The Grandmother and the Granddaughter

                                      

 I had initiated this much before Onam. Somehow I couldn’t post this on the web in time. This is a story in a series of two or three parts. Hope you all will spend a little of your valuable time to go through this.

 Part-1

          Granny’s earsplitting voice went on “Manju, where were you all this time? Who did you take permission to go out, from?”. She never tolerated her dear Manju frittering away the time without any purpose. The grand-offspring curved the lower lip downwards to express a smile.

 “Ammoomma(Grandma), don’t you remember that tomorrow is * Atham and we have to collect flowers,” said the girl. “We have gathered a lot of flowers from the hillside pasture. And also from bushes near the paddy field.”

 “Oh! *Onam, Ponnonam. What a lovely festival!” murmured the grandmother. Her mind slowly slipped into the past. It travelled to the Onams of her childhood and at that time her mind got immersed absolutely there. ‘And there he stood at the gate of the heaven, where God asked him to recall the sweetest part of his life. He wondered and then realized it was childhood after all.’ No wonder, Karthiyayani amma (the grandmother)was transforming herself into a child.

 Joyful conversation and communication of ideas among the friends and siblings illuminated the atmosphere. The chat went on and went on whenever they met(by and large they were together). 

 “Sarojini, Saraswathi, Kochupenne, let’s walk off to the surroundings of the mini-forest. We'll gather flowers from there.”

 “I’ll pick these small flowers from here and you all go to the other areas and pick those balsam flowers,” Karthyayani.

Gopalan had tied the swing on the jack tree. The swing was impatiently lurking for them.

 "After completing this work we will be with the swing.”

" Where did he take the rope from?” the children asked each other."

Yes, a big climber plant had bowed before him to offer its stem. So, with its stem, the swing got ready to accept its young friends.

“First I’ll swing and you push me fast and then you can swing. Let’s do *chilliyattam.

 “Can you swing higher and touch that branch?”

“Yes, watch me.”

“Aha! What fun? It is really joyful.”

All of the pals were in an exhilarating mood. 

“Now let’s go home, the farmers will bring *Kazhcha  and achchan(father) will give them the return gift.”

“Yes, achchan has purchased  new dresses for them.”

“Achchan also was counting some amount and that I feel will go to those people.”

 “How much will he give them?”

 “Don’t know. The money will be hidden in his hands. It obeys what he says,” laughter.

.

“Uncle Time is walking fast. So let us go back to our houses. Let's see what is going on there.”

 “We should get up at very early dawn itself to arrange*Pookkalam. Don’t wait for the Sun to switch on his light," chatting.

“  This time we will play with our playthings also. Have you made any toys?.”

“Why not? Yes, I have a few handmade toys."

Various leaves, paper, plant-parts, sand, soil, stones, shells, etc. have taken new incarnations and dressed up as fine toys in their proficient hands.

  "Friends, all of you come here, listen, the  Band of Pulikali is nearing our house. Let’s watch the hunter  shooting the tiger."

  Lighting earthen lamps on the stems of banana-trees at the entrance of domiciles at dusk is an eye-catching ritual. Usually, the children perform that holy duty. The lamps are beautifully arranged adding hues to this festival. An elder member of the family makes ready the ‘bow and arrow’ to be kept near the lighted sacred lamp. Oil in the lamp will be sufficient for the whole night. It is believed that Maveli visits the houses during the night and he examines the bow and arrow.

" Tonight I’ll not sleep to observe how*Maveli shoots the arrow," thought Karthyayani Amma.

" Oh! My sleep cheated me as usual.”

She had slipped into a deep slumber and hence she couldn't witness Maveli's entry, “Aha! Ha! Today is our Onam! Ponnonam! I have defeated even the sun in waking up. First, I only will have a dip in the pool so that I can put on my new apparel."

 In the morning Mothers serve the children only rice flakes and plantains. The plantain-leaf feast is this festival's charm. Without the feast, it is not festive. 

"Oh! The time is not passing," the thought of the feast makes children's mouths water.

 It will be sumptuous indeed. All sorts of vegetable curries, fried pappads, chips, pudding, etc. are really relishing. Then the rice falls in the middle of each leaf and the dishes on the top of the leaf in a line.

The mistress of the house first arranges every item of the feast for ‘Maveli’. the children are not allowed to go and watch Him during the meal-time.

After the meal at lunchtime, people engage themselves in * Thiruvathira and enjoy the amusements of the games- *Pashuvum-Puliyum, juggling and some other games. 

 Then they will carry out  * Thumpithullal in everybody’s house and clear of the flowers arranged for Pookkalam. Yes, they accomplish the work of removing the Pookkalam of all the houses.

When Ponnonam is gone, another one year it will take for Maveli to visit again.

“Ammoomma, are you sleeping? What are you dreaming about?” The grand-daughter asked.

“ What! What is it? O! Dear  I fell into a nap,” said the granny with a shade of shyness on the cheek.”

 “ Did you have a dream, Ammoomma?” Manju asked humorously.

 “ Yes, I dreamt of our golden olden days of Onam, ” replied ammoomma.

*Onam is an exceptionally important festival in Kerala, India. 

*Aththam-the first day of Onam(The celebration remains for ten-days or more.)

*Chilliyattam-swinging by standing on the swing.

*Pookkalam-floral arrangement.

*Pulikali Band-A team of children, a few of whom dress up as tigers and another set as hunters and

 move about from house to house, displaying the game of shooting the tigers.

*Utradam-the ninth day.

*Maveli –A mythical king after whom this festival occurs.

*Pashuvum-Puliyum- a game in which people engage in recreation as cow and tiger.

*Thiruvatira-a legendary folk-dance of Kerala.

                                                                                                    

( to be contd.)