The next morning, there was a sense of eerie calmth in Kottayam town. People were still talking and discussing, but it was no longer the same scene today as the question now was,
“who is the father?”
Milk man Shankaran came to our house to deliver the milk in the morning. As usual he came outside our door and rang his cycle bell.
Akkachi opened the door and went outside carrying the milk bowl.
“Chechy, do you want some extra milk today?” He asked Akkachi
“Why Shankara, did you accidentally put more water than the usual?” Akkachi aked him, while handing him the milk bowl.
It is common knowledge in Kottayam, that Shakaran dilutes the milk by adding a cup of water to every littre of milk, before he sells it.
“Ofcourse not Chechy, I sell only the freshest milk”Shakran replied
“It is just that today I didn’t deliver milk to the lane behind the Collectorate.”
“Why Shankara?” Akkachi asked
“aiyo ente chechy, I go to that lane everymorning to deliver milk, if that stupid woman says something stupid and tell everyone I am the father of her baby, people would believe her. I go there everymorning. How am I going to prove I am innocent? If anything like that happens, I will have no other option but to go to Kashi. otherwise my wife will kill me”.
“I want to stay here in this town in my old age”. So no milk for those who stay behind the Collectorate!”
While I waited for my school bus at the collectorate bus stand I was stunned to see my parents passing by in my father’s Enfield bike. Amma was holding Appa and they looked like film star Jayan and his heroine Seema eloping to get married. This is the first time since we came to India, Appa is dropping amma to work. I looked again to confirm it was indeed my parents. It was, my mother is wearing her favourite blue saree with green border and white blouse.
I could see Alice putting her head out of the bus window asking me to hurry up.. She saved a spot next to her seat for me and I sat with her.
“Did you hear the news?” She asked me
“Yes I did”
“My mother tells me it was a baby girl, and you know, Chatti gave up the baby for adoption and the nuns from the convent took the baby last night.” She spoke
“What are the nuns going to do with the baby?”
“they will sell the baby” She said
“No they don’t, you are silly” I told her
“Ofcourse they sell the babies”
“Who will buy the babies?” I asked her
“vellekkaru (white people). They come from America and buy the babies from the convent”
” What for? Why do they buy the baby?”
“I don’t know, but the nuns sell the babies at the orphanage and make lots of money”.
“How do you know all this Alice?”
“My mother told me”.
I wasn’t sure if Alice told me was the truth. I felt sorry for all the orphans at the convent and I promised myself, when I grow up I will adopt all the babies from the convent, so they won’t be sold to vellakkaru (white people).
By the time we reached the school, everyone was talking about father of Chatti’s baby.
“Even the mother superior from the convent asked Chatti, who the father is. Chatti didn’t answer”. Rani my class leader spoke.
Everyone tried to find out the father of Chatti’s baby. Nobody knew, Chatti never spoke about it.
I am sure it kept a lot of people guessing who the father was.I remember when I was small we had to stand and watch the milk man while he milked the cows ,so that he would not add water.
I remember reading a malayalam story about a mad woman. she was mad and roamed the streets and looked filthy.so all the people in the village decided ,they would giver her proper bath,clothes etc.
All the women agreed and they took care of her and bathed and cleaned her. Next day she was raped and killed. I dont remember whether it was true story or it was just a story.
Its so funny in India we would make a big deal about water in milk and here everyone drinks reduced fat or skim milk.
Pavam chatti, all she has to go through. Wasn’t there a malayalam movie that had a similar story line like Chattis’. I think Shobana was the lead cast. Makallku is the movie.
Thats bad.. what has happend.. and the trauma she has to undergo.. not just of being physically disable and now to have a baby!!.. poor lady..!
word got around really quick I suppose.
Poor kid…belongs to many millions who never get a true home and then finally end in loads of problems growing up.
So you were really kind from the beginning,meaning,you were on a mission from childhood to save all the lil babies:)
Poor chatti. She will never be able to hold or see her baby again. But then she had no means to support it too right? But I still feel bad for her.
these things spread like wildfire. i remember the hulla-bulla we had at our place wen a guy eloped with a married woman.
This is sad. I’ve worked with special groups and it is not unusual to come across such abuses. Makes me so sick to know such wicked, despicable people exist.
Glad to know of your new shoes though. 🙂
Hmmm…God knows!But thats really sad to note abt the orphans.
Starry nights:till the time I left kerala..it was a mystery
LG:It is the abuse of street people, by the so called ‘highclass’ men that bothered me a lot. I once hd a 9 yr old patient who was raped by a gentle man..She was a nadodi and he felt he could do anything..and he got away with it too..because the nadodi didn’t wish to lodge a complaint.and BTW..u know wht will happen to them if they go to the police station to complain?
Thanu:chatti was only physically disabled. she was mentally fine..I hv often wondered, if she was raped!
Sujit: there were many of them.. those who couldand should protect them were often the ones who harmed them
Maya; children are not something you should trade.. As a foreigner, do you know how easy it is for me to adopt a child in India? The nuns are so exciter when I tell them I am a foreigner.. they get more money converting the USD than letting an Indian adopt a child. Do anyone ever bother what happend to all those kids who are adopted each year from India? Ofcourse we believe all those parents who adopted the kids are good..but are they?
Silverine: I don’t know why she gave up the baby..
Dew drops:Gossip is something malayalees thrive on
Cynthia:it happens every day..
has to be me: I woked with kids in the orphange when i was in India. There was one child who always asked me whenare you taking me home and the nuns refused to let me adopt her. i was working as a doctor then. I was refused, because I was single. they told me to get married and make my own babies!!!