( 18 ) M A 1st Year - the events that followed

  ( 18 )   M  A  1st Year - the events that followed

     When we climbed down the steps,  we could see aunt Gauri walking the road, at a distance.   "Grandfather died ", I told her.  She stood there for sometime,  shockingly.   Near the deadbody of grandfather,  there were grandmother, aunt Chinnamma and aunt Laly, shedding tears.   My parents were there.   Mother was crying loudly.   When I looked at grandfather's dead body, I could see an innocent face - yes,  he was very innocent in his words and actions.   But his death was very pathetic,  I thought.  

     Aunt Molly was about to set out  to the hospital but she was informed that she should not come,  instead grandfather was returning to his house,  though he was in a serious stage.   I think it was informed to the relatives that they should not convey the truth about her father's death.   

     I knew that the hospital bills were paid by my father because our land was already sold out and the money was in the bank.   My father was doubtful whether the ambulance service would be available to us as we were poor and I think he had hesitation about the expense of their service.   But when he enquired about it,  he realised that it was affordable to him and we set out from there in an ambulance.   Throughout the journey, everyone was crying.   I looked at his face all the time because I knew that  I couldn't see him after one day.  

     

( 17 ) M A 1st Year - maternal grandfather

  ( 17 )  M  A  1st Year -  maternal grandfather 

     Grandfather was in hospital for about one or two weeks.   All the relatives and some neighbours from Pothanicad,  came to visit him.   I remember one particular incident  - one afternoon,  I went to hospital and found that there was aunt Laly alone to take care of grandfather.   Seeing me,  aunt Laly became very happy  &  she went to some other purposes - to pay the bill,  buy some food items or to toilet  ?  I don't remember. 

       I sat on the bed and rubbed gently on his forehead. He replied, " no problem,  nothing ".  But I knew that he was in a critical stage  - it was almost sure that he would die at any time.  I remained there for sometime thinking about his whole life.   It was at that time that kochechi  came to visit him in the hospital.   She said, " Oh !  Diya,  I didn't think that you are here ".  She talked to us and also to aunt Laly if my memory is correct.   I meant this  - aunt Laly might have returned to the ward by that time.
     One day, my father and mother were doing the job  - rubber tapping.  Aunt Chinnamma and aunt Laly might have been there in hospital,  I think.  It was aunt Laly who gave the news over Telephone to Puthiyaveettil house,  informing the news that grandfather was dead.   My mother started crying loudly at the very moment when she realised the truth.   My father told me that he was going to the hospital with my mother.   He also gave instructions  -  to take the washed clothes from the clothlines in our courtyard, spread them on the rooms and the clothlines in the back verandah,  I should send my brother to inform this sad news to my father's brother Yacob's house & Yohannan's house including paternal grandfather and grandmother and I should take dresses for one or two days.
     I quickly instructed my brother to go to my father's brother's houses on his bicycle.  I specially mentioned that he should inform the news after entering their houses  -  otherwise they would take it as an insult to them.   After sometime,  my brother returned and I was ready to go to hospital with one or two bags.   Even today,  I remember that moment when I closed the door and started journey with my brother and sister, climbing down the steps. 

( 16 ) M A 1st Year - some sad moments

( 16 )   M  A  1st  Year - some sad moments 

     It was a holiday and I had gone to my house for two days from hostel.   One afternoon,  I was sitting in the front verandah.   After sometime,  I noticed a taxi,  coming and parking in the opposite side of our house,  near the road which led to the Puthiyaveettil house.   Surprisingly, aunt Chinnamma,  aunt Laly & uncle Daniel came,  climbing the steps.   Aunt Chinnamma  and aunt Laly were crying.   Uncle Daniel explained that my maternal grandfather had got a serious injury,  he couldn't stand up and as a result, he was lying on the backseat of the taxi.   First,  they took him to Dharmagiri hospital, Kothamangalam .  After examining him,  they gave some primary treatments and then referred to MOSC Medical Mission hospital  ( Now  Medical College ) , Kolenchery.   Hearing this, my mother started crying loudly.   However,  my father and mother quickly changed dress and went to the hospital,  Kolenchery.
     We  ( I,  my brother who was doing Pre - degree IInd year and my sister who was in VIIth Std ) were left behind in our house.   I was shocked for sometime.   It was eveningtime,  so I knew that some of them would return to our house and therefore,  I had to prepare a curry for dinner.   With the help of my brother, I collected the leaves of a variety of amaranthus,  which was grown abundantly in our land and prepared a curry.   In the evening,  some of them returned  - I don't remember who they were  -  but it is sure that my father was there.   I remember this because he made a statement that he didn't know whether a curry is prepared or not.   He went to the kitchen to make sure that the curry was prepared.   After taking food, he returned to hospital,  I think.

     The thing that worried me was that he made the statement that he was not sure whether the curry was prepared or not.   I was twentyone years then and it would be an insulting factor to me when the relatives know that I don't know how to make a curry for dinner.   He knew that I could make some simple curries but when any relative or fellow citizen came to our house, he would say that he didn't know whether I could cook rice or curry.   Many times,  I was annoyed by this statement and so the distance between I & my father increased day by day. 

