Kingdom of Bahrain
January 2, 2010
New.
The fragrance is new.
The atmosphere is new.
The climate is new.
The look is new.
The smile is new.
The day is new.
The week is new.
The month is new.
The year is new.
WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Looking back!
2009!
From my blogging standpoint, I am very happy. Thank you God, I could manage writing every week, as per my original plans. May God bless me further to maintain this momentum!
Thanks to all the readers and the well wishers who have been commenting on my blogs, encouraging me, without any limits. There are a few readers who read my pages without fail and commenting on them, religiously. Kindly continue your support and bless me throughout. A big thanks, once again.
Looking ahead!
2010!
May God's blessings be abundant.
May God's blessings be abundant to everybody I know.
May God's blessings be abundant to everybody who doesnt know me.
May God's blessings be abundant to every living species in this Universe.
Let us all be happy and be contented.
Just 363 days back, 2009 was new and fresh. Now, we condemn 2009 as old and praise 2010 for new!!
OLD & NEW!!
Some thoughts!
Please note : This story is set in and around my home - Kumarapuram, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. I will take you there, please come with me! All characters depicted herein are artificial.
Kumar got down from a heavily crowded City Bus at Kumarapuram Jn. He had to literally fight with the bus conductor for getting his due balance of a few paise*. (1 paisa = 1/100th of a Rupee). Getting down at the next junction would have definitely saved him from walking for an additional 10 minutes, but he was not sure whether he would be able to get down there, as most of the buses never stopped at that junction. He walked briskly by the side of the road. Through a corner of his eyes, while walking, he looked at his HMT watch.
"Oh! my God! Its eleven already! Coconut plucking would have started by seven in the morning! I am going to get this time! How many time did I ask my father to buy me a cycle? Just a matter of 1000 rupees!" Kumar said to himself.
Kumar was asked to come a little early to help his father and his Uncles during the "once-in-two-months' ritual" of coconut plucking. Considering the count of coconut trees, shared by his parents and maternal uncles, it was like a big festival, that started by nearly seven in the morning and lasted almost till dark! There would be around ten coconut pluckers plus their numerous assistants involved in the day long "festival", for plucking, consolidating and counting the plucked coconuts. The coconut pluckers launch themselves on to the coconut trees' arcing trunk with a strap of palm frond tied around their ankles for grip and support. The evenings those days witnessed the main coconut vendor negotiating with all the stakeholders and arguing the price of coconuts based on the wholesale market rates! Whatever said and done, the so-called festival always ended in arguments and eventually in a compromise between the vendor and the stakeholders!
"Kumar, are you coming from the college?" The shopkeeper, Bhaskara Pillai asked Kumar, courtesy sake.
"No, Mama (Uncle), today is Sunday. Please give me a lemon soda", Kumar asked Bhaskara Pillai. Kumar did not intend to pay a visit to his shop, but Bhaskara Pillai's public relations' skills forced Kumar to be a customer.
Pillai's little shop was like an oasis in the desert for many residents. Though the shop looked smaller, it accommodated most of the requisite and necessary items under the sun, and it was a one-stop-shop for many. The inventory included newspaper, magazines, toffees, betel leaf, cigarretes, squash drinks, soda, soap, combs, banana, pickle sachets and what not. Bhaskara Pillai, appeared in minimal costumes - a coloured lungi (dhothi), a sleeveless banian and a thorthu (Keralite towel!), most of the time.
"Salt or sugar?", Bhaskara Pillai sought Kumar's confirmation while squeezing the fresh lemon bought from the Chalai wholesale market.
"Sugar, Mama."
Bhaskara Pillai prepared a sweet lemon soda and offered to Kumar. The spur of the soda always gave a revitalizing feel, at least psychologically.
"Today is Thengavettu (coconut plucking) there, isnt it?", Commission Chellappan asked Kumar while the latter was about to leave Bhaskara Pillai's shop.
A small neighbourhood.
Everybody knew every other person.
Everybody knew the happenings in and around.
