I dont remember much of my first 4 years of life in Vaikkom, except that the house had a verandah where I used to pedal my tri-cycle. Another faint memory is sitting in the kitchen of my neighbour while they were having food, happily munching my quota of a pappad.
We moved to Vadakara when I was 4. I clearly remember the house - Kottaram in Paravanthala, a multi storied building with a pond on the backside. One has to climb down the steps from the main road and walk along a mud lane to reach the house which was slightly elevated. During rainy season, rain water flowed everywhere in small and big streams. The house behind us belonged to Raman. I remember the name, but not his face. His mother had a cow, and she used to give me a daily small quota of raw cow's milk whenever the cow was milched. The house was surrounded by weavers, and the click-clack sound of the spindles still reverberates for some reason on my ears.
We used to sleep on the first floor, on the floor. The flooring was of redoxide. The house was tiled and looking out of the window, one could see the nest of an Owl on the roof, just outside. The Owl used to stare back at me with its huge round eyes.
One can see paddy field till the horizon on the back side of the house. One of my favourite hobby was to look out for retta mainahs, which I firmly belived brought me happiness, as against a single mainah that brought sorrow.
The pond and the Subramanya temple overlooking it was a part of my life. I attended an RSS Shakha for a while, as father wanted me, a frail young boy then, to have lot of physical activity. And RSS Shakhas encouraged one to play kabaddi and Gho-Gho. The Shakha was held in the temple premises.
The pond was full of life. One could see people taking bath, youngsters diving and swimming if one sat on the window sill. Though both my brother and sister was taught swimming, my frail health prevented me from learning to swim- a regret I carry to this day. But we had inflated rubber truck tubes which enabled me to float on water. Once, father had tied together husks of two coconuts as a makeshift float, for my sister who knew a bit of swimming. While he and my brother had swam to the other end of the pond, I tried out floating on the husk, and promptly drowned. My sister started yelling and fortunately a youngster who was nearby had the presence of mind to dive in and pull me out. That was the closest I have been to death.... to be contd...........
