I'd missed out on the alarm at 4 and had got up at a half past 4, instead. The chores were gone through and Anto was a trifle early and he ferried me to the railway station within no time. The queue was slowly beginning to build up by the time I'd collected my ticket. The short journey to Thrissur got over soon after and I trudged the short distance to the road corporation bus stand for the connecting bus.
There were no low floor air conditioned buses for my destination and therefore, I'd clambered on to a super fast bus and had reached Muvattupuzha by a 10' past 9. Maman, then, was at my li'l maman's place, at Kidangoor, having his breakfast and it took them another hour to fetch up. Meanwhile, I'd my breakfast and settled down at the bus stand.
After the rendezvous at a quarter to 11, we'd gone to the brassiere making unit run by Santosh and Rajesh, who're brothers. Providing employment for 50 women, the enterprise is doing a fine job. Our visit, today, was to negotiate a partnership with them and to set up a similar unit at Chathannoor in Kollam district. The discussions proved fruitful and we've agreed to begin training about 15 ladies of our unit on Vishu, the 14th of next month. New machinery @ Rs.4.4 lakhs will have to be installed in our premises after disposing off the obsolete ones. Our existing 'Pretty Poly' unit - which is into the same activity - should be able to enhance its capacity and expand further with this tie up.
A quick bite on the way towards Kottayam and we reached Sri. CG Vasudevan Nair's house a trifle after 3. The 83 year old gentleman - my grandfather's close associate during the library movement - is sprightly and active and is the secretary of the Kottayam Public Library. He has been advised rest by his doctor because the haemoglobin count of his blood is low at 7.6, which has been a worrying factor. The reason for this reduction is yet to be ascertained and he has been made to go through a battery of tests! After wishing him a speedy recovery, with his wife going through the memories of her frequent visits to my grandparents' place at Thiruvananthapuram, the fruit juice that she served us enlivened us for our journey onward!
Our next stop was at the Puthuvayil House - my grandfather's house at Neelamperoor, a hamlet near Changanasserry - which is in the process of being converted into a national monument and the connected paper work is going on. We've, in the interim, initiated the process of strengthening the existing structure and placing Muthachhan's personal effects in a more streamlined fashion, with an accompanying sound and light show, so that it presents a pleasant facade when children and visitors are brought there during PN Panicker's birthday on 01 Mar and the remembrance day of 19 Jun, every year. Meeting with Gomathi peramma, Santha Kunjamma, Kunjomana chechi and the children was a great moment. Dementia has taken its toll of the 89 year old Gomathi peramma, who wouldn't leave my hand as we were leaving!
On a personal level, it gives me a thrill whenever I'm there. I keep looking for some clue - I dunno what to be honest - about my grandparents' stay in that small, compact house. I look around the courtyard and the backyard where my mom would have played around during her childhood........How one wishes that the house and the old trees around could speak......
Tailpiece.
It was a dash to the Changanasserry railway station, where the Madras bound Chennai mail was already at the platform. It was a scramble to the train after buying the tickets and my coach was the last but one of the long train! Therefore, I walked on and on through the vestibule connections!!
Reached 'The Quarterdeck' by 2200 hrs. Earlier, Lekha'd fetched up from Palakkad and she was ferried by Rema and family, who also made it a point to visit the temple where the annual festivities are on. They're mighty thrilled that they'd a nice 'darshan' of the good Lord!!!
There were no low floor air conditioned buses for my destination and therefore, I'd clambered on to a super fast bus and had reached Muvattupuzha by a 10' past 9. Maman, then, was at my li'l maman's place, at Kidangoor, having his breakfast and it took them another hour to fetch up. Meanwhile, I'd my breakfast and settled down at the bus stand.
After the rendezvous at a quarter to 11, we'd gone to the brassiere making unit run by Santosh and Rajesh, who're brothers. Providing employment for 50 women, the enterprise is doing a fine job. Our visit, today, was to negotiate a partnership with them and to set up a similar unit at Chathannoor in Kollam district. The discussions proved fruitful and we've agreed to begin training about 15 ladies of our unit on Vishu, the 14th of next month. New machinery @ Rs.4.4 lakhs will have to be installed in our premises after disposing off the obsolete ones. Our existing 'Pretty Poly' unit - which is into the same activity - should be able to enhance its capacity and expand further with this tie up.
A quick bite on the way towards Kottayam and we reached Sri. CG Vasudevan Nair's house a trifle after 3. The 83 year old gentleman - my grandfather's close associate during the library movement - is sprightly and active and is the secretary of the Kottayam Public Library. He has been advised rest by his doctor because the haemoglobin count of his blood is low at 7.6, which has been a worrying factor. The reason for this reduction is yet to be ascertained and he has been made to go through a battery of tests! After wishing him a speedy recovery, with his wife going through the memories of her frequent visits to my grandparents' place at Thiruvananthapuram, the fruit juice that she served us enlivened us for our journey onward!
Our next stop was at the Puthuvayil House - my grandfather's house at Neelamperoor, a hamlet near Changanasserry - which is in the process of being converted into a national monument and the connected paper work is going on. We've, in the interim, initiated the process of strengthening the existing structure and placing Muthachhan's personal effects in a more streamlined fashion, with an accompanying sound and light show, so that it presents a pleasant facade when children and visitors are brought there during PN Panicker's birthday on 01 Mar and the remembrance day of 19 Jun, every year. Meeting with Gomathi peramma, Santha Kunjamma, Kunjomana chechi and the children was a great moment. Dementia has taken its toll of the 89 year old Gomathi peramma, who wouldn't leave my hand as we were leaving!
On a personal level, it gives me a thrill whenever I'm there. I keep looking for some clue - I dunno what to be honest - about my grandparents' stay in that small, compact house. I look around the courtyard and the backyard where my mom would have played around during her childhood........How one wishes that the house and the old trees around could speak......
Tailpiece.
It was a dash to the Changanasserry railway station, where the Madras bound Chennai mail was already at the platform. It was a scramble to the train after buying the tickets and my coach was the last but one of the long train! Therefore, I walked on and on through the vestibule connections!!
Reached 'The Quarterdeck' by 2200 hrs. Earlier, Lekha'd fetched up from Palakkad and she was ferried by Rema and family, who also made it a point to visit the temple where the annual festivities are on. They're mighty thrilled that they'd a nice 'darshan' of the good Lord!!!
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