For that matter, Commission Chellappan kept a tab of all events in every household in Kumarapuram. Commission Chellappan was always a last minute resort to many residents, for getting their utility bills paid, buying and selling of many commodities, real estate business, liaision work and everything, but with some commission - hence his name.
"Go fast. The eastern side is covered by now. The coconuts are being counted. I also met your father and uncles.", Commission Chellappan pressurised Kumar.
Kumar ran towards the coconut farm.
From behind, Commission Chellappan shouted - "Please let me know if you are selling the farm or plot. I have some Gulf people to buy and will give a very good price"
Kumar did not react, but sped towards the happening place. Because, his quota of tender coconut was awaiting him. It was not common to buy tender coconut, due to non-availability and if at all, due to a heavy price of nearly five rupees.
"No way, Chellappan. Theirs is ancestral property and don't put your thoughts to have their property sold off!" Bhaskaran Nair discouraged a prospect business deal, with a big laugh.
Kumar heard a disturbing honk of a car. He turned around and in a fraction of a second, a car passed by, "arrogantly" splashing some dirty water on to his shirt.
Kumar looked around, cursed the car driver, and continued running.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What a weather? Humid and sultry! This place was so cool before. Global warming! Please increase the aircon", Kumaran Nair told the car driver.
"Sir, there is a Margin Free Super Market nearby. You will get cool drinks from there. Please tell me if you need me to stop the car there."
"No. Please stop me somewhere if we get some fresh tender coconuts. We do not get fresh ones in US.". Kumaran Nair replied to the car driver.
"Sir, we have passed that place, but I will take you to another place for that."
A diversion and in ten minutes the car reached the next junction. Kumaran Nair had a choice - red coloured or green coloured tender coconut?
Kumaran Nair, with an innate childish greed, drank the tender coconut water and ate the flesh inside.
"Very refreshing. Wherever you go, wherever you stay, wherever you live, wherever you travel, Kerala is Kerala!" Kumaran Nair told to himself with pride, but a little louder, that prompted the car driver to respond.
"Yes, Sir. God's Own Country", the car driver grinned.
"How much is it?" Kumaran Nair picked up a Rs. 1000 note from his purse, which had both US Dollars and few Indian Rupees.
"Sir, change please! It is Rs. 13 and I do not have change". The car driver replied to the tender coconut vendor by giving a Rs. 50 note from his pocket. The deal was closed when the driver got his due balance amount.
They both got in to the car and almost immediately, Kumaran Nair got a call on his mobile.
"Yes, Dad. I managed to get a cab. I am reaching, yes, nearby only.... Flight got delayed in Delhi due to heavy fog this morning. See you, Dad". Kumaran Nair answered his father's phone call in an Indo-American accent.
"Sir, how long have you been in America?", the car driver's query was ignored by Kumaran Nair, as he was busy typing out some SMS. The driver wanted to repeat, but he got convinced through the rear view mirror that his client is busy in something else.
"Go fast please. My Dad is waiting for me." Driver was ordered.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kumar, who was panting after a long run, greeted his uncles who were busy managing the coconut plucking festival!!
An uncle, who always worked hard, who used to assist the coconut pluckers, gathered all the scattered coconuts, proactively. On seeing this, Kumar could not help ignoring him. Kumar too joined his uncle in picking up the coconuts scattered all over the place.
"Kumar, be careful." Another uncle warned Kumar because he was standing right under the coconut tree, which had a coconut plucker atop.
Perfect timing!
Kumar's running a few metres away and a thud sound of a coconut falling on the ground, happened almost at the same time!
"Do you want tender coconut?" An uncle asked Kumar, lovingly.
For Kumar, plucking tender coconuts was just like a sin, something similar to an abortion. Because, if we let the tender coconut to grow further and permit it to become a fully grown coconut, that would fetch some money next time!!!
But, that was just logic.
"Yes, Maman. One, please. I am not sure whether my father had got one or two for me there." Kumar answered his uncle, with respect.
"Thulasi, cut one tender coconut from the other branch", Uncle ordered the coconut plucker, by calling his name and pointing towards a branch of the coconut tree.
