Archana karat palliyath

Drama Children

4.5  

Archana karat palliyath

Drama Children

My Golden Holidays

My Golden Holidays

13 mins
645


I always loved to spend my holidays at my maternal ancestral home with my cousins They were a total of few ,I just meant them all together or atleast few of my peers. But this happened when I was in 8Th Standard where I was sentenced alone for a few days to some weeks to escort my only one grandparent 

My Grandma like her name Lakshmi suggest was a very strong pious yet compassionate and popular lady in the whole area. She had a great fame in the place for the reason she hailed from a pioneer Circus family. I was stuck all alone in this big three stored home for the first time. It was then I knew I never had any instances to know about her as we were busy playing and just playing for the whole vacation and approached her only three or four times a day for the couple of food that we intake in a day


She woke up me early morning and sent me to field to ensure there are no coconuts in the ground and not to allow them to be snatched by fisher boys in the area. I just forgot to add that we live in the midst of fisherman people along the coast of a beautyful harbour and I just prayed everyday let there be no interactions between the two class people like she says as I am very bad in running . Then she made me eat lots and lots and I could only stop if I produce a special type of sound indicating " oh .Valyamma this is the limit". Valyamma was how we address her. Mostly people in Old telicherry are known by Valyamma instead of Amammas. She put me in a strong room so that nobody put a evils eye on either my food or the quantity that I used to have. After all she wants to see me put on some weight as I would be getting married the very next day if I gets some extra flesh on my body. Remember I was in class 8Th. Next my duty was to wait for the fisher lady to assign to .Valyamma. She complaints "I always come to your house. then why do you wait for me still your vallyamma says I am giving her all the waste and the worst fish ". This was a routine cold war between both Still .Valyamma never wants to miss the fish chechy 


There was a very exciting lady Radhechi (lady next door)who looks after cattles at our place which was originally Valyammas and she sell her including the cattle shed in our vicinity. Radhechi would come early morning complete the cattle cleaning and the best part was .Valyamma used to give her food everyday. she had lots of work and she seems to be hungry and she was to be my role model. .Valyamma says aey look like Radha , eat like her. It was impossible for me. Radhechi then gives us a portion of milk for no cost daily and .Valyamma says "see the milk how light it is. This is full of water. ". I had taken prior permission from my mother to go for a walk with Radhechi to give away the milk to houses around. That was my favourite part of the day and my .Valyammas most hatred part seeing me handling the milk bottles she stares at me like a milk seller. She was a very authentic Grandma. She had like a rich childhood. But I prefer a playgirl life dear I said through my smiles 


She started to teach me little of kitchen activities. I was allowed to cut the fish that my mother never dared to do with me. She complained "Ayyo are you cutting the whole flesh sho we are not going to make curry out of head and tail we need the middle flesh". I used to feel like the knife fixed between the two fingers of my leg seems dancing. There were abundant cats surrounded making a hue and cry. They were cheeru paru and many more. Paru was her neighbour friend too and she put her cat name also Paru. The moment she moves away I gave a wholesome fish to them so that I can finish my job easily.  


I was also assigned to call back all the hens by "babbabaabba" telling them Go to your houses by late evening. They were very few but daily I could get bulls eye of Desi murghi. There was a hen named Unni. He was the handsome among the crowd and I remember .Valyamma was sad sending him later for slaughtering 

The television was not working properly. There was like a white tube picture that would appear in the middle of TV. If we hit on the top the white part would expand and we can watch for a while. But that was the boring part. I just came after cable connection recieved at my home watching daily more channels apart from Dooradarshan and Metro channel. There were no company for me around except radhechi and fish chechy 

She also made me to make tea and fish curry. Once I started to make tea of little good taste next day my uncle came and I was shivering like usual infront of him. My tea also got spoiled. But just before giving him I saw .Valyamma adding all sugar milk powder milk water everything to it making it tastier and complimenting me " she makes good tea and she helps me in cooking". I noticed the love in her apart from all the statutory warnings. she said that white lie just to impress her only Son


I forgot to mention her only Son, a reputed bank employee who was her apple of the eye. He visits her all saturdays after the work hours without fail. She never had satuday lunch without him. . Even she keeps the following things on saturday exclusively for him like the coconut water in the fridge ,the fresh egg laid ,the fish curry with best and beautyful parts for him and head parts for us, the mangoes cut pieces for him and the seed part for us. This was a monopoly. Like a kingdom ohhh my .Valyamma just ruled.  


she had great humour sense too. She used to cal Radhechi by her ful name Akkali Radha as A kali radha meaning that powerful radha like goddess known for her ferocious acts. After few days of this cage life as I felt One day after my regular call from my mom I wept I miss them need to go back to my home.  

The very next day My uncle came and she said him " Son we had a great rain yesterday. It was raining cats and dogs. " They both laughed and laughed. What the hell I didn know about such a rain. haaaa that too in this summer vaccation. When and no signs of a rain. O God the late tube light in me just sparked. It was my tears she compared to rain drops. Wow what a poetic.. But my uncle consoled I shall sent you my son after his classes. Oh No No I cannot afford to bow my head for his space related questions. " No mama Its okay Arya wil come. She promised me" 


I was waiting eagerly for Arya. But the family had great fun with her new born niece Of the eldest grandkid of .Valyamma and they seems little busy. Aryas sister Rindhuechi a teacher by her profession was craziest fan of Anil kumble and I was taking most of the paper cuts for her to hand over as soon as she comes to our home 

The other bestie Surya is at Saudi Arabia if not we had a splash over here. Aswani our famy singer was also at Abu Dhubi. Boys were all grown up by then.  


