Nostalgia Evergreen…!

The school opening days in Kerala were quite eventful during my childhood. The Aided Lower Primary School (ALPS) was about 2 Kms far from my house and I used to walk through the lush green paddy fields to reach school along with an executive assistant who carries my school box (Those days we had shining aluminium boxes to carry books instead of these modern day school bags) and an umbrella. The rain Gods were always happy to pour well with precision timing during mornings and evenings in perfect tune with the school bells! Whenever there were heavy showers, we took the longer metal road. But then it was always muddy and both the sides of the road were flooded with small muddy rivers with an oozing sound. Our major entertainment was to float paper boats on these temporary rivers and walk along! These boats used to transport small pieces of slate pencils and other accessories for us!

However, I enjoyed taking the paddy fields route for two reasons…

The first and foremost reason was the slippery nature of this route as I could bunk off if I happened to fall down anywhere on the way! It is quite interesting now, to look back at a time when you really liked to fall down?! After a few successful falls and returns, Mom Supreme found out a way out to restrict this; pack up an extra pair of dress and give it to the person who accompanies me! As a matter of fact, the very first day of my school life, when I went to 1^st Standard, I and my dad fell down while negotiating a small canal in the ‘Mari Paadam’ paddy field bund. Then after leaving me at the school, dad went back and sent a new pair of dress to the school. My beloved ‘Varky Mash’ (Teacher) kept a newspaper spread as screen for me to change. I am not sure whether such connect with the teachers still remain intact anywhere now.

Coming back to the subject, the second reason was the prime objective of writing this note and it was evergreen ‘Doctor Muthassan’ (Grandfather) who used to sit on the ‘Padippura Kettu’ of ‘Pachuveedu’ (the resting balcony near the entrance gate of traditional Kerala houses) waiting for children like me to chat and offer some sweets like ‘Rava Ladoo’, ‘Poruvalan Kayu’ (a sweet made of rice and other grain powders mixed with ghee rolled into small balls), etc. In the evenings, it used to be oven fresh hot ‘Ila Ada’ (a sweet made of rice paste applied in fresh banana leaves and boiled along with coconut scrape and jaggery fillings). ‘Ammoomma’ (The Grandmother) used to religiously prepare sweets for us on time. This childless couple liked children a lot. However, very few children were there who go to school through that route. Me and my friend ‘Natarajan’ enjoyed this exclusivity and our lovely old couple were happy to have us there in the morning and evening. I loved Doctor Grandpa’s pure white hair, which often looked like a wig. The next day after I realized that there’s a thing called wig (my Dad told me about it), I ran straight to the Grandpa and pulled his hair to check. Though it was painful, the ‘Doctor Grandpa’ fell into a long laughter and ‘Ammoomma’  joined him. However, I used to pull his hair every other day to clear my doubt!! ‘Doctor Muthassan’ was 6 ft. tall and fragile built. He used to wear shirts with creases intact and lovely stiff ironed ‘Double Dhotis’ (Two layered white dhoti with nice border lines). He used to apply a very authentic and soothing perfume and talcum powder, which attracted my tender mind a lot. The wonderful odour is still there on my nose. His personal hygiene with his fair complexion was quite impressive and looked elegant even at his 70’s….!

Whenever I reached there in the evening, he took personal interest to make me wash my hands with ‘Jay’ Soap before I ate something! However, I had never seen him insisting my friend Natarajan to use the soap!! ‘Ammoomma’ (Grand Mother) was a heavily built lady who always wore traditional Kerala dress ‘Mundum Veshtiyum’ (Two piece traditional Dhotis). Contrary to ‘Muthassan’ she had dark complexion and stout personality. Her hair was a mixture of majority white with intermittent black flowing till just beyond shoulder levels. She used to apply an authentic ayurvedic oil in the hair, which spread a soothing incense when she comes near you.

Floral Arrangement with Country Flowers

The happy days of feasts were over when I got promoted to 5^th Std. to the school (Upper Primary) near my house. However, I used to go there whenever I got a chance to walk up to ‘Chirakode’, the main town of our small village. Later when I was in college for my Pre-Degree Course (Equivalent to HSC), I came to know that this ‘Ammoomma’ was detected with malignancy in her breasts and despite the completion of surgery, she succumbed to the disease in a year or two. Those days, India was in the primitive stage of fighting cancer.

When I was doing my professional course, I came to know that ‘Muthassan’ had donated their massive house and the surrounding plot to ‘Chinmaya Mission’ and left our village. I never heard about him after that. However, those nostalgic moments I had spent with them are the treasures in my memory etched forever!