Around 11 AM, as I was driving around Guruvayur clearing the list of work that I'd noted down on my slop chit, our caretaker, Vijayan had called up to say that Mohanan had passed into the mist of time.
The two of them were having a conversation in front of Sasi Pillai's(His elder brother who'd passed away, just a few months back) flour mill when the farm workers who were going to work around the coconut trees, in our compound, had arrived. Vijayan, after taking leave of Mohanan went along with the workers after being assured of the ash lying in his backyard for the coconut palms......rock salt will be the other ingredient that will be administered along with it.
Mohanan had walked into the mill and fallen down unconscious and all attempts to revive him proved futile. He was rushed to the Vijaya Hospital at Kottarakkara where he was declared 'brought in dead'. All of 58 years, Mohanan leaves behind his breast-cancer-stricken wife and two children - a son and a daughter, both married, settled and currently working in Thalasserry.
I believe that his doctor had warned him about the three 'blocks' in his system and had advised a bypass surgery. Was he avoiding it because he didn't want to spend anything on himself, I wonder?
Our relationship had begun in '68 when the Raj Nivas was newly commissioned and Nani ammoomma of the Thottadiyil House, opposite ours, had joined up to help mom with her household chores. My sisters had shifted to Thalavoor from Thiruvananthapuram - at my grandparents' house - after finishing the academic year. Dad was still in the IN, Mom was the branch post mistress at the Kura PO and Raj Nivas, from then on became my leave station as I was studying in the Sainik School.
Nani ammoomma had nine children - two daughters and seven sons; Mohanan(V Mohanan Pillai) was the youngest - and was, then, struggling to make both ends meet. The daughters and the first two sons were married. He, too, joined our household to help mom in drawing water from the well, to secure the cattle at the grazing spots and to run errands(There was no lift pump that was installed, then) but my parents were clear that he'd continue with his education. He and my elder kid sister, Rema, were in class IV and my sisters along with him, used to go to their school, the Thalavoor UPS, together. It was ensured that he was included in every activity of the household and treated at par with my sisters, so much so, that there was a general talk among the others, in the village, that he looked like another child of the family! We used to go for movies in the movie hall at Kunnicode and on excursions to the nearby places when dad and I were at home on leave/vacation. He stayed with us and if I remember correctly, he never ever went to his house because he didn't find any requirement to do so. He used to quarrel with my mom if his food was perceived to be lesser than that of my sisters though I must hasten to add that mom never treated him differently. (I remember him crying profusely during dad's and mom's funerals while waiting on me as I went through their last rites; that was his attachment towards them).
He was fiercely loyal to us and used to be possessive about everything that had the Raj Nivas touch. Anyone who dared to pluck the flowers from our courtyard got a mouthful and he never encouraged any of his young nieces and nephews to come into our compound. My sisters tell me as to how the three of them used to play 'working women' on holidays, wearing mom's sarees, once she'd left for the office! He was weak in studies and his spellings were atrocious - seen from many of the warnings that he used to write and display to prevent people from entering our compound...we used to have a good laugh without hurting him.
He'd joined my younger sister's class eventually and any attempt at my parents or me trying to help him at his home work was thwarted by him. He didn't get through class X and had left our house by then but was always willing to help us whenever required. By that time, Nani ammoomma, too, had passed into the mist of time!
He had taken up farming activities and later switched over to construction activities but had hit the bottle hard. It was sad to see him drink himself silly but he made it a point never to come in front of any of the five of us from then on, after imbibing liquor. He'd provided medical support to his wife, taking her to the RCC, Thiruvananthapuram from time to time as was required and she's much better now. He'd also ensured that his children studied and passed class X; they've their families and are living comfortably at their place of work.
RIP Mohana. You've given us so much to remember and shall always have a special place in our hearts. My tears and prayers and here's wishing that your family has the strength to tide over these stressful times.
Tailpiece.
