Ammachi and i went out together. First, she opened the chicken coop. The chooks were dying to get out of their confined home. They were jostling their way out, pushing and pecking each other to move and get out. Ammachi took a handful of wheat and threw it on the ground. The roosters were chasing and pecking the hens so only they could eat the wheat. Seeing that Ammachi threw another handful of wheat away from the first place. The roosters ran to the new place. It was fun watching the hens and roosters cheating and pecking and fighting with each other.
My stomach was growling and I asked Ammachi
“Ammachi, can we eat something first before we feed all the animals?”
Ammachi looked at me and said
“Nina, just because an animal can’t talk, doesn’t mean that, you take care of them as and when you feel like. You must always remember, you are alive because of them”
“Ammachi, I am alive, because I eat my food”
“True Nina, and where does that food come from?”
I understood what Ammachi was trying to tell me.
We went to the cattle shed. When Manikutty when saw me, she tried to pull the rope and run away from me. She probably remembered, how I tried to pull her tugging the rope last time I came to Chengannur.
Ammachi cleaned the floor first, then got new hay for Karambi from the haystalk. she sat on the floor to milk Karambi. I felt yucky seeing the way Ammachi was milking the cow.
I walked away. I was hungry and there was nothing to eat.
When Ammachi saw me leaving she told me
“Nina, bring the dirty clothes from the basket”
“What do you want me to do with it”?
“You can help me to soak the clothes in soap, so Chakki can wash as soon as she comes”
Ok, I said
Ammachi uses an old rattan basket for laundry. It is kept near the store room. I took the clothes and it was then I saw them, nestled in the middle of the basket.
three little pink baby pigs!!!.
Daughters of Tomorrow
yeah hens and cock fight for food, and peck eachother when they are comming out of the secured jail for the night. Although most of the time cocks peck hens, but sometimes i have seen, cocks offering food to hens and its chickens.. i have seen, cock helping chickens to get nice food…
manikkutty!……its real fun to play with calfs…the way they enjoy their first year…its fun to watch them playing and really touching when kick their amma pashu’s breast for milk….aren’t we lucky to have seen all those?
Sujit:the ones we had in chengannur were really selfish…It was so funny seeing how the roosters would run between the teo feeding sessions as though”akkarapacha”was in work
Q8techdrive:yes it was fun..especially when you know tht Ammachi didn’t emnpty the udder..she always left milk for the calf..She taught me to live and let live
Thank you for your lovely Easter wishes. Hope you and your family have a very Happy Easter!
remembered summer vacations at my moms village…the chicken coop and displacing them to see if any eggs were laid and getting hay for the cows. i was forced to do all these things then…now i wonder where i can get those experiences again!!!
this post made me very nostalgic.
Wish you a Happy Easter!!
it’s wonderful to have hens and cows in the house and to follow the elders as they take care of these in the morning. used to have similar experiences when i was a child, but now where are the cows and where are the hens?
Quills: you are welcome
Arjun: when my kids were young I went to one of the islands and there were cows and bulls in the fields and they asked me what are they? Only then did i realize, they haven’t seen a cow till then in Kuala lumpur and I took it for granted.
jiby:thanks..i know the feeling
remember the phrase “Kozhi ba, ba ba ba
Thanu: yes I remember..be be be and also remember Ammachi running marathon chasing them for the easter stew!!!