At about a half past 5 in the morning, Vidya - Sarala Kunjamma's daughter - had called me up to report that Santha kunjamma, all of 87 years and Alzheimer's stricken, had passed into the the mist of time a few minutes earlier. Had quickly ascertained the exact time of the funeral from Sreekutty, her granddaughter, and told her and her mother that we'd be fetching up for the funeral and in no way should the funeral be conducted earlier than our arrival as I wanted to see Santha kunjamma's body, one last time!
Then I called up my sister and Padmakumar - who were at Thrippunithura - to be ready as we'd be picking them up enroute. We set off at 9, finished important work at the bank - Rajesh, the BM, helped me in that - and were off to Neelamperoor.
The journey was fine and by a quarter to 12, we'd picked up Rema and Padmakumar from Thrippunithura. Lunch was enroute at Chingavanam and we reached Puthuvayil House by a quarter to 3. We could spend about an hour with Santha kunjamma before the funeral procedure started.
* * *
The third of four daughters of Puthuvayil Kesava Panicker(Valia Muthachhan) and Peyramma, Santha kunjamma was very shy and quiet. She was extraordinarily beautiful. After the death of Valia Muthachchan, Muthachhan had brought in Santha kunjamma, Sarala kunjamma and Radhan chettan into his house at TC 804, Thycaud, where his joint family stayed, for their onward progress in life.
I must have been in the kindergarten then. I remember Santha kunjamma marrying Pande chettan (from Mahatashtra). He was smitten with her beauty but had a dangerous quality, in that, he was fiercely possessive of his beautiful wife which brought about quite a few unwanted fights between the couple as he hit her with his belt and sometimes, even kicked her with his shoes on.
We'd gone along with dad to Bombay as per his transfer orders and a few months later, we heard that Pande chettan had returned to Bombay after siring a son, with Santha kunjamma.
Muthachhan was upset about the fizzled marriage of his niece, held himself responsible for it and set up a house for her and her son, Unni within the compound of the Puthuvayil household. It was in that house that she breathed her last, this morning.
Despite efforts, Unni didn't make it big and became the proverbial problem child for her which was a sad thing. She had receded to the innards of the house, visited the nearby Neelamperoor Devi kshetram twice a day without blaming anyone for her plight.
She wasn't bitter about the strange turns that her life had taken but always had that beautiful smile on her face.
She was fond of me, used to hug me tight and shower me with kisses. However, over the last three years as Alzheimer's racked her body - especially after Maheshwari peyramma had passed into the mist of time - she sported that far-away-look and was never with anyone, in the truest sense.
Adieu, Santha kunjamme! My tears and prayers. Shall miss you till my very end!
Tailpiece.
The funeral began around a quarter to 4 and by a half past 4, the pyre was set alight. We started for home immediately after, dropped Aniyan at Chingavanam, Rema and Padmakumar at Thrippunithura around a quarter to 7 and we reached The Quarterdeck at a quarter to 11.
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