krishnan Mama stories Chapter one
Krishnan Mama is no more. But he once told me a story from his life to bring to point how an elder generation valued values in life.
Krishnan mama lived in Thukalassery in Thiruvalla. Thukalassery was a village in Thiruvalla. Thiruvalla is located in Central Travancore.
I have read how brahmin community came to Palakkad and Thiru ananthapuram. In olden days, Brahmins from Tanjore came to Palakkad and from Tirunelveli they came to Thiruananthapuram attracted by the royal patronage. Thiruvalla Sree Vallabhaswamy is one of the six divine places of Vaishnavites in Kerala out of the 108 in this Universe. But how and wherefrom or through which route the Thiruvalla brahmins came is not known to me.
The manimala river flows through Thukalassery. There were about 10 or 15 families here. It was here that our Krishnan Mama lived. Krishnan mama then went to a Steel plant near Calcutta where he retired as an Engineer. The story he told was this.
Krishnan mama chapter one contd
One day our Krishnan Mama when he was a student, had an urge to see a Cinema. Going for a cinema in some talkies (theatre was then called Talkies)is a herculian task. After many days of non-retortingly doing all that was told by mother and father and acting of hardworking in lessons, you get the money required only for a ticket of the lowest class (bench class). Then walking all the way a little money is made for an extra ice stick or cigarate muttai or kappalandi or one among the many bottled items that sold like hot cakes during the interval (intervals). The items are kept outside the talkies on a movable shop mounted on four big cycle tyres and at night the 'mannana vilakku' is lighted which gives out a lot of smoke. Had somebody from Copenhagen seen this they would have banned and luckily it is now a thing of the past. And then Krishnan mama like many others who saw this Cinema (movie) would have been busy for many days telling the stories frame by frame or enacting the scenes. The Theatre or Talkies is usually a hall with a thatched roof, thatched by palm leaves and there would be two or three intervals when the spool film is changed. The present day children would be laughing this story as imagination.. Yes we in Kerala lived like this just 50 years ago and don't be surprised i had been to such a talkies in Kannur just 25 years back and still more when we hear that such things exist even now in some parts of the country.
But our Krishnan Mama, poor child he didn't know the "somehow syndrome", was just a straight forward, brought up with all care by parents who wanted him to become a good boy who will be like his father setting up an example -like.
But the urge.. it grew by hours and within a day or two, it became something without which he will not be able to live.
Krishnan mama's father was an exemplary Head master. In those days, most of the brahmins will be judges or teachers, who were vouched for truthfulness and were mostly poor except for this asset called truthfulness and of good character.
krishnan mama's brain was shut off. He knew the little tin at the secret corner with a tight lid contained coins saved by father for some unknown purpose (which later was known as savings to be given to children for some purposeful spending. the money just for the ticket came into his hands. Not more not less. There is a truthfulness in stealing. The return from the Talkies was not as swift as the going. Probably the heart is heavy with guilt, and fear. Stealing was unheard of in this family. that too by The Headmaster's son is beyond dreaming. It seems that the Head Master daily counts the coins. The next day ...(Contd..)
The great Headmaster found out the culprit and was shocked. He felt that if it was allowed to be got away, it will lead to bigger thefts and also hold his head down on the face of the world, conscience. So he decided to punish suitably and gave strict instructions to mother to tie the boy to a post exactly when the HM was returning from school. The instructions was beautifully carried out though a bit of lie and cunningness went into it. It was as if both of them had imagined bad days ahead if it was not properly dealt with. The boy was tied to a post in front of the house. The Head master's cane fell all over the body. The fear went down the spine that added the cane weighed heavier and swifter.
All was over by five minutes and father went into the house and asked mother to untie and give good food. Krishnan was totally blasted. His conscience pricked. His pride hurt and his body was full of red marks due to the caning.
I hated mother because i( krishnan) could not run as she tied me to the post.
I saw her crying and she hugged the child and somehow cajoled him to take the food. Even when i took the food my mind was full of hurt ego and wanted to take revenge.
Afte the darkness fell, the child ran to the river and swam to the other side and went to a known house and got some money and swam back ( years after Krsihnnan mama was afraid at the thought of swimming across) Simply walked away without the knowledge of the people at home. Krishnan ran away from his house and reached Mavelikkara and went to Mahadeven and narrated the whole episode and said " I am not going back". At home people were sent on all directions to look for the child. Here in Mavelikkara, Krishnan was entrusted to their relative and landed back to own house with parents.
