( 20 ) The memories continue - M A 1st Year
After grandfather's funeral, all of us returned to mother's house. The house was cleaned and the food was prepared. All of us took the meals. What made me wonderstruck was the behaviour of grandfather's daughters. While preparing the food, they were talking loudly and sometimes laughing. "Yesterday, they were crying loudly ", I thought and shared it with Rini. In the evening, there was prayer in the house, as per the usual custom of our Church. So, in the front courtyard, I, Ruby and Rhymie sat on a bench and conversed together. I don't remember how many people came in the evening.
Anyway, a problem was there - grandmother and Rini were alone in the house. All of us were thinking about a solution to this problem. Then, one of grandmother's brother, put forward a suggestion - he was ready to come to his sister's house every evening. In the morning, he would go to his workplace. Everyone agreed to that decision as a temporary solution. There was another problem also - grandmother was in a pitiful condition. It was decided that each daughter should remain in her house for one week, in turn, till the 40th day of his death. But it is clear that aunt Molly was exempted from this responsibility. Aunt Laly was the person who remained in the house at the first week, I think.
I would always remember that house, which looked like a hut, but with the basic facilities. When all the people were gone from the house, I got a chance to analyse the facilities of the house. From the front courtyard, there were two steps to enter into the main room. A cot was there which was used by grandfather. Then, there was another room in which two cots were placed together. Grandmother and Rini used these cots to sleep. But, the two rooms were not separated completely. The wall between two rooms was not completed. The table in the old house was placed in the main room. We could enter into the kitchen from these two rooms. On one side of the kitchen, the fireplace was there. In order to cook food, one had to bend the knees. Three or four korandi were there and the kerosene lamps. From the kitchen, we could enter into a small verandah, where the grind-stone was built. Then, towards the last end of the verandah, a toilet was there. Seeing the toilet, I was greatly relieved because it was comfortable for me. I respectfully remembered grandfather who built it though the house was a small one.
After grandfather's funeral, all of us returned to mother's house. The house was cleaned and the food was prepared. All of us took the meals. What made me wonderstruck was the behaviour of grandfather's daughters. While preparing the food, they were talking loudly and sometimes laughing. "Yesterday, they were crying loudly ", I thought and shared it with Rini. In the evening, there was prayer in the house, as per the usual custom of our Church. So, in the front courtyard, I, Ruby and Rhymie sat on a bench and conversed together. I don't remember how many people came in the evening.
Anyway, a problem was there - grandmother and Rini were alone in the house. All of us were thinking about a solution to this problem. Then, one of grandmother's brother, put forward a suggestion - he was ready to come to his sister's house every evening. In the morning, he would go to his workplace. Everyone agreed to that decision as a temporary solution. There was another problem also - grandmother was in a pitiful condition. It was decided that each daughter should remain in her house for one week, in turn, till the 40th day of his death. But it is clear that aunt Molly was exempted from this responsibility. Aunt Laly was the person who remained in the house at the first week, I think.
I would always remember that house, which looked like a hut, but with the basic facilities. When all the people were gone from the house, I got a chance to analyse the facilities of the house. From the front courtyard, there were two steps to enter into the main room. A cot was there which was used by grandfather. Then, there was another room in which two cots were placed together. Grandmother and Rini used these cots to sleep. But, the two rooms were not separated completely. The wall between two rooms was not completed. The table in the old house was placed in the main room. We could enter into the kitchen from these two rooms. On one side of the kitchen, the fireplace was there. In order to cook food, one had to bend the knees. Three or four korandi were there and the kerosene lamps. From the kitchen, we could enter into a small verandah, where the grind-stone was built. Then, towards the last end of the verandah, a toilet was there. Seeing the toilet, I was greatly relieved because it was comfortable for me. I respectfully remembered grandfather who built it though the house was a small one.
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