( 15 ) M A 1st Year - selling of our house & property

  ( 15 )   M A 1st Year - selling of our house & property

     When my father sold our property,  his brothers and sister talked about their attachment with our land.   They spoke openly that my father made such an irritating activity without any consultation with them.   They added that they had also some authority in that property, earlier.   My father's sister said that her father  ( my grandfather  ) had promised her that he would give her five cents from our land.   All these remarks made me sad.   I tried my best to to reply to some of the members of my father's family that he had been trying to sell the property when I was in VIIth Std itself.   But it had no effect at all. 

     When my father started to enquire lands for sale,  I thought that he wouldn't buy less than one acre.   There was my maternal grandfather also with him in search of land in and around Pothanicad.   My father didn't like some lands on various reasons.  Some were away from the main road,  some away from Jacobite Church, some places were there in which it was difficult to make a way to the house and so on. He didn't like to own a land in another district.

      At last, with the help of my grandfather in Pothanicad, he found sevetyfive cents almost near my mother's house, Pothanicad.   When I knew that my father was going to buy less than one acre,  I became very sad.  But, what could  I say  ?  It was fixed and all the procedures were completed. I didn't go there because I thought that my father and grandfather wouldn't make a mistake. 

( 14 ) M A 1st Year - my performance

 ( 14 )   M A 1st Year - my performance 

     Though I stayed in hostel, I realised that I couldn't perform well in the examination.   There were many reasons  - I did my Degree Course in Chemistry,  my ability to learn was lost after the Xth Std,  the stress I experienced was becoming a hindrance to my studies.   There was no one to support me in my academic performance .   

     In my house, the situation was becoming worst every week.   My father always said that though he worked hard for the family, he couldn't achieve anything.   He had become tired of his work and he was not ready to continue his work because the rubber tapping and the use of acid during the process of making rubber sheets caused a kind of allergy on his skin.   He used a kind of medicine  - I don't remember whether it was Ayurvedic or Allopathic.   Further, he had some problems with his eyesight also. 

     I think it was in such a situation that he decided to sell our property as early as possible.   I remember that when I was in VIIth Std itself, he started to sell our property.   But the problem was that no one was interested  to buy it because there was no road to enter our courtyard, that means a bike or car couldn't enter the courtyard,  instead there were many steps. But when I was doing my M A 1st Year,  he had taken the final decision and as a result,  many people came  accompanied with a broker and alas !  It was sold. After that,  I thought that he would buy not less than one acre because at that time,  one could purchase one acre with one lakh Rs.   Again, I imagined that our financial problems would be solved when we acquire more land. 

( 13 ) Some memories from my 1st year M A course

  ( 13 )   Some memories  from  my  1st  year  M A course  

     There were some peculiarities which I noticed in Kothamangalam, where Mar Athanasius College was situated.   As it was a place where the trades of hill products from Idukki district were going on,  it had become a major commercial centre.   But, when I walked through the streets,  whenever a man came close to me,  he would utter something in a low voice, near my ears.   This disturbed me very much but my friends told me that it was a usual practice in that place,  reflecting high malechauvinism.   

     I remember two boys from Degree Final Year class,  coming to our classroom and talking sexually assaulting words to one of my classmates.   I had not heard about such a situation in my previous college,  St Peter's College, Kolenchery.   A boy coming to love a girl who is elder to him  - not secretly but entering the classroom without prior permission.   Here, I'm writing about the college campuses in Kerala and I don't know much about the campuses outside Kerala and in other countries. 

     I want to share some information about the Church where I went on Sundays for Mass.   Marthoma CheriaPally, where Mar Baselios Yeldo Bava's tomb is situated at the altar  - it was one of them.   In the opposite side of the road,  Martha Mariyam ValiyaPally is situated.   I used to go in these two churches  -  they are ancient and famous Churches in Kerala. 

( 12 ) M A 1st Year - my hostel

 ( 12 )   M A 1st Year  - my hostel 

     When I joined hostel in Kothamangalam,  my mind was filled with memories of my one year stay in the hostel attached to St Peter's College, Kolenchery, while I was doing my Pre - Degree IInd year course. But, everything was different in the hostel, Kothamangalam.   The hostel warden, a middle aged lady was a widow with two children  - the elder one was a boy, doing his Degree IInd year, I think.   The younger one was a girl  who had just completed Xth Std.   

     How did the hostel  look like ?  There was a small sitout, then we would enter into a hall.   There were two cots, a table & two chairs, if my memory is correct.  From the hall, to the left side, there were two rooms.  One small room was for the warden 's daughter.  The other room in which there were four persons  - it was my room.   It was conjested  - but I lived there, applying that concept  - yes, adjustment.  From the hall, to the right side, there were two rooms, both of them alike in length and width.   Attached with these rooms, there were toilets, about which I have no serious complaints.   In the hostel compound, there was another building, which looked like a miniature form of a house.   There was a small living room and four or five small rooms. The kitchen and dining hall were situated in a small building, which is separated from the main building.   There was a small bedroom also in that building besides the kitchen and dining hall.  I remember that the Television was placed in the dining hall.   It was the time of Chithrageetham & Chithrahar in TV and I remember everyone running to the hall to watch these shows.  Anyway, the warden slept in that building which aroused fear in my mind.  

     There was a toilet outside the house in one corner.   Almost near it, there was a place for washing clothes. In the terrace, there were many cloth lines which we used to  dry our clothes.   I was almost satisfied in the life in that hostel. But, the fees  -there was a problem - as it was a private hostel, I had to give the fees and it created some problem in my family.   However, I could continue there with my lumpsum grant and my father gave me some amount of money, I don't forget.