But since then Krishnan mama never told a single lie.. The Head master went back to work ..
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
FOOTBALL MATCH
FOOTBALL MATCH
It was a time when we moved from away from the temple town to a place called NGO Quarters Thekkummoodu. The address was: Lekshmi Ammal T, No.D5, NGO quarters, Behind PMG Office (Old Engineering College), Plamood, Trivandrum. Those people who lived in Trivandrum during 1960s will know what a place Thekkummoodu was.. The shifting was as if shifting from one culture to another. The NGO quarters was a new thought for the government employees. In those days people never wanted to live in groups. All wanted to live in independent houses with some agri-space. This was a new venture – Mr.Chellam nadar came from Kuzhithurai, Mr varma belonged to Chennithala,etc, from different cultureal background, from different cadres.. There were about a hundred families – quarters were divided into A, B, C D and E, according to their grades in the Office and E is for peons. But we never showed the differences in cadres. We began a new life, away from the temple town, in between non-veg. It was as if we were far away from the city. No noises of buses, and scooters are rare in the campus. . My mother was allotted Quarters no. D5. It was two houses under one tiled roof with a big wall partitioning the two houses. The next house was occupied by one mr ravuther. We never knew that such a man existed there. We saw him in the morning when he goes to office. It was One bed room house, One living room, a varanda and no attached bathrooms. Mr.Varma, Chandrika, Asari, Chellam nadar were our immediate neigbours.
The Quarters is situate just behind the Old Engineering College and we used the short-cut between the College, PMG Training College and City School. The Old Engg College, which boasted of teachers from all over the world was shifted to Karyavattom. This building was in the old Victorian style..there was a similarity between, the Palayam Church, Library, School of Arts. There was a muddy road in between the Old Engineering College campus and the City High School. Yes today’s youngsters do not know that there was a school here. It is now the KSRTC Vikas Bhavan terminal . It was a small bus stop and it was the only place we were afraid to cross the road to get city bus to East fort. Mostly we walked to palayam..The main reason to go to Statue was to get “Rava” from Spencer’s. It was always a long ‘Q’ there. I will be given only the exact change for fear of losing.
I was put in St.Joseph’s High School in the vth std. It was a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the Quarters to my school. Appa and amma had to go to Office by bus from PMG Jn. During those days parents won’t talk of money matters with children. I understood later that moving to quarters saved a lot because the rent was only below ten rupees. During those days, KSRTC charged 10 paise to East fort from PMG. Mr. Winnifred a tall and lean boy , in my class who stayed on the way to the Slaughter house was my friend. As a vegetarian I never knew what a slaughter house means and i was lucky that curiosity on this did not enter my head, or else, I would have been a non veg.
One day there was an announcement in the school. Our School is playing against …school at Military Grounds Pangaode. ..The school will be over by 2 in the afternoon. I also wanted to “hai hai” for my school. “Football” is to me a ball to play by only strong boys and strength is got only by eating hen and cows. But my school should win. I never knew the world outside East fort. This Winnifred and his friends have already planned to go to Pangode. I told him that I too would like to go..But he warned me ..It’s far away and we have to walk. Nothing will go into my head except going to Pangode. He said there is no time to waste..He made out his plans and I have to obey..Though my quarters was just a few furlongs away, I was asked to keep my “sanji” at his house.
Sanji is a cloth bag for carrying books..Leather was so costly that I have not seen any boy bring leather bags..Some smart guys bring books tied with a broad rubber band. The sanji was the easiest way of carrying books. It does not hurt your shoulders also. It can be washed and dried and used for years..The boys cannot cry like the present day children for new set of everything.. every year..
I thought that I could come back by the time my father reaches home. By 4 we will reach the grounds and the match will be over by 5.30. At the maximum by 6.30 we will be back at Winnifreds house. Even then I never thought of the darkness or the dog on the way the things I was usually afraid of.. my only thought was seeing a foot ball match and that my school should win ..
I had to run while Winnifred will walk..His legs are long. After all the fun and our school won the game, we returned back..It was darkness and lamp posts were not so near and we had to take torch light to walk. But walking is easier in those days as we will jump into only a speeding cyclist and enough space that very often we walked in the middle of the road and talking stories..
On reaching back at Winnifred’s house I was afraid of many things, the darkness, the dogs on the way and above all my father..I asked for help.. Winnifred then asked his younger brother to accompany me with a torch light..As it was a straight road inside the quarters, I could see a big crowd before my house..
