Appukuttan kochachan was immediately younger to my dad and had died quite early. From childhood he had not shown any particular keenness towards his studies, so say the family elders. Soft spoken and shy, he'd strikingly good looks and was an obedient son to his parents. And he used to adore my dad and literally worshiped him
I must let you on to one of his childhood escapades that's common folklore in the family. There was a small stationery shop in the vicinity which used to be frequented by him. The shopkeeper was fond of him and entrusted the shop to the young lad frequently, as he went about running his errands. The crusty old businessman that he was, counted the number of toffees before he went off, just to make sure that his 'substitute' did not venture into relishing the goodies during his absence.
On his return, he used to count the toffees all over again to ensure that there was no indulgence on the part of the youngster. Then one day, the cat was out of the bag. Two people had complained that the toffees bought from the shop had an altogether different taste from what they, otherwise did when bought from other shops! On intense scrutiny, it was discovered that the young lad used to savour the toffees - without chewing - and put them back neatly within the confines of their wrappers!
Appukuttan kochachan, soon after, had got selected into the state's mounted police force and had shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. It was while staying in a rented room, all by himself, that cupid had struck and he fell in love with a girl from a very poor family, staying within the vicinity. Once he'd decided to marry her, no amount of pressure from his parents deterred him from his decision and after marriage, he'd studiously avoided taking his family to his parental home.
My kochachan and Saudamini chittamma sired six children and over the next decade went through the throes of a hand-to-mouth-existence, with the family subsisting on my kochachan's meagre earnings! I was in school those days and used to stay with my maternal grandparents during vacation. And my parents used to insist that I visited my kochachan at least once during those breaks and I still remember the 'festive air' in the cramped police quarters in connection with your's truly's arrival! It was much later that there was a thaw in the relations between my kochachan and his father. His family never visited the ancestral home though and his visits, too, were restricted. Such was his father's wrath - on marrying a girl of his choice - which he feared!! (But I must admit, at this juncture, that I've had the privilege of having seen and experienced my paternal grandfather's softer side too. Probably, his son's rebellion was a bit too much for him to stomach after a similar episode, earlier, concerning one of his daughters).
Wonder whether there's the 'proverbial curse' in the family. All his children - three sons and three daughters - are well settled except for the eldest son, who's had a chequered career - he did not do well in his studies either - when he'd started as a newspaperboy, then as a salesman for a company and is now on to small scale contract work in the real estate business. His son - studies have been his 'Waterloo' too - had given me a call just a while back saying that he's off to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, this Friday, for work. It's my fond hope that the flow of the 'gulf remittances' would improve the fortunes of his family.
Tailpiece.
(a) I'd wanted to be of some help to the youngster but could never get in touch with him those days as he kept himself studiously away from me.
(b) It was at my father's funeral that I'd met him when he'd broken down while telling me all about himself. I'd then provided him with a paltry monetary assistance. And he says that things have been going fine for him ever since!
I must let you on to one of his childhood escapades that's common folklore in the family. There was a small stationery shop in the vicinity which used to be frequented by him. The shopkeeper was fond of him and entrusted the shop to the young lad frequently, as he went about running his errands. The crusty old businessman that he was, counted the number of toffees before he went off, just to make sure that his 'substitute' did not venture into relishing the goodies during his absence.
On his return, he used to count the toffees all over again to ensure that there was no indulgence on the part of the youngster. Then one day, the cat was out of the bag. Two people had complained that the toffees bought from the shop had an altogether different taste from what they, otherwise did when bought from other shops! On intense scrutiny, it was discovered that the young lad used to savour the toffees - without chewing - and put them back neatly within the confines of their wrappers!
Appukuttan kochachan, soon after, had got selected into the state's mounted police force and had shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. It was while staying in a rented room, all by himself, that cupid had struck and he fell in love with a girl from a very poor family, staying within the vicinity. Once he'd decided to marry her, no amount of pressure from his parents deterred him from his decision and after marriage, he'd studiously avoided taking his family to his parental home.
My kochachan and Saudamini chittamma sired six children and over the next decade went through the throes of a hand-to-mouth-existence, with the family subsisting on my kochachan's meagre earnings! I was in school those days and used to stay with my maternal grandparents during vacation. And my parents used to insist that I visited my kochachan at least once during those breaks and I still remember the 'festive air' in the cramped police quarters in connection with your's truly's arrival! It was much later that there was a thaw in the relations between my kochachan and his father. His family never visited the ancestral home though and his visits, too, were restricted. Such was his father's wrath - on marrying a girl of his choice - which he feared!! (But I must admit, at this juncture, that I've had the privilege of having seen and experienced my paternal grandfather's softer side too. Probably, his son's rebellion was a bit too much for him to stomach after a similar episode, earlier, concerning one of his daughters).
Wonder whether there's the 'proverbial curse' in the family. All his children - three sons and three daughters - are well settled except for the eldest son, who's had a chequered career - he did not do well in his studies either - when he'd started as a newspaperboy, then as a salesman for a company and is now on to small scale contract work in the real estate business. His son - studies have been his 'Waterloo' too - had given me a call just a while back saying that he's off to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, this Friday, for work. It's my fond hope that the flow of the 'gulf remittances' would improve the fortunes of his family.
Tailpiece.
(a) I'd wanted to be of some help to the youngster but could never get in touch with him those days as he kept himself studiously away from me.
(b) It was at my father's funeral that I'd met him when he'd broken down while telling me all about himself. I'd then provided him with a paltry monetary assistance. And he says that things have been going fine for him ever since!
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