TRIBUTES 3

On a summer afternoon, leaning against the big tummy of Kunhukuttan Ammaman, we children sat on the low wall of Kulappura (House built adjacent to Kulam,Tank) . Kulappura, surrounded by Areca, coconut trees and other vegetation was the coolest place in the House on a scorching summer afternoon. Every day, after lunch, we spent our time there till the call for afternoon tea came from the house. Beyond the Areca garden, Ariyanippadam laid dry and full of fissures made by the merciless sun. At that hour, only snake catchers from Tamil Nadu wandered through the fields looking for their prey, braving the scorching sun. They wore Khaki shorts and white vests and held long iron rods. While wandering their ever watchful eyes penetrated in to the numerous burrows and sensed where a rat snake was peacefully resting. They opened the burrows with their iron rod and caught the snake by hand. Then it was rotated in air like a fan. The snake, who lost it's moving ability by this exercise, was then stuffed in to the yellow cloth bag that they carried for skinning later.

Coconut and areca gardens created an evergreen boundary for the Ariyanipadam paddy fields.

Through the gaps of those thickets, white and red colors of the tiled roof houses on the other side of the paddy fields were visible. Beyond all these, Western Ghats, which we, the people of Pulappatta , called as Kalladikodan Mala stood raising its minarets into the cloudy skies.

We sat happily listening to the jokes and stories of Kunhukuttan Ammaman passing our hands through his pure white soft hair.

“It’s due to honey” he would say. “By mistake I applied honey in my hair instead of oil. Because of it hair became white….not because of age…”.We would laugh.

The family house property had four Gods installed in four corners of the property. Brahma Rakshas, considered soul of expired Brahmins who once upon a time owned the property, had their seat at South Eastern part. Dharma Deivam considered to be the God of present owners sat at the South Western corner. Kuttichathan and Parakutty occupied places at North Eastern and North Western corners respectively. First two were pure vegetarians and teetotalers and found pleasure in Appam, Adada, Avil, Malar and Payasam. Krishnan Embrandiri from Kottayil temple was called in once in a year to perform the pooja for them.

Eating habits of the Gods on the Northern side, however, was different. They preferred Chicken with Local Toddy or Arrack and therefore Kunhukuttan Ammaman took up the role of the Poojari twice in a year to feed them. In his absence Ponnambalan took up the responsibility. Neighbor boy Ramakrishnan played the second fiddle in both cases assuming the role of Kizhsanthi. For the children of the house these two poojas were the only occasions for tasting non vegetarian food from the house and they looked forward to it.

When the day for the Pooja was fixed, mostly just before the rains start, Ponnambalan will set out on his search for the Rooster. In those days, chicken shops with drowsy, half dead broilers crowded in dirty cages were not available at every nook and corner of the villages and towns. Ponnambalan had to inquire with neighbors or had to go to the Monday market at Kongad for getting one. Before the Pooja day he will somehow manage to get a colorful, lively Rooster who will be imprisoned in a small room of the Kulappura till the Pooja time.

Pooja night.....

Children were not allowed to the Pooja site till the execution of the Rooster was over. There will be a long interval after the execution as Ramakrishnan dressed the Rooster and cooked it. At this point we children, accompanied by Ponnambalan with his lantern and bamboo pole, went to the jungle about two hundred meters away from the house. It was pitch dark and frequent lightning warned that any time a downpour may occur. Kunhukuttan Ammaman sat on a wooden plank under the Alari tree where the Kuttichathan was installed. Kolthiri, Bamboo sticks, wound by cloth at the end and dipped in oil, were fixed on earth and lighted for light. The Alari tree with its leaf less branches which looked like fingers of a leper, had an out-of-world look in the Kolthiri light. Dark red, black and yellow squires were made on the earth using turmeric, rice powder, burnt paddy husk and quick lime. Red colored Hibiscus petals heaped in front of the colorful squires. Blood of the Rooster on the triangular stone representing Kuttichathan was still not dry.The sound of fluttering of the wings of some large bird moved away from the nearby tree top. The soul of the Rooster seemed to hang around in this black and red atmosphere. Sounds of cicada and cricket spoiled the otherwise quiet jungle night. In the long wait for the cooked Rooster to arrive from the house, all wished that the rains will hold back till the Pooja is over.

