TOGETHER WITH MOM

 

      When I think of what is the first memory of my mother is - in our small house in Ooty, I was watching my mother through the small window which had a few, moderately thick, perpendicular wooden bars. My mother was doing cooking or some other kitchen chores. And I was silently shedding tears for my baby sister, who was still-born. 

      While we were in Ooty, as I mentioned in my first book, my younger sister was  born. But, she is not the second. The third baby. I am the first baby. And ,there was a second baby, which was full term still born baby. That delivery was in my native village, just like my birth. I remember a small baby covered up in cloth and kept over a wooden chair , the chair having handles on either side . To say correctly that was my first memory of the world. I may be around three to four years old. The picture staying in my mind was the baby kept draped on the grandpa chair and some people in that room, in a standstill. No noise or voice. Or maybe that scene got engraved in my mind in a standstill as like that, without any sound. Definitely somebody must have talked something or cried. May be because of the strange situation, it imprinted into my mind as the first memory.

  After returning back to Ooty, my father had gone to office, my  mother was doing house chores and cooking, I sat near the small window which had a few perpendicular wooden bars , watching my mom through the bars and silently shedding tears for the loss of the baby, as mentioned in the starting of this post. And when the the third child was born, as I wrote previously ,I asked how it came, and someone said,it was bought  in exchange for bran! Once I was very jealous, because my father bought a doll for her and not for me. My parents carried the baby and doll to the neighbour's house named Sabiamma ,who used to carry the baby often, but I did not go with them and stayed in our house itself. But, my parents did not know that. But, once I grew up to a girl, I got a care taking attitude towards her. 

    In Ooty, as far as I remember, amma would be doing the works in kitchen .At times talking or   conversing with my baby sister in a sing song tone. Mother would tell ,'Eemanak kudura Allah', meaning 'Give faith God', for which my sister would repeat  'Jeema Alladhoo...' and lifting her leg, she would climb the concrete steps in front of the house. She was one and a half years old at that time. One evening my mom was preparing murukku (முறுக்கு) , sitting on the floor and I was sitting a little away and eating one. My father returned from office early, because that was Ramadan fasting time and I was also fasting,even though small. But, since I was near, while preparing the snack, my mother gave me one, before the time of breaking fast. I remember that scene .My mom used to prepare murukku often. It would not be soft, but tasty. 

   In Coonoor - During the early school days, I remember my mother used to cook, sing, chat with neighborhood ladies, listening to radio, going shopping,  going to movies, travelling etc etc just like any other mother or any other lady uses to do. But, for every human being there are some specific features and that applies for every mother, every parent, sibling- and one grows up watching them consciously or unconsciously.

             Her adhirasam (அதிரசம்) preparation was a sweet recollection.  She would prepare jaggery syrup on the previous day . Add jaggery to just adequate water in a vessel. Boil it till it reaches the string consistency.(கம்பிப் பதம்).Take the thick syrup with a spoon and when it cools a little so that you can handle it ,  touch it the with index finger,  touch the index finger to thumb and pull the index finger slightly. The thick syrup will come as string. This is called as ' kambip padham' (கம்பிப் பதம்- string consistency). This syrup would be mixed with rice flour and after mixing, the prepared dough would be very tasty, same as Mavilakku- Mavilakku is a lamp prepared with rice flour and jaggery syrup and it can be eaten after finishing lighting the lamp. The adhirasam dough would be kept in a vessel, and I think the opening would be covered with a squeezed out wet white cloth. This is known as ' Eadu tying ' ( ஏடு கட்டுவது) in Tamil language.

    The next day, we would get the adhirasam that would be cooked optimum . The outer would be crispy and the inside soft. At that period of time, there was only firewood oven. The oven would have one main opening in front and top, and another one top opening only, known as 'ove'. We had that oven and one kerosene stove. Also there was an extra kumutti aduppu  (coal stove),which is mainly used for heating the room etc. Within few years we got LP Gas connection and our firewood oven usage came to an end.

             

 The oven picture posted here is something similar to what we used to have, but the ' ove' - the extra fitting opening would be on the right side of the main opening, the main opening being where the firewood would be inserted and burned.

         One mention worthy incident that happened was- since we stayed in Government Quarters in Coonoor, white washing of the house used to be done by the department. Once, after painting was done we had gone to Ambarampalayam, our native place. But, before going, my mother gave silk sarees and some more valuable things to one friend's house and put many of the utensils tied in gunny bag and gave it to the neighbour lady's house, for both of them to keep those, untill we return back. And we had gone to our village. Then one fine day my uncle brought the message that the people of our line informed my father ( at that time my father was deputy tahsildar posted at one of the check- posts that were put up between the Nilgiri and Kerala border ) that our house's front door found remaining open, and my father sent this message. ( It would have been telegram, most probably. Before the easy availability of telephonic communications, the telegram used to carry both good and bad informations to people. This technology was introduced by the British and remained in use for 163 years . This service was not used from July 2013. Since its usage reduced down drastically, its service has been withdrawn ). I remember my uncle telling that, and as my sister recalled later, my mother did not react much, since she already expected   something like this could happen and left the house prepared. 

    Police caught the thief in quite a short time near Mysore and asked my father what to do with him, and my father said that he asked them to let the thief go. Now if I think back, my mom felt that the theft may happen by one of the painters, the reason being our plan to visit native was somehow got known to the people came for painting our house. 

    Mother used to accompany to many places and to many relatives and few friends houses . Before result of medical selection came, I studied in Providence College in Coonoor for sometime. Amma (mother) came with me, we met the sister over there and got admission. My mom was very casual coming with me to that college, not even a slight bit of apprehension accompanying me to a new college, even a college. 

    And, since my mother's visit to Medical College in Coimbatore was mentioned in the previous writings, no need for repetition. While selecting jewellery and dresses for the festivals and marriage function, her enthusiasm and involvement impressed us, and that made the buyings worthy and the experiences beautiful, either in Coimbatore, Coonoor or in Pollachi.

  And,  last but not the least noteworthy is her being with me during my two deliveries. After my first delivery, while lying down in the bed after being shifted from the labour room,I looked up upto her face and asked ' How did you give birth?' ( எப்பிடிம்மா பெத்த?). She did not give any answer but gave me a warm and wide smile back.