Kumar enjoyed the tasty tender coconut water and using the natural spoon (cut out artistically by Thulasi, the coconut plucker) he ate the sweet flesh too.
"Very tasty". Kumar acknowledged.
Uncles looked at each other with pride. Perhaps, due to natural irrigation and natural fertilization procedures, the native tender coconuts were always very sweet. In fact, Kumar was waiting for the last two months to taste one.
Kumar continued to assist his Uncles to finish the counting of coconuts plucked. He even took initiative in representing them in the counting process. Finally, proactively, he did some tallying and came out with a self explanatory list mentioning how many coconuts were to be sold, and for whom.
The Uncles were happy.
After his mission, Kumar sought Uncles' permission and went to his house, just a few metres away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kumaran Nair took out his Ray Ban sunglasses to see the beauty of his homeland through his naked eyes, as soon as the car negotiated the curve towards his home.
"Please stop for a while", Kumaran Nair ordered the car driver.
He got down from the car. Looked around.
Visible were various signboards that read names of doctors, lawyers, senior Govt. officials etc.
There were also boards that showed some plots that were on sale.
Multi-storied houses, so many latest model cars, mobile towers etc.
No cycles!
No bullock carts!
No betel leaf shops or kiosks!
No small scale shops.
Only departmental stores.
Only margin-free shops.
Unknowingly, a drop of tear fell from Kumaran Nair's eyes.
But, the driver noticed it.
"Lets go", Kumaran Nair got back to the car and asked the driver.
Kumaran Nair gave the directions to the car driver on how to reach his home. Finally, on Kumaran Nair's instructions, the driver carried the luggages and placed them at the verandah of the house.
Kumaran Nair disengaged the car driver by settling his due amount plus some tips plus the cost of the tender coconut he had. With a special thanks, the car driver left the scene.
Kumaran Nair's Dad came out from his room. They looked at each other and hugged. Eventhough they were communicating by way of internet, online messengers, Skype, telephone calls etc. they were seeing each other after a long gap. Moreover, it was not easy to have frequent travel between US and India, considering the physical and monetary impacts.
Kumaran Nair got distracted on hearing a thud sound of a coconut falling down.
"There are no coconut pluckers around!! Time has changed. Its now due by more than a month. I made some calls to the coconut pluckers, but to no avail. Seems, I should practise coconut plucking too at this old age", Dad, aged 80 years told Kumaran Nair on a sarcastic note.
"For everyone?", Kumaran Nair asked his father.
"There are only a few coconut trees now, a maximum of thirty. No coconut pluckers are willing to spend their time here. So, most of the coconuts fall like this. Its a pity!" Dad's comments prompted Kumaran Nair to look at the erstwhile coconut farm!
There was no coconut farm!
Only plots were visible!
Mansions!
"Plot For Sale" signboards!
Polluting noises !
Latest model cars!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Where were you all this while?, as expected, Kumar's father made a query.
"My bus got delayed and then, I was with Uncles, helping them", Kumar voiced his reply that rescued him.
"What happened on your shirt?" Kumar's father asked.
"By a car!", Kumar responded with some fury, may be thinking of the car driver who splashed the dirty water.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He came out to the verandah and sat with his Dad.
Kumar removed his sandals and got in to the verandah of his house.
He sat on the cane chair, beside his father.
"This is my only son", Kumaran Nair's Dad introduced Kumar to Kumaran Nair.
"This is my only son too", Kumar's father introduced Kumaran Nair to Kumar.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Who is Kumar? Its me.
Who is Kumaran Nair? It is also me !! OLD & NEW?
Renjith P Sarada
(C) 2010 - 2012. Renjith P Sarada. All rights reserved
15 comments:
From an NRK point of view......made interesting read..the end was too good!!
I liked the tender coconut part esp. the organically farmed bit..I wonder if its being practiced.
From Residuals to Resolutions for the New Year..do keep on adding more feathers to your cap.Great work of fiction !!