I was shivering with fear. There was a hushed silence. I heard somebody telling my father “ Now don’t ask anything to the boy. Give him something and let him sleep..” But then I saw Winnifred’s brother was crying..He wan’t somebody to accompany back to his house..Some elders took charge of that..
At home after the usual 4 ‘O’clock, my grandmother started worrying..There was no mobiles .. even land phones were luxuries. As darkness came in, the news spread that I was missing.. the students left school by 2 “O”clock. They never imagined my venturing to see a match without father’s permission..Someone also thought of informing Police..Imagination went wild in the family and more when the crowd swelled.
With great comfort for many the crowd waned away and I was in deep sleep before anybody asking questions.
My father kept the questioning for some other day..
It was a time when we moved from away from the temple town to a place called NGO Quarters Thekkummoodu. The address was: Lekshmi Ammal T, No.D5, NGO quarters, Behind PMG Office (Old Engineering College), Plamood, Trivandrum. Those people who lived in Trivandrum during 1960s will know what a place Thekkummoodu was.. The shifting was as if shifting from one culture to another. The NGO quarters was a new thought for the government employees. In those days people never wanted to live in groups. All wanted to live in independent houses with some agri-space. This was a new venture – Mr.Chellam nadar came from Kuzhithurai, Mr varma belonged to Chennithala,etc, from different cultureal background, from different cadres.. There were about a hundred families – quarters were divided into A, B, C D and E, according to their grades in the Office and E is for peons. But we never showed the differences in cadres. We began a new life, away from the temple town, in between non-veg. It was as if we were far away from the city. No noises of buses, and scooters are rare in the campus. . My mother was allotted Quarters no. D5. It was two houses under one tiled roof with a big wall partitioning the two houses. The next house was occupied by one mr ravuther. We never knew that such a man existed there. We saw him in the morning when he goes to office. It was One bed room house, One living room, a varanda and no attached bathrooms. Mr.Varma, Chandrika, Asari, Chellam nadar were our immediate neigbours.
The Quarters is situate just behind the Old Engineering College and we used the short-cut between the College, PMG Training College and City School. The Old Engg College, which boasted of teachers from all over the world was shifted to Karyavattom. This building was in the old Victorian style..there was a similarity between, the Palayam Church, Library, School of Arts. There was a muddy road in between the Old Engineering College campus and the City High School. Yes today’s youngsters do not know that there was a school here. It is now the KSRTC Vikas Bhavan terminal . It was a small bus stop and it was the only place we were afraid to cross the road to get city bus to East fort. Mostly we walked to palayam..The main reason to go to Statue was to get “Rava” from Spencer’s. It was always a long ‘Q’ there. I will be given only the exact change for fear of losing.
I was put in St.Joseph’s High School in the vth std. It was a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the Quarters to my school. Appa and amma had to go to Office by bus from PMG Jn. During those days parents won’t talk of money matters with children. I understood later that moving to quarters saved a lot because the rent was only below ten rupees. During those days, KSRTC charged 10 paise to East fort from PMG. Mr. Winnifred a tall and lean boy , in my class who stayed on the way to the Slaughter house was my friend. As a vegetarian I never knew what a slaughter house means and i was lucky that curiosity on this did not enter my head, or else, I would have been a non veg.
One day there was an announcement in the school. Our School is playing against …school at Military Grounds Pangaode. ..The school will be over by 2 in the afternoon. I also wanted to “hai hai” for my school. “Football” is to me a ball to play by only strong boys and strength is got only by eating hen and cows. But my school should win. I never knew the world outside East fort. This Winnifred and his friends have already planned to go to Pangode. I told him that I too would like to go..But he warned me ..It’s far away and we have to walk. Nothing will go into my head except going to Pangode. He said there is no time to waste..He made out his plans and I have to obey..Though my quarters was just a few furlongs away, I was asked to keep my “sanji” at his house.
Sanji is a cloth bag for carrying books..Leather was so costly that I have not seen any boy bring leather bags..Some smart guys bring books tied with a broad rubber band. The sanji was the easiest way of carrying books. It does not hurt your shoulders also. It can be washed and dried and used for years..The boys cannot cry like the present day children for new set of everything.. every year..
I thought that I could come back by the time my father reaches home. By 4 we will reach the grounds and the match will be over by 5.30. At the maximum by 6.30 we will be back at Winnifreds house. Even then I never thought of the darkness or the dog on the way the things I was usually afraid of.. my only thought was seeing a foot ball match and that my school should win ..
