Tharavaad       (Part I )                                                            My story

“Hi, uncle, I am Gauri Luka” a fatty, short heighted semi dark skinned woman greeted me and I am confused. I stared at her inquiringly. Her large round breasts struggle hard to break out of her tight  American tunic and her red lipstick coated lips and the tight jean leggy convinced me that she is certainly  an ultra modern new Gen child.  But her face is in a dimly manner familiar to me; yet I could not locate the source and finally I surrendered and helplessly said ‘ I am sorry, I can’t remember you,  please help me”.

She put her hands on her head in  a surprised manner and  said “ I am Veronica’s only daughter, don’t you know me uncle?’ I m your niece!”

At that moment I was ashamed of myself and my poor memory. Of course an old man suffers  from fading memory power. It is not his fault, but natural. Many years ago I had seen Gauri, the only daughter of my sister Veronica when they were at our Tharavaad and my mother was alive and full of vigour in those days. When time changed, we became strangers and don’t know each other. I ruminated.

 “Uncle, you are badly in need of money, aren’t you? I was waken from thoughts and I started. ‘How do you know that I am in need of money?”

“ Mother told me. Don’t worry, uncle. We hit upon a plan to help you. You will get ten lakhs rupees. All the children of our grandfather will get that much amount”. Again I blinked and looked at my niece inquiringly.  She continued “ our Tharavaad has been offered for sale at two crores of  rupees by a rich guy at Kattappana and Daddy made  the settlement”.

 At that moment her mobile phone rang and she excused me “ uncle one second, she then walked to the shade of a tree and I heard distinctly her talk ….” Bloody fool, what did you think of me? Am I your slave, idiot. Yes,  it is true that we lived together in the apartment for two years…. No. you can’t wash your hands. Living together is equal to marriage before Indian law. Don’t teach me the  law,…. I know everything. …No, I don’t want to abort the child. I keep it as an evidence to trap you. I go to court and make you pay me alimony” Shut up your bloody mouth….”

 My niece put out the phone and came to me. “Sorry my uncle”.

“That’s OK. I don’t mind”.             ………to be continued                                    kjt/12-07-2019

Tharavaad           ( part II  )                                                              My Story

 This news about the sale of Tharavaad was a bolt from the blue for me.  I stood on the road  side spell bound. Violent waves of sorrow rose in my mind. Gauri continued “ All you have to do is to come to  the Registrar and sign the document, and you will be rich, my dear uncle. Mummy and Daddy are waiting at Kattappana for me. See you uncle again. I am in a hurry”,

 She  walked and she looked like an elephant calf with full-fledged round buttocks shaking violently in  the jean leggy struggling hard to burst out. Indian feminity is peeping out through  the narrow broken holes of the American tailoring design. The red innerwear was clearly visible  through the designed holes with a few threads revealing the sexy bottoms. What a fashion!

I was very sad. That night I leaped over the compound wall of the churchyard and  stealthly walked to the spot where my  mother’s body was buried long ago. It was my usual habit whenever I was overwhelmed with grief that I sought my mother’s help. All souls are sleeping here awaiting the Judgement Day. I moved between the broken tombs and reached my place. I knelt down on  the snowy grass and told her that they are going to sell  Tharavaad, a mere 5 cent land with an old tile roofed, three rooms with kitchen home. Its market price is gone upto two crores. I told my mother her market price is over two crores.

I thought of the sufferings mother and myself had had when we bought this property years ago. Borrowed money from many people on ‘ blade interest’, to make a shelter for eleven children and parents. Tired of humiliations and evictions from rented houses, forced us to make this  land property. At that time we could not afford the price eight thousand rupees and I paid the owner only six thousand rupees and promised him that the balance amount would be paid in three years with compound interest. Mother and myself knelt down before the owner in tears and on compassionate ground the rich man gave us the documents of ownership. When years passed by, all my sisters were married, gave birth to children and they all romped about and played in the court yard, under the shade of the mango tree and mangostine tree and Njaval. There was a tree standing in the  extreme corner of the courtyard and the white fragrant elanji flowers,  like stars from  the sky fell on our heads while mother and myself sitting under the tree in  the night after supper.

 When I came out of the cemetery, I was relieved of my tension and peace refreshed me when I walked home.        ……..to be continued…..

Tharavaad                                        (Part III)                                               My Story

A few days after, I woke up hearing the persistent bell of my moble phone. Veronica was on the other side and In the midst of sobbing, she told me her Luka has been admitted in hospital in a serious condition.

 At once I rushed to Kattapana St. Johns hospital. It was pathetic that my in law’s two legs were hanging on a bar and his limbs were heavily bandaged. On the side of  the pillow was seen the Bible with the chapter of St.Luke opening for everyone to read. Luka’s eyes met mine and I saw the body pain reflected on his face. I grasped his palm as a token of assurance and confidence.

When I came out, Veronica followed me and told me that the other day ‘her dear Luka climbed the jack fruit tree to pluck two ripe fruits. While cutting the second one, the branch on which he fixed his foot broke down and Luka fell head long. Luckily he grasped another branch on the way down and his life had a narrow escape, but two legs are seriously broken.

 “Chettai, we never thought that jackfruit tree would never harm us” When Veronica says these words, tears welled up and rolled through her semi dark cheeks. I consoled her and came back home.

On the bus, I thought of Veronica and Luka. He was studying in the high school nearby our home and he kept his lunch box in our home and mother permitted him to  have his lunch sitting on the bench on the verandah. Most days his curry was made of jackfruits. Sometimes he brought home jackfruits and Veronica was very fond of jackfruits and she made jacknut curry for Luka and in turn Luka brought home many sweet jack fruits and Veronica ate nothing but Luka’s jackfruits,  which slowly paved the way for their love for each other which culminated in the marriage.

 In the honeymoon days itself Veronica learned that her husband  is not a saint as pretended earlier but a ‘sugar chewing kuttappan’ and his eyes always rested on the beautiful flowers of opposite sex. This infuriated Veronica who is rather short and semi black skinned and soon she hit upon  a  a clever strategy.

 She put into practice this plan with the help of her father in law who is the Sacristan of the parish church. Luka had no other way out. Since that Sunday, both Luka and Veronica went to  church reciting rosary on  the way together. Veronica always leads the prayer “ Our father who art in heaven……” and Luka answered “Hail Mary full of grace….” . Sometimes in the rainy season the couple went to church holding an umbrella saying the  rosary.

 Poor Luka had no chance to peep into  the face of other girls on the way and Veronica followed him everywhere as his shadow and slowly Luka became as meek as a lamb and  safe in the hands of the shepherdess Veronica. The vicar of the church praised lavishly in his Sunday sermons about the ideal couple and asked others to follow suit.

After a few months, Luka was discharged from the hospital and both of them secretly consulted the famous astrologer Raman panicker and Panicker had known the imminent arrival of Luka and his wife because they  always consulted Panicker on important matters, although it is against the teachings of the Bible.  Panicker told them ‘the ancestors of the land property’ is bitterly against the sale of the Tharavaad. This is why the accident occurred as a warning and because of his piety and prayers Luka had a narrow escape. This news greatly disappointed Luka and  Veronica.

But I know well Paniker was forced to say lie because I paid him the amount he demanded in advance. A few days later I reached the spot in the churchyard in the dead of night, and thanked my mother.                          Kjt/12-07-2019