Good one..Renju chetan...instead of lemon soda..Bonjee would have been better :-)
Good One...at first when you started off on Kumaran Nair in a car..I thought it was the person who splashed water on Kumar...and I was just getting ready to criticise you (on the mobiles and stuff during those old days of coconut harvesting...)but soon I felt, Oh, maybe they both are same people...its the story of the same person Yesterday and Today...very nice...still personally, I felt maybe you could make the last introduction a bit more interesting...Actually, I don't know if "Interesting" is the exact word,but some sort of change would enhance the beauty of this blog...I feel soo...
Rejithji,
I cannot stop saying that you are becoming a great writer. What a treatment? Great... enjoyed every word of it.
At times, I felt an ache... somewhere..... Though not familiar with coconut farms, the nostalgia is still there.
When you compared the old views with the new ones, Renjithji, I had to get up from my seat to have a walk, as I thought I was loosing breath.
Sudhy
@Mini chechi : Thank you very much for your first comment - the first I got for my creations in 2010! I was unsure whether I was able to convey the message what was in my mind. But am glad to know that this creation turned out well, though, I admit, not completely.
@Mahesh : Thank you, dear. Yes, Bonjee would have definitely given a slang style. Noted your comment and will reflect it in my forthcoming creations with a Trivandrum subject.
@Remitha : Thank you, dear. I am happy that you understood the logic and what I was about to say. Yes, the ending is not as perfect as I thought. Will make it better and more interesting, the next time, its my word.
@Sudhy : Thank you for the wonderful comment. You posted it with a touch of nostalgia covered in literature! Great! Please do write.
THANK YOU ALL.
Dear Renjith,
Enjoyed reading the story. Well done.
Nowadays, coconut pluckers are not available in Kerala. If available, they take all the coconuts they plucked. Hence, there won't be any benefit from the coconut farms. All the best for your future writings.
First of all here's wishing that you will keep your posts coming with such punctual regularity all through the year! Happy New Year!
Coming to the post itself, I just have this to say. NRMs all over the world will identify with your story from start to end! Seeing your country as you grew up and now and the sharpness of the different images of then and now will surely resonate with the millions of malayalees living abroad now after having grown up in Kerala.
Change is the only constant in our world and both the malayalee who grew up in Kerala has changed and so has the place itself. Some of the changes for both the protagonists may not be for the better but its just an ineveitable fact when one lives a life spanning a few decades!
Keep spinning more yarns of different hues! :)
BRAVO, RENJITH!
Somewhere in between I sensed that the protagonist/s happened to be you.
There is nothing superficial in this article of yours. You have depicted in a trendy style the changing times..
God bless..
An apt title to your experiential article. The stream of thought of the child and the grown person/ the past and the present from the protagonist's view.I loved the subject- coconut pluckers, the hustle and bustle of people around,the familiar background-all very nostalgic.
The story developed very well but even I felt that you could have elaborated the conclusion a bit inorder to tighten the plot.
On the whole a good read. Hope to see more of such experimental writings from you in the future.
Good writing Renjith. The experimental style was nice. However, I was a bit confused in the end. All along, I thought it is same person in 2 different time periods. Suddenly, I wasnt so sure. Had to read it 2 times. Maybe you could have elaborated a bit more in the last para. Just suggesting!
Read your new blog "Some (resi)dual thoughts".
It reminded me of my childhood days at vikom (my mother's house).
The blog seemed to be very interesing...Keep goin..
A good piece of expression that inspired me to think of past days.
Comparing between the old & new is indeed interesting. But the change is inevitable for all of us. Often we regretfully think of our good olden days which were more naturally biased. We change ourselves to make the present day more good, comfortable and happier that our olden days. So is it a clash between the good & bad or vice versa? All the changes are accepted and we adapt to it.
getting nostalgic Renjithetta..really nice one...but final 2 lines..Kumar???? Kumaran Nair???? Kumar's father ????? KumarN Nair's Dad??...
Hi Renjith,went thru ur latest blog,does sound latest!..:).ur style is taking lot of variations,good its not predictable....
Good one Renjith.......Keep Going...
Wish you and your Family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
I wish the New Year will bring you good ideas for your writing...
Post a Comment