Rema will come here on Sunday and together, we shall go to Thalavoor to spend some time with his family to share their grief.
The two of them were having a conversation in front of Sasi Pillai's(His elder brother who'd passed away, just a few months back) flour mill when the farm workers who were going to work around the coconut trees, in our compound, had arrived. Vijayan, after taking leave of Mohanan went along with the workers after being assured of the ash lying in his backyard for the coconut palms......rock salt will be the other ingredient that will be administered along with it.
Mohanan had walked into the mill and fallen down unconscious and all attempts to revive him proved futile. He was rushed to the Vijaya Hospital at Kottarakkara where he was declared 'brought in dead'. All of 58 years, Mohanan leaves behind his breast-cancer-stricken wife and two children - a son and a daughter, both married, settled and currently working in Thalasserry.
I believe that his doctor had warned him about the three 'blocks' in his system and had advised a bypass surgery. Was he avoiding it because he didn't want to spend anything on himself, I wonder?
Our relationship had begun in '68 when the Raj Nivas was newly commissioned and Nani ammoomma of the Thottadiyil House, opposite ours, had joined up to help mom with her household chores. My sisters had shifted to Thalavoor from Thiruvananthapuram - at my grandparents' house - after finishing the academic year. Dad was still in the IN, Mom was the branch post mistress at the Kura PO and Raj Nivas, from then on became my leave station as I was studying in the Sainik School.
Nani ammoomma had nine children - two daughters and seven sons; Mohanan(V Mohanan Pillai) was the youngest - and was, then, struggling to make both ends meet. The daughters and the first two sons were married. He, too, joined our household to help mom in drawing water from the well, to secure the cattle at the grazing spots and to run errands(There was no lift pump that was installed, then) but my parents were clear that he'd continue with his education. He and my elder kid sister, Rema, were in class IV and my sisters along with him, used to go to their school, the Thalavoor UPS, together. It was ensured that he was included in every activity of the household and treated at par with my sisters, so much so, that there was a general talk among the others, in the village, that he looked like another child of the family! We used to go for movies in the movie hall at Kunnicode and on excursions to the nearby places when dad and I were at home on leave/vacation. He stayed with us and if I remember correctly, he never ever went to his house because he didn't find any requirement to do so. He used to quarrel with my mom if his food was perceived to be lesser than that of my sisters though I must hasten to add that mom never treated him differently. (I remember him crying profusely during dad's and mom's funerals while waiting on me as I went through their last rites; that was his attachment towards them).
He was fiercely loyal to us and used to be possessive about everything that had the Raj Nivas touch. Anyone who dared to pluck the flowers from our courtyard got a mouthful and he never encouraged any of his young nieces and nephews to come into our compound. My sisters tell me as to how the three of them used to play 'working women' on holidays, wearing mom's sarees, once she'd left for the office! He was weak in studies and his spellings were atrocious - seen from many of the warnings that he used to write and display to prevent people from entering our compound...we used to have a good laugh without hurting him.
He'd joined my younger sister's class eventually and any attempt at my parents or me trying to help him at his home work was thwarted by him. He didn't get through class X and had left our house by then but was always willing to help us whenever required. By that time, Nani ammoomma, too, had passed into the mist of time!
He had taken up farming activities and later switched over to construction activities but had hit the bottle hard. It was sad to see him drink himself silly but he made it a point never to come in front of any of the five of us from then on, after imbibing liquor. He'd provided medical support to his wife, taking her to the RCC, Thiruvananthapuram from time to time as was required and she's much better now. He'd also ensured that his children studied and passed class X; they've their families and are living comfortably at their place of work.
RIP Mohana. You've given us so much to remember and shall always have a special place in our hearts. My tears and prayers and here's wishing that your family has the strength to tide over these stressful times.
Tailpiece.
Rema will come here on Sunday and together, we shall go to Thalavoor to spend some time with his family to share their grief.
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