Some Thoughts

Purushottaman Valiachan was the person who influenced the early days of my life. I had a feeling that Valiachan was very fond of me. He worked in the Devaswam board. I used to spend many holidays with Malathi valliamma and family when they were at Ettumanoor.

The house at Ettumanoor had a very big backyard with a lot of trees. Valliachan would have a long stick in his hand and with the other hand he would hold me. Then we would walk in the backyard of the house which seemed a forest to me in those days. He would beat on the bushes ahead to drive away any snakes present, as we explored the place. Then at the corner we reach the Sarpa kavu….Only once I was present for the Aayilliam pooja. I’m very sure that I saw a big snake coming out during the pooja, though Hema chechi denies it and says it is just my imagination.

There were three more houses at the back of the main portion of Kizhakkedathu Tharavadu. Malathi valliamma and family was staying in one of them while I was still in the primary classes. Valliamma used to get angry very quick but Valliachan was very calm and quiet.

Valliachan had a beautiful garden in front of the house. Actually he utilized all the free space to plant something. The portion on the left of the gate had flowering plants and the right side had vegetables. The varieties of jasmine, chethi, chembarathi and roses had flowers throughout the year.

The way Valliachan utilized the water made me admire him a lot….All the water from the kitchen and bathroom went through a cemented open drain to the drainage outside the house. This drain went near Valliachan’s garden.. In the evenings when I was back from school, I would assist Valliachan to water the plants.. Someone would draw water from the well and pour into the drain. At the starting of the garden, Valliachan would make a temporary dam in the drain and as some water is retained, he would remove a big stone which he had placed as a lid. I was very excited to see the water flow like a fountain and spread into the garden..Even today I remember him with admiration for all the knowledge he had on various aspects of life.

He taught me a lot of stories, all from Hindu religious books..He used to tell me not to use Malayalam words the way my friends in school used. “We Hindus have a style of our own so talk only in that way.” He would say. I know I followed his words all my life.

When I was too young I was afraid of Malathi Valliamma’s temper. But later I realized the reason for that.. She had such a large family to manage.. Her own three children, still students, and another few of her sisters’, including me, often stayed with her. Two or three cows, one dog and a parrot too needed her attention. Anyone else in her place would have gone mad.. She had servants to do all the job but managing all of us only she could do..

My nightmares of those days were the encounter with Soman chettan and his pet dog….