I had to run while Winnifred will walk..His legs are long. After all the fun and our school won the game, we returned back..It was darkness and lamp posts were not so near and we had to take torch light to walk. But walking is easier in those days as we will jump into only a speeding cyclist and enough space that very often we walked in the middle of the road and talking stories..
On reaching back at Winnifred’s house I was afraid of many things, the darkness, the dogs on the way and above all my father..I asked for help.. Winnifred then asked his younger brother to accompany me with a torch light..As it was a straight road inside the quarters, I could see a big crowd before my house..
I was shivering with fear. There was a hushed silence. I heard somebody telling my father “ Now don’t ask anything to the boy. Give him something and let him sleep..” But then I saw Winnifred’s brother was crying..He wan’t somebody to accompany back to his house..Some elders took charge of that..
At home after the usual 4 ‘O’clock, my grandmother started worrying..There was no mobiles .. even land phones were luxuries. As darkness came in, the news spread that I was missing.. the students left school by 2 “O”clock. They never imagined my venturing to see a match without father’s permission..Someone also thought of informing Police..Imagination went wild in the family and more when the crowd swelled.
With great comfort for many the crowd waned away and I was in deep sleep before anybody asking questions.
My father kept the questioning for some other day..
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Blessings divine
I was searching for something among my old files at home and suddenly a piece of paper fell down. a lost and found story..A piece of my mind..
The year must 1995 or 1996..I was shattered in those days.. My loving mother died and a year is gone yet..One day i received a letter from my mother in law ( an ardent devotee of Kanchi Periyaval.. She can live without water and food but not without writing "Sree Rama Jayam ". Isn't this enough to make her blessings divine..The letter was an ordinary "Inkeyum sowkyam , ankeyum sowkyam" ..But it ends with "Blessings from Vijaya lakshmi "..
and I penned the following lines:
To my MOTHER (in-law)
Ah. what a laziness it was of others
I bow my head in reverence to them,
that I was able to receive in my hands
Thine Blessings Divine.
I know it was there for me
in thine heart of hearts
and now sent a la post
to fill my mind with joy.
I now wish very much
that others be lazy always
and i can receive
Thine Blessings Divine.
It is my prayers also
that thee shall not wait
for others to be lazy
to shower upon me
Thine Blessings Divine.
(I was told that she wrote the
letter to me because she did not
receive any letters from her sons
and she found some time to pen to me)
The year must 1995 or 1996..I was shattered in those days.. My loving mother died and a year is gone yet..One day i received a letter from my mother in law ( an ardent devotee of Kanchi Periyaval.. She can live without water and food but not without writing "Sree Rama Jayam ". Isn't this enough to make her blessings divine..The letter was an ordinary "Inkeyum sowkyam , ankeyum sowkyam" ..But it ends with "Blessings from Vijaya lakshmi "..
and I penned the following lines:
To my MOTHER (in-law)
Ah. what a laziness it was of others
I bow my head in reverence to them,
that I was able to receive in my hands
Thine Blessings Divine.
I know it was there for me
in thine heart of hearts
and now sent a la post
to fill my mind with joy.
I now wish very much
that others be lazy always
and i can receive
Thine Blessings Divine.
It is my prayers also
that thee shall not wait
for others to be lazy
to shower upon me
Thine Blessings Divine.
(I was told that she wrote the
letter to me because she did not
receive any letters from her sons
and she found some time to pen to me)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
football match
FOOTBALL MATCH
It was a time when we moved from away from the temple town to a place called NGO Quarters Thekkummoodu. The address was: Lekshmi Ammal T, No.D5, NGO quarters, Behind PMG Office (Old Engineering College), Plamood, Trivandrum. Those people who lived in Trivandrum during 1960s will know what a place Thekkummoodu was.. The shifting was as if shifting from one culture to another. The NGO quarters was a new thought for the government employees. In those days people never wanted to live in groups. All wanted to live in independent houses with some agri-space. This was a new venture – Mr.Chellam nadar came from Kuzhithurai, Mr varma belonged to Chennithala,etc, from different cultureal background, from different cadres.. There were about a hundred families – quarters were divided into A, B, C D and E, according to their grades in the Office and E is for peons. But we never showed the differences in cadres. We began a new life, away from the temple town, in between non-veg. It was as if we were far away from the city. No noises of buses, and scooters are rare in the campus. . My mother was allotted Quarters no. D5. It was two houses under one tiled roof with a big wall partitioning the two houses. The next house was occupied by one mr ravuther. We never knew that such a man existed there. We saw him in the morning when he goes to office. It was One bed room house, One living room, a varanda and no attached bathrooms. Mr.Varma, Chandrika, Asari, Chellam nadar were our immediate neigbours.
