KALA KAATTUPPAATTI ( 3 )

                                                                  KALAKKAATTUPPAATTI    (  3  ) 

                                                           Once again I am registering my thankfulness to both Padmanabhapillai and our beloved Mother for seeing me to live upto this moment and allowing me to write these lines.Mother's daily routine begins at four o'clock in the morning..As was the practice in all villages in those days   she also used to clean the outside . area on the street with broomsticks,  splash cow dung solution  and to draw nice koalams  which would see that no insect enters the house easily. When all the houses were doing like this process, insects  were being kept away from the whole street. Villlagers lived a healthy life in those days because of such good habits of  cleanliness  and neatness for which they gave top priority, whatever  be their  literacy standards By 4-30 am she used to rush to the f ull flowing river  as if to wake up the   sleeping  River god !  Rarely , we also used to accompany her..Close to the street ,there lived a number of Muslim ladies who had very great respect for KP with whom she was having  friendly talks. They also accompanied her and ensured her safe return , though safety was not a problem. . In our younger  days we have ourselves gone to the river alone when need arose. I should also mention here that   due to my ill health in my first four years I was terribly afraid of  seeing water but slowly recovered.I cannot swim .There were cows in house backyard reared by us. It was a good exercise  for us brothers and agood wat of spending time..Milk was never a problem Returning from the river,Mother prepared wonderful cofffee and  gave us, who were waiting for it eagerly.Since we had paddy fields fodder was never a problem for cows .Cow dung became natural manure for the field .Paddy took    care of  the humanbeings of the house..Kannan ,who was completely with us until his geraduation, at a very young age he  spent most of his time with the calves only  before going to school or after returning from the school.                                                             

         In   1954  our Chinnanna died  due to  neumonea.I had joined the Board High School,Kalakad to study in class 9.

                                K got one more male child  by name  Mohan  in 1956 . Fair and goodlooking as he was, he was attracting the attention of many..But  we are unfortunate that we could not have him for more than three  yearss. .He got  " stone " in the intestine.Those were days without proper medical treatments.and  specialists.Monthly once  a Doctor  from  Jummy buildings ,Mylapore will be visiting Thirunelveli on a  particilar date of his convenience.The deceases have to wait for the Doctor..There will be heavy to very heavy crowd of  people from  all over the district.Enormous patience is required for the patients and escorts.Mother, our sister Sankari and myself will be travelling to Thirunelveli in nonfrequent buses plying  on roads for apology!.When liver was becoming allright,  paralysis made its ugly  presence..,For this one ayurvedic specialist THIRUSANANKOPU  MAHADEVA IYER  a tall hefty tufted brahmin was suggested by many. We followed suit, Thirusanankoppu is near Nagerkoil. We three invaded him .We met the frightening personality with a thundering tone. There were three very huge jars of height greater than ours and diameter at least three feet. All the three bottles contained solutions  of the same colour..Who ever goes   for treatment will be given one litre of the solution plus some tablets. This continued for one year or so .Only Mother's physical strain  slowly got increased. Otherwise no tangible result. Mohan succumbed in 1959 On the very tenth day of this  brother Sathya  had a problem of his own.  By all these ..KTV  began to worry a bit on the family side though  he was at  his best on the society side. 

                                                               ( to be continued )