Then I thought I should write something about myself. This one is not an article but my memories of pakoth. A series of events that happened in mid 80s.
Memories of pakoth was featured in the Souvenir that was published as part of the 50th year (golden jublilee) celebrations. This souvenir was published on April 2005.
Memories of Pakoth, padinjare kovilakom.
ASIMO Muthachan.
ASIMO, latest edition of Honda’s robot. I was watching BBC. ASIMO can walk and respond to its surrounding. As I watched ASIMO walking, a thought flashed in my mind. I have seen this walk somewhere? I was startled by the resemblance in ASIMOV’S movement with muthachan’s (my father’s father) walk this is the way my muthachan used to walk. He was affected by Parkinson’s disease.
He used to call me to help him move. I used to tease him. Muthachaa you have a starting trouble.
My early memories of pakoth is related to muthachan
MCG
Manoj chettan has arranged a cricket match!! Anu (manoj chettan’s younger brother) told me while coming back from school. Cricket was our passion and we were all boastful of our cricketing skills. Our first match with a local team. I started visualizing an indo-pak oneday.
The venue was fixed MCG Madathilparambu (not Melbourne) Cricket Ground. Chinjappan was the captain of opponent side. As the much awaited match started we came to know that how talented was the other side. Like a fall of castle made up of playing cards, one by one started loosing wickets. None of us survived chinjappan’s fearsome bowling attack.
We had another MCG, Malikayil Cricket Ground. Where other than in chenganda you could see two MCGs adjacent? By this time I shifted my stay to cherthala with my maternal grandparents. Daily I used to come to chenganda to play cricket. At the end of the day I would have lost my money for return ticket. Thanks to anu for his financial aid, he had bestowed in various occasions without that my return to cherthala would not have been possible.
vettaikorumakan’s kovil
Weekly bhajans at vettaikorumakan’s kovil was on Tuesdays; songs were all fixed and already allotted to various persons. Mine was hamsavahana devi ambasaraswathi!!! This is the venue where we all become yesudas and at the end a small tussle to get the most roasted area of the appam.
Manoj, the mungankuzhi specialist.
Catch me if you can screamed manoj chettan while swimming. Ambalakulam was our favourite aquatic center and manoj chettan was our Mark spitz, the great Olympic swimmer. He was specialized in mungankuzhi and was almost invincible. Years later I came to know that he got selected for marine engineering, the innumerable mugankuzhis and free styles that he used to perform paid off.
5. Annual sports meet.
Achaaa arrow erinu ennikku second prize i screamed in excitement. A quick-witted achan retorted back aro erinjathinu ninekkengine prize kitti? Our annual sports meet was at parimanam.
At the beginning of the meet I was an underdog as anu was the favourite but at the end of the day I bagged two gold (100 mts dash and long jump) and a silver (Arrow throw) I brought three cups (tea cups) to pakoth that day.
Then comes the culturals at puthen kovilakom. Santhosh chettan was regarded as the next generation poet. He used to come first in almost every item. I still remember vividly his role as naranathu branthan in fancy dress.
Years passed the only occasion I used to visit my land was during pattu, yearly ritual for vetaikorumakan and when I am at pakoth, like a panorama of events all these memories flash through my mind. Once again I am at pakoth for the 50th (golden jubilee) celebrations of karappuram Kshatriya sabha. I am thrilled.
March 22nd 2005.