The Quarters is situate just behind the Old Engineering College and we used the short-cut between the College, PMG Training College and City School. The Old Engg College, which boasted of teachers from all over the world was shifted to Karyavattom. This building was in the old Victorian style..there was a similarity between, the Palayam Church, Library, School of Arts. There was a muddy road in between the Old Engineering College campus and the City High School. Yes today’s youngsters do not know that there was a school here. It is now the KSRTC Vikas Bhavan terminal . It was a small bus stop and it was the only place we were afraid to cross the road to get city bus to East fort. Mostly we walked to palayam..The main reason to go to Statue was to get “Rava” from Spencer’s. It was always a long ‘Q’ there. I will be given only the exact change for fear of losing.
I was put in St.Joseph’s High School in the vth std. It was a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the Quarters to my school. Appa and amma had to go to Office by bus from PMG Jn. During those days parents won’t talk of money matters with children. I understood later that moving to quarters saved a lot because the rent was only below ten rupees. During those days, KSRTC charged 10 paise to East fort from PMG. Mr. Winnifred a tall and lean boy , in my class who stayed on the way to the Slaughter house was my friend. As a vegetarian I never knew what a slaughter house means and i was lucky that curiosity on this did not enter my head, or else, I would have been a non veg.
One day there was an announcement in the school. Our School is playing against …school at Military Grounds Pangaode. ..The school will be over by 2 in the afternoon. I also wanted to “hai hai” for my school. “Football” is to me a ball to play by only strong boys and strength is got only by eating hen and cows. But my school should win. I never knew the world outside East fort. This Winnifred and his friends have already planned to go to Pangode. I told him that I too would like to go..But he warned me ..It’s far away and we have to walk. Nothing will go into my head except going to Pangode. He said there is no time to waste..He made out his plans and I have to obey..Though my quarters was just a few furlongs away, I was asked to keep my “sanji” at his house.
Sanji is a cloth bag for carrying books..Leather was so costly that I have not seen any boy bring leather bags..Some smart guys bring books tied with a broad rubber band. The sanji was the easiest way of carrying books. It does not hurt your shoulders also. It can be washed and dried and used for years..The boys cannot cry like the present day children for new set of everything.. every year..
I thought that I could come back by the time my father reaches home. By 4 we will reach the grounds and the match will be over by 5.30. At the maximum by 6.30 we will be back at Winnifreds house. Even then I never thought of the darkness or the dog on the way the things I was usually afraid of.. my only thought was seeing a foot ball match and that my school should win ..
I had to run while Winnifred will walk..His legs are long. After all the fun and our school won the game, we returned back..It was darkness and lamp posts were not so near and we had to take torch light to walk. But walking is easier in those days as we will jump into only a speeding cyclist and enough space that very often we walked in the middle of the road and talking stories..
On reaching back at Winnifred’s house I was afraid of many things, the darkness, the dogs on the way and above all my father..I asked for help.. Winnifred then asked his younger brother to accompany me with a torch light..As it was a straight road inside the quarters, I could see a big crowd before my house..
I was shivering with fear. There was a hushed silence. I heard somebody telling my father “ Now don’t ask anything to the boy. Give him something and let him sleep..” But then I saw Winnifred’s brother was crying..He wan’t somebody to accompany back to his house..Some elders took charge of that..
At home after the usual 4 ‘O’clock, my grandmother started worrying..There was no mobiles .. even land phones were luxuries. As darkness came in, the news spread that I was missing.. the students left school by 2 “O”clock. They never imagined my venturing to see a match without father’s permission..Someone also thought of informing Police..Imagination went wild in the family and more when the crowd swelled.
With great comfort for many the crowd waned away and I was in deep sleep before anybody asking questions.
My father kept the questioning for some other day..
