It was raining. I love the rain. Especially when it’s in the afternoon, after ammachi’s tasty lunch and when it’s without thunder and lightening. I leaned against the cold aramathil, and tried to catch water droplets falling from roof. Oh..its so cold! Near the aramathil, where there was a stretch of narrow dry space, those ants were gathering up. Oh! They are running away from rain. Where would they go, when their hole-homes are filled with water? Emmy had told that when it rains, ants come near the water, to bathe and to do their laundry. Oh! So is that what the big ant is doing, now? Why does it come near water, taste it and then go back? Where are their clothes? I will ask Emmy. Where is she? She is washing the dishes in kitchen. I can hear her talking to ammachi. Let her come, I will ask her, about ants clothes. Where is appooppan? I went to the shop attached to the front room of the house. It opened to the road outside. It was good to see rain from there. But appooppan won’t allow. He will close the shop then. Cheetha appooo!
I saw appooppan sleeping in easy chair. Wow! This is the chance. Yesterday Chetan taught me how to scare appoo, when he sleeps, like that. Without making any sound, I took a thin coconut leaf and poked appoo thru the holes behind his easy chair.. “Aareda athu???†he roared….I ducked behind the chair. Appoo continued his nap. Let chetan come today. I will tell him, how I scared appoo today!!
Why isn’t this rain stopping? I want to go out to the outhouse, and see the white lilies near the steps. Emmy told not to pluck them. Today evening emmy wont water them, so even if I pluck one, she wont see. Where did the chickens go, in this rain? And where’s that poovan kozhi which pecked me that day! I hate him. Tomorrow I will ask appoo to make chicken curry with him for my dinner. After that he will never peck me again. But I don’t want to see him dead. Chetan told me he saw appoo killing a chicken that day. He is not scared, infact he helped appoo, in taking its feathers out. Amma told me, not to watch that.
Why isn’t this rain stopping? I am bored. I want to go outside. Watching ants always is not fun. Ohhhhh! It’s getting darker because of those clouds. Where will that thookanam kuruvi, go, now? Its nest in that coconut tree is swinging violently in the wind! Ayyyo paaavam kuruvi!!!
Suddenly there was a flash of white light, and a heart wrenching sound. KABBBOOOOOOOO OOOM!!!!
Ayyooo , minnal …. Ammmacchiiiii……… Ammmacchiiiii …. Ammmacchiiiii. I screamed and ran towards kitchen.
------------Ref---------------------
Aramathil- half wall of veranda
Ammachi- grandma
Emmy- nick name for aunt.
Appoo-short form for appooppan(grand dad)
Chetan-elder brother
Poovan kozhi-rooster
thookanam kuruvi – tailor bird.
wow.. love it.. :-)
ReplyDeletereminds me of my childhood.. (pande oru thallukolli aayirunnalle :-) )
ReplyDeleteoh.. i nearly forgot... i am FTC.. yeehoowaaaaa
ReplyDeleteanoop--u sure are THE FTC.....****unrolling the red carpet. for him***
ReplyDeleteOk Ok I am FTC too (Fifth to comment)
ReplyDeleteEnthoru vaalu! Chumma irikkaan bhayankara prayaasam alle??
ReplyDeleteHehehehe..
Wonderful narration. Enikku bhayankara ishtamaayi!! **claps**
Children and children kind of people will enjoy more rain. The rain should be thin. It should not be force. That rain we enjoy more. We can not stay more time in forced rain. I love the rain.
ReplyDelete'Athi Sarvathra varjiyeth'. More will spoil the happiness. The rain also to some time we enjoy. As you said, non stop rain will spoil everyone happiness.
Thank you for sharing lovely blog.
Woah! Swats, I travelled thru your blog to that place you were talking about.. I nearly felt the rain, saw the ants sipping the water, the lillies, the tailor bird.. super narration da mole!
ReplyDeleteLovely story.....reminded me of my youth and splashing through mud puddles.
ReplyDeleteLovely...made me nostalgic....when i was 8 years old i remember my elder brother putting a piece of metal on the railway track....i was convinced that the train would derail...and when the train came.....i was hiding behind the bush....( ostrich style)....while my brother had a nice laugh...piece of metal was flat....as was my ego...and the train ( steam engine driven) chugged along....unconcerned...
ReplyDeletewow! :) reminded of similar rainy days!! I enjoy the rain!
ReplyDeleteYou have transported yourself to BEING that 3 year old child! It's not very difficult to remember the scenes, but it's very much a different thing to remember the feelings we experienced, the doubts we had and the mind-shifts..."After that he will never peck me again. But I don’t want to see him dead."
ReplyDeleteI could actually feel the experience...
It's pouring over here and I have to go out in a few hours. :-s
ReplyDeleteFTC!
ReplyDeleteCame back to claim my place in the Hall of Fame here!
You are so courteous, Swathi :); read your carpet comments. Yes, I agree with you. Rain indeed is a lovely experience.
ReplyDeleteTake Care.
Shahid.
well writen blog. As every one said.. it reminds of childhood days.
ReplyDeleteIam learning lot of malayalam words through u Shail and Rajashree. Thanks.
I pity on the poovan kozhi.. ** what could u do it was a lizard in place of poovan kozhi ** lol
Write more.
! Raj
Hmmmmmmmmfuture Arundhati Roy
ReplyDeleteIt reminded me my school days also. Like Kerala and other south states, there is a heavy rain in Mumbai as well. Outsiders (from north specially viz. UP, Rajsthan, Bihar) feel odd and dislike it but we enjoy it thoroughly.
ReplyDeletelovely narration. ook me to the varanda and to the kiddu who was enjoying the rain....:)
ReplyDeleteadipoli narration swats...othiri ishtapettu...:)..it took me to my childhood days.I was in my mothers home and it was Naalukettu.We used to sit near the nadumittam and play in water when it rained..and used to get scoldings for that from grand ma and grand pa..hehe :)
ReplyDeleteoh swathi, u took me back to my childhood ... hmm .. but i guess urs has a much more wonderful picturesque setting!
ReplyDelete