I am on a secure cloud communication platform with a lot of people who have walked past my life, from the time of my birth, even though I am far away from the one and only place I love to be, Kollam where I was born, life has taken me, rather catapulted me to various destinations…Most of them are in heaven above as I was taught in my early days .. as stars shining above… I love to believe in that…
Amma used to say “it’s her destiny to keep washing toilets and tidying places around the world, she also used to add: കണ്ട സായിപ്പിന്റെ നാട്ടിലെ കുളിമുറിയും കക്കൂസുമൊക്കെ കഴുകി തീരും ഇവളുടെ ജീവിതം …..
I left India in 1988, there are a few material heirloom along with the memories I carry with me wherever I go, some are created in my family, I keep talking to them connecting to them and they safeguard my soul wherever I am.
My grandparents had 8 kids 4 girls and 4 boys, let me start from Amma’s oldest sister, I called her Kunnumkulam Valiammachy. Her christened name was Sosamma, everyone had pet names and she was called Kunjamma. She was an entrepreneur, she reminds me of Saghavu K. R Gauri Amma in looks. She was married to Kunnumkulam Valiappachen T. T. Pylunny; such names were never heard in my part of Kerala down south.
He was a visionary, an industrialist, a creator, a hero, man of steel, craftsman, everything and anything related to smithy and surgical instruments, operation table to the tiniest scissors, gardening, toddy and toddy shops I remember him. I remember him ardently,
If “Quality” has to be touched and felt then I have 58 years of solid proof with me. The scissors he crafted in his Royal Smiths, the fine knife for vegetable carving and cutting cakes he gave me when I was about 5 years of age are all living example, he never compromised the quality of the products he made. I still feel extremely proud to cherish the fact he was awarded Indian Presidents award for the surgical instruments manufactured in his factory for Ophthalmology more than 4 decades ago. He was simply a genius with class when it came to delivering uncompromised products.
All visionaries and genius have their soft spots and nothing was softer to him than the toddy, brewed as a dheshi drink in Kerala from the one and only coconut palm, great food and hospitality. Especially fresh fish like Etta, Varal, etc., Etta Mutta, Pothirachy, I can never forget the Muthira Upperi, (Horse Gram), eminent doctors will prescribe horse gram for people who needs to calm down while going through unreal stress and the never ending supply of bananas the best ever and real green vegetables.
A pundit of fish, meat, vegetables, fruits along with the finest colors of rarest plants, his aptitude for gardening, his amazing flare for fine interiors, antiques, strange cars from overseas which had footboards or looked like kettuvallam, and his exploratory travel to every nook and corner of Kerala and India made him my hero forever.
Every time Amma started gasping for her breath, they just drove to Kunnumkulam from Kollam and it was so said as soon as the car passes Neendakara she will get her breath back and the car would still continue the journey to Kunnumkulam. Amma and her older sister were like inseparable twins who made a lot of noise and maintained a love hate relationship to any onlooker, filled with soundarya pinakkam from the minute they see each other but by evening when they cuddle on the mattress, tucked together in the warmth of their fondness to each other.
Valiammachy was married and sent away very young and Amma was the next girl in the house and both had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities and growing pains taking care of families, and they lost good times being together in their teens and this was the only way they would express their loss of being together.
In spite of the silly trivial kushumbum kunnaymayum, they were always supportive of each other and they loved each other dearly. Lots to learn.
Our little black beauty Morris Minor would reach the gate, the gate had ironmongery never seen before, was gigantic and it stood inside with two curved half walls leading to the gate, this was one place we perched in the evenings to chit chat with all who passed by the road. The driveway was very unique, it was like waves and small square pedestals in between the wavy cemented walls painted in sky blue, with deep brown borders, there were flower pots in each of these pedestals. Our mayilvahanam would roll up the driveway which had a steep gradient to the old palatial home which opened up like a story book with tinted windows and long verandahs, pumpkin pots hanging in every purlin with beautifully crafted suspenders and adorned with the most exquisite flowers and greens. May be they were African violets, Begonias whatever they may be I had never seen them anywhere else before and after for years …
I was keener to watch out for the heroes in the workshop which stood tall on either side of the driveway…….
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