It was a time when we moved from away from the temple town to a place called NGO Quarters Thekkummoodu. The address was: Lekshmi Ammal T, No.D5, NGO quarters, Behind PMG Office (Old Engineering College), Plamood, Trivandrum. Those people who lived in Trivandrum during 1960s will know what a place Thekkummoodu was.. The shifting was as if shifting from one culture to another. The NGO quarters was a new thought for the government employees. In those days people never wanted to live in groups. All wanted to live in independent houses with some agri-space. This was a new venture – Mr.Chellam nadar came from Kuzhithurai, Mr varma belonged to Chennithala,etc, from different cultureal background, from different cadres.. There were about a hundred families – quarters were divided into A, B, C D and E, according to their grades in the Office and E is for peons. But we never showed the differences in cadres. We began a new life, away from the temple town, in between non-veg. It was as if we were far away from the city. No noises of buses, and scooters are rare in the campus. . My mother was allotted Quarters no. D5. It was two houses under one tiled roof with a big wall partitioning the two houses. The next house was occupied by one mr ravuther. We never knew that such a man existed there. We saw him in the morning when he goes to office. It was One bed room house, One living room, a varanda and no attached bathrooms. Mr.Varma, Chandrika, Asari, Chellam nadar were our immediate neigbours.
The Quarters is situate just behind the Old Engineering College and we used the short-cut between the College, PMG Training College and City School. The Old Engg College, which boasted of teachers from all over the world was shifted to Karyavattom. This building was in the old Victorian style..there was a similarity between, the Palayam Church, Library, School of Arts. There was a muddy road in between the Old Engineering College campus and the City High School. Yes today’s youngsters do not know that there was a school here. It is now the KSRTC Vikas Bhavan terminal . It was a small bus stop and it was the only place we were afraid to cross the road to get city bus to East fort. Mostly we walked to palayam..The main reason to go to Statue was to get “Rava” from Spencer’s. It was always a long ‘Q’ there. I will be given only the exact change for fear of losing.
I was put in St.Joseph’s High School in the vth std. It was a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the Quarters to my school. Appa and amma had to go to Office by bus from PMG Jn. During those days parents won’t talk of money matters with children. I understood later that moving to quarters saved a lot because the rent was only below ten rupees. During those days, KSRTC charged 10 paise to East fort from PMG. Mr. Winnifred a tall and lean boy , in my class who stayed on the way to the Slaughter house was my friend. As a vegetarian I never knew what a slaughter house means and i was lucky that curiosity on this did not enter my head, or else, I would have been a non veg.
One day there was an announcement in the school. Our School is playing against …school at Military Grounds Pangaode. ..The school will be over by 2 in the afternoon. I also wanted to “hai hai” for my school. “Football” is to me a ball to play by only strong boys and strength is got only by eating hen and cows. But my school should win. I never knew the world outside East fort. This Winnifred and his friends have already planned to go to Pangode. I told him that I too would like to go..But he warned me ..It’s far away and we have to walk. Nothing will go into my head except going to Pangode. He said there is no time to waste..He made out his plans and I have to obey..Though my quarters was just a few furlongs away, I was asked to keep my “sanji” at his house.
Sanji is a cloth bag for carrying books..Leather was so costly that I have not seen any boy bring leather bags..Some smart guys bring books tied with a broad rubber band. The sanji was the easiest way of carrying books. It does not hurt your shoulders also. It can be washed and dried and used for years..The boys cannot cry like the present day children for new set of everything.. every year..
I thought that I could come back by the time my father reaches home. By 4 we will reach the grounds and the match will be over by 5.30. At the maximum by 6.30 we will be back at Winnifreds house. Even then I never thought of the darkness or the dog on the way the things I was usually afraid of.. my only thought was seeing a foot ball match and that my school should win ..
I had to run while Winnifred will walk..His legs are long. After all the fun and our school won the game, we returned back..It was darkness and lamp posts were not so near and we had to take torch light to walk. But walking is easier in those days as we will jump into only a speeding cyclist and enough space that very often we walked in the middle of the road and talking stories..
On reaching back at Winnifred’s house I was afraid of many things, the darkness, the dogs on the way and above all my father..I asked for help.. Winnifred then asked his younger brother to accompany me with a torch light..As it was a straight road inside the quarters, I could see a big crowd before my house..
I was shivering with fear. There was a hushed silence. I heard somebody telling my father “ Now don’t ask anything to the boy. Give him something and let him sleep..” But then I saw Winnifred’s brother was crying..He wan’t somebody to accompany back to his house..Some elders took charge of that..
At home after the usual 4 ‘O’clock, my grandmother started worrying..There was no mobiles .. even land phones were luxuries. As darkness came in, the news spread that I was missing.. the students left school by 2 “O”clock. They never imagined my venturing to see a match without father’s permission..Someone also thought of informing Police..Imagination went wild in the family and more when the crowd swelled.
With great comfort for many the crowd waned away and I was in deep sleep before anybody asking questions.
My father kept the questioning for some other day..
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