The time of my life

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As I ran towards my home, as each step brought me closer to my dreams, I was scared, angry, happy and excited. I didn’t understand, how I could have been so stupid to think that money brings happiness? How could I not write a letter to the one person, who knew me well and loved me? How could I not visit her for once in 6 years.
There is no crime bigger than thinking money brings happiness. This was the place, I found true happiness. This is my land, my home. I took the right turn the kaitha bush. I rememberd how Ammachi used a stick to push the leaves, so I won’t scrape my skin whenever we walked on that bund.
Why was I so blind not seeing the love she had for me? Why did I believe my mother, that my grandmother would do black magic to harm us.
I wanted to see Ammachi that moment. I wanted her forgiveness. I was breathless, still I ran. When I reached our paddy fields, I tried to look for her. She would normally work in the fields and it is easy to spot her white chatta and mundu through the foliage. I couldn’t spot her
I couldn’t wait any longer. I cupped my hand and shouted
“Thangammo, Thangammo”
There was no response. I watched a stranger coming out of Chackochan’s house and looking at me.
I shouted again
“Thangammo, Methran Thambi’s Thangamo”
“ooo” I heard Ammachi responding. I watched her walking to the front of the house and staring at me. I ran all the way down the bund that separates our paddy field from Chakochan’s. I stood on the steps that leads to the courtyard. Suddenly I was scared. What if she tells me to get out? I am the one who abandoned her. This is Ammachi’s house. I looked at her, trying to see her expression. There was no smile, absolutely no reaction. I didn’t know what to do. I watched Ammachi turning her head to one side and speaking
“edi Chakki, quickly hide the upperi( banana chips) dubba. kothichi paru (don’t know how to translate this word) has arrived”
She then turned and looked at me. Her eyes were sparkling.
“I knew you would come one day”
“Ammachi, what did you say?” I watched Chakki coming to the vernada, wiping her hands on the end of her saree. When she saw me, she stood still, as though she saw the devil.
“Oh my goodness, Kochumaharani, you have grown so much, Why didn’t you come all these days? I have been keeping cashewnuts for you for 6 long years. How could you not write a letter?” Chakki was like a super fast KSRTC bus.
I ran to Ammachi and hugged her and I smiled at Chakki.
“I better make some kozhi curry(Chicken Curry). Ammachi shall I kill the white one?” Chakki was acting like a headless chicken.
“Kill the brown one Chakki”
“But Ammachi, it just started to lay the eggs”
“Aiyyah Chakki, my child has come home and you are worried about the eggs that we stand to lose in the future?”
“that is true Ammachi” Chakki nodded her head
“Kutten Chetta, Help me to catch the hen, Kochumaharani has come home” Chakki yelled as she went to the kitchen.
“athey, I could do with a cup of coffee. I haven’t had anything to eat for a long time” I told Ammachi
“Why you didn’t eat? Did I tell you not to eat? Do you think I run a coffee shop here?”
I was so mad at Ammachi. I stuck my tongue at Ammachi
“Oh, so you haven’t forgotten your skills!”
I walked in to the kitchen and asked Chakki for coffee.
“edi Chakki, add some ghee in her coffee. She likes coffee with ghee” Ammachi told Chakki
“Oh, so your coffee shop is opened today?” I asked Ammachi
Chakki looked at Ammachi and at me.
“both of you are meant for each other. Kochumaharani, this house was sleeping since you left, I am so glad you are back”.
I smiled because I knew this is my home.
Chakki gave us freshly made black coffee with a spoon of home made ghee. I tasted mine. It was bitter
“Chakki, I need more sugar”
“Too much of sugar is bad for you Nina” Ammachi spoke
“pishukki maharani(stingy).” I stuck my tongue at Ammachi again. I got up from the bench and took the sugar container from the shelf. I took 2 teaspoon full of sugar and added to my coffee”
“My god, you will finish all my sugar in one go. You think your father owns the provision shop? Do you think I get the sugar free? Ammachi asked me
“Well, you can have the sugar back if you want. It is at the bottom of the glass. You want?” I held the glass infront of Ammachi’s face and showed her the sugar layer at the bottom of the coffee glass
Chakki was laughing
“Why are you laughing Chakki? If you laugh without any reason, you will get free food at oolan para (mental hospital).” Ammachi spoke
Chakki was still laughing.”Ammachi give me some money, I will go to the shop and buy some green gram. Kochumaharani likes greengram thoran.
“Hmm” Ammachi grunted. She got up to go to her room and I followed her. Nothing in the house has changed since I left 6 years ago. Ammachi still used the same faded blue bed sheet. Her table still had the “snow” bottle that I finished years ago.
“You still haven’t thrown this bottle away?” I took the bottle and asked her
“Well, how to? I never even got a chance to use it. My grand daughter used it like lotion on her body and finished it in one day. I am keeping it, so when she has children, I want them to see, how naughty their mother was.”
“oh pinney they are not going to believe you. By then you will have no teeth” and I imitated, how Ammachi would talk without any teeth.
“I will get dentures”
“I will hide your dentures”
“You still haven’t forgotten how to talk and win eh?” Ammachi asked me
“How to? I am your grand daughter, alley?” I asked her
“No doubt about that”. I watched Ammachi opening the drawer and taking the money out of her account book” That is when I noticed the bundle of unopened letters. I could see the hand writing. It is my father’s.
“Still mad at Methran Thambi’s son?” I asked her
“May be” She shut the drawer.
“Go and give the money to Chakki” She gave the money to me

