Recollections of Naadu

It's official. Our ancestral home is gonna be torn down. The place i've spent almost all d summer holidays of my existence.

When i was a small kid, this house symbolised 'Naadu' to me.

The journey to Naadu was the 2-day journey in train. It began with packing bags at home, parents and brother lugging suitcases. Being the youngest in the family i used to carry the water bottle - 'The Kool Keg' - the big one used in the days of yore..when bisleri was a luxury or mebe it never even existed then.. am not quite sure.

Watching the big blue train arriving on the platform...I used to stand in great respect when it entered the platform accompanied by d hooting of a loud horn and a green flag being waved.. it almost looked like a giant monster to my childish imagination.. it had a face with two windows on d front symbolising eyes and a somewhat mouth like thing below.

I was in awe of the train. But once inside, it was home for me...yearly travel in this train had me familiarised with the interiors... climbing up n down d blue colored bearths... sitting near d window.. playing cards.. reading... expectantly looking around for other kids to play with... or might be to borrow a magazine.. playing Scrabble and Antakshri with my newly made friends... eating d lovely yellow rice, pickle n mor curry with chetai which mummy used to bring wrapped in banana leaves... yummy!!! I still carry home packed food in the train..no sensation is as wonderful as opening dat lil package..perched on the topmost berth..swaying with d lulling of d train.

Naadu was Appachan coming to receive us at the station. Dressed in his white shirt and white mundu...he was a frail figure..all the hard work in paddy fields had probably made him so. But he has taught me that a frail figure might belie great energy and strength on the inside.

Naadu was walking percariously on the 'canal manda' which used to substitute as a bridge over d paddy fields leading to the House. Naadu was watching the House approach nearer...the abode of my summer holidays...memories of d previous years come rushing to my mind..

Naadu was meeting my cousins..initailly a lil shy at first..the one year gap takes a lil time to bridge.. Hellos are exchanged...slowly my sister takes hold of my hand and leads me to show me her new evergreen plant n d marigolds n shoeflowers that have sprung up..

I start jabbering away in my hesitant malayalam...they understand it alrite.. !!

Meanwhile Chetai n Jins get together too..they are thinking of getting d cat into a leash... BOYS..phew!!
I try explaining dat cats dont like being in a leash...we watch as the boys set up a trap..meanwhile we hide d cat in the attic ;) Cats dont like d attic either..it refuses to say up there..Then we realize that cats are too smart for lil boys who are trying to noose them...It gets d bait but d boys are left holding up an empty noose!

Naaduu was long afternoons playing in d heat.. running in fields..playing cricket wid home made bats n balls - raw materials from coconut and rubber trees..playing hide n seek (my cousins used to hide on trees...highly unfair..)

Naadu was stealing 'maanga achar' and 'puli' from d kitchen n relishing it with salt in d verandah..

Naadu was sitting at home n watching it rain..cousins all huddled up...playing cards...

Naadu was having dinner on d old wooden table..with d cat rubbing between my ankles...

Naadu was searching the ancestral house for hidden treasure...

Naadu was poking dry coconut leaves in the 'aduppu'

Naadu was all those insects.. dat swarmed up near d candle..

Naadu was the daily power cut.. when the boys turned into ghosts thirsting for blood..

Naadu was getting scolded for screaming when one of the ghosts crept up behind u..

But things do change. Soon Naadu became a place absent of my cousins...everyone had to move away for job or studies...
Naadu became a shortened number of days - months disintegrated into a week.. four days.. sometimes even two...

Naadu turned into hearing that the house wud be demolished..the ancestral one..the one wid the attic where we hid cats...with all d imaginary ghosts still lurking inside...the old kitchen and the fireplace... the marigolds and the evergreens...

A leaf from dat evergreen plant... an ode to those days of childhood lies still..pressed in between the pages of the Bible...

And at such times when i see that leaf... Naadu comes back to me...

Things will change.. people may move away.. houses will be demolished... but Memories.. they remain on...!