From my bedroom, I could hear my parents saying good bye to the visitor. I was sure that, Appa would have walked with them up to the main gate. I heard the car leaving and someone closing the main gate. Few minutes later, I heard the living room door being closed.
I waited in anticipation, listening to the sounds, hoping to know if Maria liked the boy. I wanted her to get married. I wanted a niece. I wanted a niece with two pig tails and beautiful pink frock with a satin bow, black dancing shoes. I imagined holding her hands and going to Cubbon park and taking her for the train ride. I will buy her a pink colour cotton candy. What if I have a nephew? nah.. I wanted a niece.
I could hear Appa, Amma and Maria talking. Initially it was all in normal tone and progressively the tempo started to increase and My father started to scream. I was sure Maria didn’t like the boy and my father is forcing her to get married to him. I wanted to go and see what is happening. But I somehow felt my presence would only make matters worst. Few minutes later I heard Appa yelling
“Go, call Nina”
‘Oh no, the guy liked me, not Maria, but he didn’t see me!, is he the one I winked at the last time I was at the bus station to go to Chengannur. He must have tracked me down. Aiyyah Why did I wink at him? He looked really cute and I did the unthinkable. Why oh why do I get myself in to trouble like this?’ Lesson 2 of the week. Never wink at cute looking boys!
I heard someone knocking my door and I opened it slowly.
“Nina, Appa wants to see you” Sally spoke. I looked at her face to see, if there is any sign that I would get in to trouble. There was none
Slowly both of us walked to the living room.
“Nina, what are the possibility that if a person lost sight in one eye after an accident, he would lose the sight in the other eye if he is met with another accident?”
“Huh?” I looked at my father. I had not a clue what he was asking
“You are asking that idiot for opinion?” Amma asked Appa
“Shut up” Appa screamed.
I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I was just relieved that my stupid winking isn’t the cause of all these trouble
“Nina, is it possible that if a man lost eye sight in one eye, will have more chances of losing eye sight in the other eye, if he has another accident”
I thought hard, most of the mallu movies shows the hero losing the eye sight during an accident, will always gain the sight back, when the villain hits the hero’s head with a stone/rock/boulder etc while the hero was busy saving the life of the heroine. The rock/stone/boulder etc acted as a fuse wire and fixed the nerves that was disconnected!
“No” I answered confidentally.
“There! you heard it” Appa asked Amma
“Oh for heavens sake, she knows nothing. She has only been to the medical college for 3 months. I can bet with you, she is not even going to pass the first year!. I am not going to let my daughter marry a half blind man”
“What is your problem woman? Your daughter likes the boy, he is well educated, the only fault he has is, he lost the sight of one eye, during an accident!”
“What is he loses the sight in the other eye? My daughter will have to live with a blind man for the rest of her life. I am not going to let her destroy her life!”
“What do you say Maria?” Appa asked her
“I will only marry a guy, if both of you agree”
I don’t really know what happend next. All of a sudden, my father went inside, came out with his bags and said he is leaving
“Where are you going?” I asked him
“I am leaving your mother”
“huh? What?” I asked him
“Oh pinney, ola pambine eduthu pedippikathe manusya, njan ethethra kandatha!( I don’t fall for your scare tactics anymore!)
Appa was walking towards the gate
“Wait Appa. Don’t go.” I ran after him
“I can’t live with your mother anymore Nina. Tell your sister, the next time anyone wants to see her, they will have to see her in Chengannur house.”
“But she doesn’t want to Appa.”
I knew Chechy never wanted the prospective grooms to see her in Chengannur house, because there is no guarentee that the first proposal would work, and people(neighbours/cousins etc)will start talking and mocking at her. Here in Kottayam house, no one knows how many boys have come to see her and nobody talks badly about my sisters misfortunes.
“Too bad” Appa shrugged his shoulder and started to walk.
I leaned on the gate and watched my father leaving. Why is it so hard for 2 people to live together happily? Why do parents fight like this? Is Appa really going to leave Amma? Does that mean my parents are getting divorced? Why oh Why can’t I have a normal family?
I walked back inside with a heavy heart. My mother was standing near the veranda
“What did you say? How do you know, he will not go blind in the other eye? You think you are too smart? Do you know, Acha will not like it, if you get your father to make Maria marry a blind man?”
“Why should Acha like it? Is he her father?” I was so mad
“How dare you speak like that about him Nina after all he has done for you?”
“Done for me? What did his holy highness do for me?”
“You are jealous, because he doesn’t like you the way he likes Maria”
“You are mad, mother” I spoke
“What did you call me?”
Amma was coming to attack me and I pushed her and went to my room
“I will teach you a lesson” She screamed
“Good luck” I screamed back.
The next day Appa telephoned and ordered Maria to come to Chengannur on Thursday with Amma as there is another boy wanting to view her.
I didn’t want to interfere in anything, so I didn’t bother to go to Amma’s or Maria’s room. But just as they were about to leave
I heard Amma shouting
“What have you done to yourself? You are not going like this”
I quickly went out to see what is going on. What I saw was beyond words can describe
My beautiful older sister had put so much oil in her hair that hair was stuck to her scalp. She had silver eye shadow and pink rouge on her cheeks. She wore a faded old black blouse that now looked grey with a purple colour polyester saree.
“You are not going like this. The boy will not even look at you” My mother was screaming.
I watched Maria walking towards the main gate, Amma took her hand bag and ran after her.
God created mothers to nurture the young ones and mine was a mistake. A big huge giant mistake.
Poor Maria, poor you!
your mom must have loved 3 daughters except you ???
WOW..what a scene..i think you should convert this blog in to a book or something..
and surprised maria actually said she will marry that guy..thought her standards were quite high!!!…and ur mum..may she find peace…
so sad:(…
ah so began marias rebellion to sabotage her own viewings?
Like Rosie said, do publish your book.
Is the title gonna be “Daughters of To-morrow” – A memoir ???
maria agreed to marry the boy if both parents agreed??? surprising
your amma dint agree bcoz she thought ‘xyz’ wouldnt like it ?
when you publish your book, i will be the first person to buy it,…
waitin 4 te book
Not God’s mistake but your mother’s choice!
Now THAT’s a mad house!
oh no…!! poor u.. how did u stand up to so much trauma… ur amazing my dear !!!
hi nina!!
when i thought you have seen the worst, more surprises comes, i was wondering there is 4 central charaters in your house, but sara and liza how are they, they seem to be hardly mentioned, i hope at least they got spared this spiralling madness!!
i don’t blame your father for walking out! reading how your mother was, that said, i have seen some mothers in kerala, who would run close to your mum..so she is not alone, and it is their childhood experience that make them like this….i feel sad for her too, for her childhood would have been without joy for sure, for her to have turned up with resentment to the world .
yx
oh lord!
I just finished reading all the posts I missed….dont know what to say…