27 thoughts on “The time of my life”

  1. At last good to see you back home, kochumaharani!

    But how long, i do not know!

    kothichi paru-one who craves for food…food craving paru! 🙂

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  3. oh, i am so happy for u nina, u could meet ur ammachi. even i was missing her. over the weekend i was thinking what would be waiting for u in chengannur.

    but how long?

    -jay

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  11. wow! am so happy for you and ammachi, that you got a home after so much sufferings!! it is heaven to be there.. but how long! you would need to return to your studies.. anyways nice to see you hugging ammachi.

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  15. Was so tensed when i read this post… thought u d say at last that it was ur dream….So i scrolled down to read the last line…
    Didnt wanna get dissappointed..
    -Adrika

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  17. After your last post, I was checking it every 2 hrs to read the new post. I thought amamchi was not there! you are very smart to keep the suspense.

    When I read this post, it is like I met my grandmother (valyammachi) again.

    Please try to post the rest at the earliest.

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  18. wow a breath of fresh air…. stay there for ever…hope your ammachi feeds you galore for all the times you slept without dinner…. so happy for you…

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  21. ooooo saaraaye, im soo happy! finally felt like commenting! after all that torture, finally one post you are really happy..! was waiting for this! I am soooo happy!

    All those other posts, I didnt know what to say, Do I say the story is good? do i sympathise with you? …so i kept quiet..

    hope this never ends..hope this post never ends…

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  22. Alex: some malayalam words are so difficult to translate.. so here it is to all Malayalee bloggers. Please help me to translate kothichiparu to one single english word.

    Nandini: Yesterday after a long time, I was smiling because I could still hear Ammachi responding “ooo” When I called her

    Jay: I am sorry to keep all of you waiting. I can’t blog on weekends as I like to spend time with my kids

    Madhavan Kutty: Yes Indeed.. oru vattam koodiyen ormakal meyunna thirumuttam!

    Shankari: I know

    Kitchenmate: It is a joy to see, all of you feeling the same joy I felt, when I went back home

    Thanu: That is the saddest part. I was always someone’s prisoner

    Di: Actually as I ran down the bunk road, even I was worried, what if she died? Who would have let us know

    Visithra: Nah, she didn’t.. But I couldn’t stay. I was half way through my studies..

    Mjey: Oh there were so many times, i wanted to stay there.. That was my home, but it never happend

    Rocksea: When I read your comment, I was thinking.. You know, I can only remember hugging her very few occassions. She didn’t know to show love and affection with a hug. It was me, who hugged her, and she would scream”enikku shvasam muttunney, enney kollunney”

    Sujit: She was my rock

    Geetha: I loved writing it… I was in such a good mood yesterday.. I felt like the Maria in sound of music…standing on ntop of the hills and singing

    Toothless: yay..

    Adrika: I didn’t actually mean it to be a suspense. I stopped when I was trying to spot the house, like I have always done..

    Rose: Ofcourse.. that was a journey!!

    Salini: I am so sorry to make you wait like this. I don’t blog on Saturday and Sunday( I can’t type, when I hear every 5 sec, I want pappo, she hit me, no he hit me etc)

    Dumela: There was always food there… I even got my favourite uppumanga..

    Silverine: Yes she was.. She knew to guide me in a way, that made sense only to me..

    Ronnie: I was soooo happy yesterday.. just so happy

    Inji: I know….
    I was also very happy yesterday and I am glad, there were people who could feel it..

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  23. Im so relieved and happy that you are with ammachi!!!

    You know how to build suspense 🙂
    Cant wait for the next post.

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  26. I was as excited as the same Maria when reading ur post! 🙂
    Love it, dear..
    I don’t know how long this feeling is going to last, but glad you had some excitement after so much that had happened..

    Reply ↓

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