It was dark and musty under the cot. Kunjumon felt dampness all around him. Outside the monsoon was raging in its full might. He was there for a purpose. He wanted to hide from his grandparents. They had promised him that they will take him to watch the football match. But they didn’t. He was annoyed and felt bad about the whole thing. He wanted to exact revenge on them and the only way to do that was to make them feel scared. He was playing a game based on their love and affection towards him. He decided to go undercover for some time. He knew that they will start searching for him since he was a precious cargo entrusted to their care by his mother and father. He wanted them to feel the pain but he also knew that this self-effacing act will make him sad.
He made a quick adjustment to his body because the space that he had occupied was too small and it already contained the umpteen miscellaneous items. There was this diesel tin which smelled good. It was lying there for the past few years. The time when the tractor owned by his grandfather was used for ploughing and tilling the paddy field. Now that contraption is kept permanently in the garage. The labourer who had been the driver went to the Gulf seeking better fortunes and his grandfather couldn’t find someone who was as good as he was.
In the darkness, he could also see the worn-out edges of a cardboard box which contained miscellaneous stuff. Most of the things belonged to his grandfather. Farming equipment parts, screws, washers, and clamps. The box had a metallic smell to it. He inserted his hand inside to feel some of the items using his bare hands and his fingers brushed against one of the sharp objects and felt the sharpness against his skin. He immediately withdrew his hand and waited impatiently for his grandmother calling out his name. The rain continued to beat against the roof of the house.
His grandparents are kind of old and they both belong to the same town. They have been living in this house for the past many years. Grandfather was basically a farmer and he owned huge swaths of land in the town. The money he had was never reflected in his demeanour. He went outside without wearing a shirt and he always had a white towel perched on his shoulder. This was the common dress code of farmers in that town. It seems that they were always ready for some action. It was so true about his grandfather. In his morning task of shopping from the market, he normally paid a visit to his farmland and checked on the trees and the plants. Sometimes, Kunjumon too joined him in this quest. His intention was double-folded, to persuade Appachan to buy some sweets from the local bakery and also to watch the different small animals and birds who are the real tenants of the land. He has seen rabbits and mongoose and if he is really lucky, I can see some toddy cats ( palm civets). Grandfather never wore a watch on his wrist. He managed his time without any schedule or lists. Grandmother was much more organized. Being a homemaker, she knew the level of condiments and supplies in the kitchen and she will convey the message to the grandfather who dutifully visited the market to refill the stock.
They took special care of him and they always bought things exclusively for him and kept it stored in the cellar which was kept under lock and key. The cellar was always out of limits for him. He knew that it contained cakes, biscuits and other savouries. He often had to beg and plead to get the door opened and most of the time it was done when he was fast asleep. He sometimes managed to sneak into the room and survey the edible possessions. He used to ask his grandparents numerous questions about the items that are kept there. That room also was the place where his grandfather stored his farm produce like yam, plantains and even jackfruit. The room had a fruitish snacky smell. He eyes were always on the snacks and rarely did he venture to the corner where the farm produce was kept. His grandmother had to coax him to taste some of the fruits which were really tasty but didn’t look good. He was used to the warnings issued about the need to stop eating the bakery items and the need to eat more fruits and vegetables.
He was brought back from his reverie into the world of darkness by the distant voice of his grandmother who had started searching for him. It was little beyond his lunchtime and his failure to turn up at the dining area would have prompted the search. He felt so relieved to hear her voice. It was like drawing him back to the safe world. He was at a loss to decide which was greater - his yearning to be with his grandparents and live in the world of safety and comforts or their love for him and the way they took care of him. Listening to the voice which was drawing nearer and nearer, he felt his heartbeat rising and he started feeling guilty about the vanishing act that he had committed. He started visualizing the way he will come out of his hiding covered in cobwebs and dust. He wanted to hide under the cot forever but he couldn’t do it because his grandparents were the only contacts he had with the outside world. He felt really bad and in his desperate condition he called out to his grandmother - ‘Ammama, I am here’. He could hear the quickening footsteps, as his grandmother moved towards the direction of the sound. She opened the door to the room and found him emerging from under the cot. At first, she couldn’t recognize him because he was covered head to toe in cobwebs, dust and loneliness.
No comments:
Post a Comment