Finally Ramakrishnan came with the hot Bell metal cauldron containing the Rooster curry. The smell of cooked spicy chicken curry pervaded the night air. That drove away the lingering sad feelings of the Rooster soul from the children’s mind.

To hell with the Rooster soul!

Kunhukuttan Ammaman offered Avil, Malar (Puffed and beaten rice), coconut pieces and Rooster curry to the God by hand gestures. Arrack, which Chathu, the field worker who frequented the arrack shop, had procured from a local shop was poured in to a coconut shell and was offered. After the rituals were over, arrack was shared fifty-fifty by Kunhukuttan Ammaman and Ponnambalan as Prasadam. Though Ponnambalan was his usual serious self even after taking it, Kunhukuttan Ammaman tried to pretend as intoxicated:

"Now I can see two Sasi and two Suresh........" He declared to the children.

Though thecurry was made of one Rooster, it was shared to all neighboring houses apart from the large number of inmates. Sharing seemed to be the joy for all in those days!

One night Kunhukuttan was startled awake by his full urinary bladder. It was a winter night. He laid in half sleep awoke for some time looking at the pale light in the passage. Flying light worms were lighting the inverted lotuses on the wooden pillars under which he slept. Under another pillar Ponnambalan also slept. Narayanan was sleeping perpendicular to them on a wooden plank with his head to the south. Below, on the floor, on jute sack slept the guard of the house, Kalu, the dog. He had rounded himself tightly and the head was dug in to the center.

Kunhukuttan came out of the house and moved towards the Indian Gooseberry (Avla) tree near the Cow Shed, loosening his loin cloth. Outside, it was very cold. Silent night. The pinnate leaves of the Gooseberry tree were folded in sleep. A half moon in the sky and the winter fog weaved a translucent curtain around the house. Kunhukuttan was about to get up after passing urine when he felt some body pass by him. But who at this odd hour……..? It’s all my feeling….he tried to reason. But then he heard the sound of footsteps falling on dry leaves. Kunhukuttan, brave man he is, felt a lightning of fear flashing through his guts. He was sitting near the pathway below the tree which went up to the thick jungle outside the court yard of the house. He tried to lift the head and look ahead despite the stiffness he felt on the back of the neck due to fear. He saw a white colour moving towards the jungle. Was it a man wearing a dhoti? Grey hair...? Or is it just a feeling? He was not sure. It was not the stealthy movement of a thief….It was an authoritative movement…..as if somebody authorized to walk this way any time…….seeing him sitting there and walking ahead totally ignoring him. This recognition made Kunhukuttan sweat in the cold winter night.

He somehow got inside the house and called Ponnambalan in a hushed voice. Kalu hearing the voice looked up and identifying Kunhukuttan returned to his sleep pushing his head in to the round. Kunhukuttan with much difficulty woke up Ponnamabalan and told him he saw somebody out side.

“Ningalkku thonniyatavum…ippo kedannu orangin.” (Its your feeling.....try to sleep...). Ponnambalan pulled his blanket over his head and went back to sleep. It seemed, Ponnambalan, during his nocturnal wander around the house, had already encountered something similar.

Next day when Grand Father was sitting on the steps leading to the court yard Kunhukuttan presented the incident.

“Brahmarakshassinte Pooja nadathan vaiki………Krishnan Embrandirikku aale ayakkya…….” Grand Father said.

(Pooja for the South Eastern God is getting late. Send word for Krishnan Embrandiri.)

Years later when I came home on holidays, I visited Kunhukuttan Ammaman in his house. Now his elder brother's son was looking after him. He had grown weak and cataract had hung grey veils in his eyes. The large tummy, against which we leaned and listened as small children, when he recited the adventure stories, had wrinkled like a deflated balloon. He had difficulty in walking. Still, when I took leave of him, he followed me to the bamboo gate of the house with the help of a bamboo pole, improvised as a walking stick. I crossed Ariyanipadam and reached our Padippura. (Gate). When I looked back, he was still standing there looking at my direction. Was he able to see me through his cataract draped eyes? I do not know. I too stood in front of the Padippura looking back at him. It was evening. As we stood on opposite sides of the paddy fields, twilight slowly started fading and darkness between us grew denser....