When I got bored Valyamma also complained I am not taleneted. If it was my other grandkids they would dance they would sing. Some would do karate. Atleast you could even whistle. I just nailed her by telling " Its because they all are sent to music class dance class and so on I am only here to escort you this time. " and both of us felt bad after this talk. Being a mother of 7 kids I felt sad for her to live all alone. She was proud enough not to stay with her only son nor the rest of daughters.  


This was all her rules and nobody dared to break the rules. Meanwhile I started to like her activities. It was then breaking my own rules I got my first sign of a grown up girl. But I was worried as my parents would take me home if they come to know about this. I had liitle informations regarding this phase and some how I tackled. Valyamma was complaining these days "your pettycoat seems not ujala white Give me I shall wash from out not from bathroom while bathing". I made it a top secret and even my mother announced it legally the next month after vaccation. So as per records my puberty class is Nineth and not 8th vaccation.  

I realised I am liking this place. shall we relocate ? The next day my aunt and two cousins came home and the moment they saw me they asked how do you stay here alone without tv and even fridge. Fridge has also gone wrong and there were no SIP up collections from the neighbour hood shopkeeper chetan.


I was watering the plants by carrying the buckets. First in my life I felt I should be healthy to carry two buckets at a same time or .Valyamma should fix a hose pipe. All are roses then they could be planted in the same pot. I just murmured. Valyamma made me buy aunts and her kids favourites from the shop and I wondered how could she remember all these big list at this age. O God I just forgot to off the pipe. Aunt was not going to stay as her elder son has to leave to his college hostel today. They were about to leave. I saw the pain in .Valyammas small eyes. We were bidding her tata bye bye to her.


Along the back side of the house they walked away and she was bidding bye. .Valyamma moved a little she then moved again and then again bye. she then ran to the bushy plants just smashed the weedy plants and again then tata bye. Atlast they were like no where in the road she sat for a while keeping her hands on the head like a big Tsunami has hit our shore. No really I felt broken and mute"


I saw tears rolling down her wrinkled cheeks. And I am bad at comforting or seeing somebody cry. I jus turned like I didn see what happened and we both walked together. To break the silence I just screamed "see Valyamma there are a bunch of red Jamuns in the top of the tree shall I get it ? ". Oh dear go and get it. This is the time to showcase my only talent. It was a fast climb and I was at the topmost part snatching the jamuns. Valyamma then screamed ayyo dear some naughty boys of the place is coming. You remain there and come back after they leave". Oh I felt like a terrorist hiding across the Indo Pak border. She was talking to the boys and meanwhile she was so much worried about me and she started to throw looks at me Suddenly the tree started to shake a bit as I was putting  my weight on a skinny branch and she screamed "Oh dear just climb dow now"


Oh God the melting point it was. I was embrassed and looked like I am not a social being. I just kept quite. All were laughing out loud and one said ho " There is an endangered monkey in Thalayai ( My place name). O it was better I would vanish from here. They left turning and passing the glimpses and funny dialogues at me. Soon I became furious and then thought of not having jamun in my lifetime


Few days later I received call from my Dad. He reminded its time to stich new uniform as you have to wear Salwar this year and vaccation was about to get over. I replied him Our neighbour would stich within one day Its okay Dad ". He forced my mother stating I would be tired staying alone. Indeed I was not. I was enjoying or learning her and learning a life with her. Now it was confirmed over phone my father wil come next day to take me back home. I knew .Valyamma would be sad. She said " after few days I will be okay and again alone. Her maid will also join her and then it will be okay". I didnot feel happy with that repeated okays. But I have to go 

The next day my dad came with a bundle of things for valymma. Oats protein powder, Badams and many more. But her face was little pale and down with the pain of this seperation. she had her favourite list of grandkids. But we became little close with this short span and I knew I am going to miss her too. After lunch We were leaving. She got chocolates for my brother, my favourite mussel pickle, and few vegetables for my mother.  And we started to walk the same back side. I did not know how to leave this place now. I just turned back and bid goodbye. I felt lik trembling with my hands and I waived. The road was to end and I saw her destroying the bush to bid me a final bye. Then I have to take the right road and no more could I see her. I felt void completely helpless for her


Waiting for the bus to town I looked and felt the sea reminding " This holidays I did not want to play for myself but it was spending my time for somebody so much deserving ". A good deed indeed

As soon as I reached home my mother called her and said We reached safely and soon she gave me receiver and I said " Hai .Valyamma I just reached how you". She replied o dear I Am missing you.


I didn know what to tell her. As soon as I kept the phone I ran to bathroom and I wept as long as I wanted. I didn know How to love her. But first in my lifetime I cried not for punishing me but for missing somebody so badly. I wanted to have the vacation soon and then I scribbled all about her to my notes


I wrote about her one day when I had fight with my mother and my mother dictated it to everyone in a casual function at home. I was embarrassed and again me and my mother fought each other. I even asked Valyamma how you got such a disturbing daughter. As a token of the love she gifted me her golden locket of little Lord Krishna and promised me to wear for my marriage which I did with my whole heart The crooked in me also booked my mothers necklace gifted by Valyamma for my unknown marriage. It was a very authentic necklace of beautiful peacock with blue feather stones and red eyed stones. It was special as Valyamma could be seen in her marriage pictures with this necklace. It was the only Ornament of grace that I wore for my engagement. But she was no more to see the events. But everyone was taken aback seeing the attires and could remember her for few moments. I could here .Valyammas name as soon as many saw me. I have assured her in my prayers I shall pass this so that everyone remember  you. Meanwhile My Holidays were like Golden days not because for the Gold I received but for the divine relationship it kept for a lifetime. I miss you Valyamma



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