life”.  By my next Oh….the bus came and she hurried to the front gate of the bus as ladies enter through the front gate in buses  in this part of the country.  That kind conversation so ended.

        Even other wise a bus conversation  or a bus stop conversation does not go far or stay on.  These are chance meetings like the far flying cosmic objects passing near by.  Most satisfying little conversations lasting few seconds or minutes.  At times they make an impression, at times not and are forgotten.

I scrambled in with my two little suit cases and kept them behind the last but one seat where there is a little more space.  Once that was settled, I noticed the one going to be my seat fellow.  A fragile dark hued fellow in a blue shirt, most probably a Gentleman from a neighboring state, looking away through the side window of the bus..!  His fragile stature struck me…! Since he was looking away, I could view him closely.  For a moment I wondered if I have to sit there or in a near by different seat as there were plenty of free seats as it was an early morning first trip for the bus.  But then, it will be construed that I dislike a person who is not that good to sit with as he is poor!   It was time for the morning mass.  Had I been at mass, I shall be praying to Jesus who would have definitely asked me “Didn’t you see me when I was in the bus?”  That would be a question, I may not be able to answer.  That decided it for me. I sat in the seat along with him.    Once settled, my task was to fix my two little suit cases on the huge tyre placed behind a half seat.  Once it was being done the fragile man turned to me and was helping me adjust the boxes.!  Touching that was!  He was not thinking of me, perhaps.  He was only just helping a hand which was trying to adjust his luggage.  Now that was done!  I sat back. And the fragile man also sat back.  The Bus Conductor has started collecting the bus charge now and each one is now taking out the charges in their hand.  I took out the needed amount and kept ready.  My friend in the seat was keenly counting a lot of coins in his fragile hand.  Now the charges have gone up and most of the passengers give their charges in notes mostly.  But here this gentleman was counting a number of coins in his right hand.  He was counting them with his left hand.  In my old times my childhood there was a time when we used to keep small coins in the ‘gullocks’ (piggy-banks) and open it during our festivals to buy possible guddy-guddies.  By the time my friend finised counting the conductor was near us and he gave his coin stock and the conductor counted it at a glance and simply told the old man “The amount is two rupees less” for which my friend did not give any reply.   The conductor did not linger on it, he quickly turned to me.  I paid our charges and he moved away.   Now I was free to inter-act with my friend.  I asked him: “Where are you going?”  “Guruvayoor” he replied.  “Do you have family and other members?” I asked.  “Yes, at Vellaloor”  He was fragile but his answers were simple and straight forward.  “Where is this place” I further blurted out.  He said “Near Kadalur” .   “Oh…I got it, it was near Kadalur which was affected badly in the Tsunami?    I asked.    And he replied:  “Athu than..!”  (That’s it).   “What are you going to Guruvayoor for?” I asked again for which he did not answer but showed both his hands in a gesture as some one would beg for alms with both hands open.    For a moment I was ashamed of myself, I should not have asked that question.  The man was unknowingly very clean in his answer.  He is going to beg till the evening when he may, perhaps, catch the bus back.  That was why the conductor did not ask him where was going.  I scrambled my pocket for a small note which I put into his hands!”  His face lit up a bit….   And that was my morning mass!  It was time for me to get down.  I got up and unbuckled my boxes for which he too was helping me with his fragile hands!  I waved him a good -bye saying   “We will meet some other time, friend” I said.  It brought a wide smile on his face and he waved me back.   And my day was made!  I got out of the bus and the bus moved on to Guruvayoor..!

അക്ഷരമെഴുതാൻ ഒരു മോഹം (A desire to write letters) (Malayalam)

Mathew at the Morning Mass....!

It was a non-issue.  How many times the father looks at Mathews direction.  Mathew never gave a damn to it.  But today, it was different.  That, Mathew was in a mood to attend a good Mass but reached late.  That does not matter on the usual style.  But today, the priest has changed, and the new priest was said to be a stickler.  He has just been told that the priest insists upon every body to have their mass book and be responding from it during the holy mass.  Mathew did not have the book and as a custom, never looked at any religious books.  Now, there are mass books kept at the centre book stand, but to walk up there to the centre of the church hall, made Mathew squirm. No, that is not possible.  In the glaring view of all, one side all the male gender and on the other the women.  Mathew knew that the men folk will rarely care for who is going where even if you walk on their toes, but it is the women he was afraid of.  Some of the women may look at him and he may not be able to look back at them.  So there would be no knowing who were looking or ogling and then the rumour will spread that Mathew Bhai never comes with his mass book. That is something Mathew would like to avoid. 

So he stood where he stood without moving and slightly with a slanting head ogled at the priest who was elderly and in grey hair.  To his utter surprise, the priest was still looking in his direction.  This is absurd, Mathew thought.  A new priest, only two days into the church, looks so intently at a parishner for not carrying a reading from a book?  He started looking down now.  Then a new idea struck him.  The Verger John is his friend.  He is near the altar smoking up the frank incense.  Once he gives the frank incense smoke vessel to the alter boy, he will go out to do other errands.  Now he can go out to meet John and enquire of him why the priest is looking at him.  Soon enough, John walked out and Mathew followed him through another door and met him at the outside step of the church. 

“Oh Mathew, what is the matter? Coming out before the mass is over?”

Mathew answered “No, no, not that.  I just wanted to know why the new priest is looking straight at me. Is it because, I don’t have the mass book?”

John  :“Is he?  You are the first person bringing up something like this. He is a stickler for people having the mass book, alright.  But not heard of looking at anybody personally.  If you want I shall check for you”  and he walked away busily inside the church.

Mathew made a couple of guffawing sounds as if he was clearing his throat in the morning fog, and slowly walked back to his place.  Now the father was looking at the other direction.  Mathew was relieved.   Once in a while Mathew ogled at the priest as he was sceptical of the new priest.  And Lo!  After a few minutes just before a long stretch of prayer, there is the new priest looking in his direction again!  He was really astounded now. He stopped looking at the priest now.  He joined his hands in prayer and closed his eyes, but mentally he was seeing the priest.  He thought about the last priest in place of the new one.  He was also an elderly priest, who spoke in very low voice that even the mike had to struggle to pick up his voice.  Even then it was difficult for the parishners to decipher it.  But he never looked at the individuals during the mass.  He saw all but never saw any, that was his attitude.  His prayers and method of offering the mass was crisp and with precision.  He never added anything to the long prayers, rather at times omitted some of the lengthy areas to the relief of the many.  Now the new priest seemed to be exactly the opposite to this.  He did not add anything, but would keep all the prayers in the book and recite them to the full and in good strong voice.  Added to this was his looking in Mathew’s direction. 

The mass went on and Mathew prayed on and at last the mass came to an end.  Mathew hurriedly came out of the hall to catch hold of the Verger John, who would be now proceeding to the cemetery for the arrangements for the prayers for the departed.  He was coming out of the church with the usual holy water and the fathers vestments for the prayers in the cemetery.  Mathew walked up to John who was walking with long strides. “Hai, John, anything”

John was startled, as he thought it was the Priest calling him from behind.  Once he saw Mathew his anxiety gave way to a smile.  He said smilingly : “Oh Mathew…You were worrying unnecessarily.  The new priest is a holy man.  He has difficulty in seeing the words in the Holy Qrbana Book.  The Thaxa, the Holy Mass Book Holder is kept in your direction.  When he looks insistently into the book, you feel that he is looking at you” “Go..go..happy and have your morning break fast at ease”

“Oh…” That was a sigh of relief which came out of Mathew after such a mental struggle all through the mass.  Now he happily walked home for a good break fast..!