Harvest and congress party

After all the workers went home Ammachi and I sat on the parapet wall. Ammachi was applying oil on my hair. She makes the herb oil herself, by boiling coconut oil and adding a mix of herbs that are found around our house.
“Your hair is so thin, why can’t you apply oil on your hair?” she asked me.
“Why can’t you stay with me and apply oil on my head everyday?” I asked her back.
“Then who will take care of the farm?”
‘then who will put oil on my head?”
She knocked my head with the end of the comb and told me
“You always have an answer for everything eh?”
“After all I am Methran Thambi’s grand daughter and you should know jathyagunam thothal poovula!!”(you can’t really erase genetic link to your grandparents!!!!)
I heard footsteps and looked out to see two men standing in front of our house. They both wore white kasavu mundu and white jubba. I nudged Ammachi to show her that we have visitors.
Ammachi looked at them and they at us. They were pushing and stoving each other saying”you speak” to each other. To me it looked comical. Two grown men,standing in front of our doorstep and pushing and stoving each other.
Ammachi continued to apply oil on my hair.
“Ammachi, we are from the Congress party” Spoke the one with a diary in his armpit
“Really?”. Ammachi responded
“Yes, Our party is fighting on behalf of all the farmers in Kerala”
“Really? and What are you fighting for?” Ammachi asked them
“We are fighting for a standard base price for copra. We know how the farming community is suffering because the copra has no value now”
“I am glad you are fighting for the farming community, but why are you in my house?”
It looked like both of them had lice in their head and they started to scratch their head. They were stammering and struggling to explain.
Eventually the one without a diary spoke
“We are collecting fund for our party. We understand you had a good harvest and we know you are very generous. That is why we came today itself”
The one with a diary opened his book and took a pen from his pocket
“How much should I write next to your name Ammachi? Aiyroor Thambi gave RS.10 and I am sure Ammachi wouldn’t want to pay less than that”
“Ofcourse not”Ammachi replied.
“Son before I forget, How much is the price for copra now?” Ammachi asked the one with Diary.
Again both of them had lice on their head and started to scratch.
Finally they shook their head and replied”We don’t know Ammachi”
“Oh! Like that eh? So which shop are you visiting today?”
They looked at Ammachi puzzled.
eda nayinte mone, you want a share of my harvest to pay for your party fund, so you can have a nice toddy drinking session at the shop, and then you have the audacity to fool me and say you are fighting for us, when you don’t even know the price of copra”
“Now the one with the diary was getting visibly mad
he pointed his finger at Ammachi and spoke
“Old, lady, you have no idea with whom you are playing with. You are playing with fire”
“Son, grow up!. are you trying to scare me with a rubber snake? I have seen live cobra in this land and I have killed them with my hand.”
” I will count 5 and you will run. If I still see you in my land after I count 5, i will assume you are trespassing my land and will take action.”
Defiantly the one with the diary walked towards us.Ammachi pushed me away and took the sickle that was on the floor. She now looked like goddess kali on a war path.
Instantly he stopped in his tracks. I have never been this scared in my life. My heart was beating so fast I could hear my own heart beat. The man with a diary was big and strong and my grandmother was small. There was no way Ammachi could win this fight.
Ammachi started to count and the one without the diary disappeared quickly.
The one with a diary looked back to see his friend leaving and he too started to leave.
“This isn’t over yet old lady”. He spoke as he was leaving.
Ammachi came back and sat on the parapet wall. I didn’t want to sit. What if they come with their own sickle and attack us?.
“Ammachi, should we go and look, if they are still in our land”
She shook her head. “They would have gone by now”
“Why couldn’t you pay them some money instead of fighting?”I asked her
“Nina, I don’t need any political party to fight for me. This is my land. What I earn in this land is the product of my sweat and blood. Nobody is going to come and take a share of that. Nobody” she shook her head and I knew she meant what she said.
“and don’t forget, Methran Thambi was a communist” she spoke.

12 thoughts on “Harvest and congress party

  1. yeaah…”Jaathyalullathu Thoothal Povukilla” hahahha! I love that one…my ammachi used to tell that when we do some mischief…

    and yeah…politicaly party – toddy shit…usual play by local “Neer Kolis”…hahahah!

  2. Yea, that was a time when they will at least ask how much contribution shall they write.

    Now they decide an amount, fill it up in the recipt and bring to you, to collect the money.

    We have three Dobbermans to deal with the situation now and a little patience to watch the ball game. LOL

  3. wow, Ammachi really impressed. that’s the way to deal with pwople who swindle unassuming people of their hard-earned money only to waste them on toddy. It’s true, there are these fund-collectors everywhere who can be traced in ‘kallu shaps’ in the evening.

  4. wow.Your Ammachi was a very brave lady.Kudos to her!And she fought for herself which is very very admirable.I should learn from her
    I love reading your stories…normally when I visit people’s blogs I have my music switched on but when I arrive at yours,I swear I turn it off.
    I love reading your stories altogether.it’s like reading a novel
    When you publish,i will buy first!:)

  5. Q8techdrive:tht was my mom’s fav dialogue and probably the first sentence in Malayalam i learned.
    Starrynights:she was remarkable.taught me to stand up for wht I believe
    jac:we hd karumban..he ws only let outside in the night
    Arjun:true
    maya:thanks… glad to know you like reading my potta english
    Jithu:we used to call her kaduvaye pidicha kiduva

  6. Fantastic! I was standing up and clapping for Ammachi. I think last time I did this was when our gang went to see some ‘full of dialog’ Suresh Gopi movie, to make ‘alambu’ in the theatre :).

    That final touch of Metran Thambi being a communist told it all. Too good! Finale Finiche!

  7. Maya:I am blushing!!!!
    Pophabhi:the original version in Malayalam was better:eda nayinntemone, ola pampine kanichenne pedippikkan nokkuva?? Moorkhane vettiya kai ya ethu..”
    Rocksea:Thanks.. i learned to find laughter in everything from her…

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