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As I read about the details of the universe, I started watching sky during the nights. After supper, when everyone come out to the back verandah to wash their hands, I would stand at the back courtyard and look at the sky. I could locate the planets Jupiter & Mars.
Nevertheless, I was sad because of the atmosphere in my house. I wanted to forget my sorrows by becoming a perfect follower of Jesus Christ. Our Sunday School Teacher asked, "do you believe in God ?", to which we answered, "yes". Then came next question, "who is the 'Father of the faithful' ?" We answered, "Abraham". "Why is he called so?", was the next question. "Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me ; everyone who hears will laugh over me". ( Genesis 21 : 5 -6 ). "After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham !" And he said, "Here am I". He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you". ( Genesis 22 : 1 -2 ). Abraham obeyed the word of God without any hesitation. He saddled his donkey, took two of his men with him and his son Isaac. He cut the wood for the burnt offering and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham saw the place. He said to his young men to stay there with the donkey. "And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac the son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father !" And he said, Here I am, my son". He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering ?" "Abraham said, "God will provide my son." ( Genesis 22 : 6 - 8 ). When they came to the place to which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham !" And he said, "Here am I". He said, "do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me". And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and beheld behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son ( Genesis 22 : 9 - 13 ).
The Teacher asked, "can you believe in God till that extent ?" I was silent. No. I can't believe in God till that extent. What does it mean ? "Then how can you say that you are a believer in God ?", the Teacher's voice echoed in my ears. I was shattered to pieces when I faced reality. Then how can I pray to God and bring down my sorrows ? The Teacher continued the explanations. Isaac carrying the wood of the burnt offering in the Old Testament of the Bible symbolised Jesus Christ who was yet to come in the New Testament of the Bible and laid the cross on his head and went to the place called Golgotha. Similarly, the ram that was caught in a thicket by his horns also symbolised Jesus Christ who was to be crucified for the sins of the whole humanbeings.
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As I read about the details of the universe, I started watching sky during the nights. After supper, when everyone come out to the back verandah to wash their hands, I would stand at the back courtyard and look at the sky. I could locate the planets Jupiter & Mars.
Nevertheless, I was sad because of the atmosphere in my house. I wanted to forget my sorrows by becoming a perfect follower of Jesus Christ. Our Sunday School Teacher asked, "do you believe in God ?", to which we answered, "yes". Then came next question, "who is the 'Father of the faithful' ?" We answered, "Abraham". "Why is he called so?", was the next question. "Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me ; everyone who hears will laugh over me". ( Genesis 21 : 5 -6 ). "After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham !" And he said, "Here am I". He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you". ( Genesis 22 : 1 -2 ). Abraham obeyed the word of God without any hesitation. He saddled his donkey, took two of his men with him and his son Isaac. He cut the wood for the burnt offering and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham saw the place. He said to his young men to stay there with the donkey. "And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac the son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father !" And he said, Here I am, my son". He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering ?" "Abraham said, "God will provide my son." ( Genesis 22 : 6 - 8 ). When they came to the place to which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham !" And he said, "Here am I". He said, "do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me". And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and beheld behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son ( Genesis 22 : 9 - 13 ).
The Teacher asked, "can you believe in God till that extent ?" I was silent. No. I can't believe in God till that extent. What does it mean ? "Then how can you say that you are a believer in God ?", the Teacher's voice echoed in my ears. I was shattered to pieces when I faced reality. Then how can I pray to God and bring down my sorrows ? The Teacher continued the explanations. Isaac carrying the wood of the burnt offering in the Old Testament of the Bible symbolised Jesus Christ who was yet to come in the New Testament of the Bible and laid the cross on his head and went to the place called Golgotha. Similarly, the ram that was caught in a thicket by his horns also symbolised Jesus Christ who was to be crucified for the sins of the whole humanbeings.
Though I was sad, some joyful moments were there in my life. One day, when I reached Puthiyaveettil house to fetch previous day's newspaper, kochechi herself went inside and brought a magazine also with the newspaper. It was "Vanitha", a popular woman's magazine in Kerala. "Vanitha" means "a woman". She said, "you can take this along with you and after reading it, return safely". I didn't know how much I enjoyed ! I started examining the magazine. There were cooking tips - I hadn't heard of such items and I avoided them. Then there were some film star's interviews - I read them with curiosity. Then, there were some shortcuts to maintain beauty of women - the skin, face, nail and some panacea. I avoided all of these. There was one article, mentioning the difficulties faced by contemporary women or the problems faced by women in the past. In every month, I would read such a topic with concentration. In short, "Vanitha" has helped me very much in understanding the position of women in Kerala, India and all over the world.
Now I return to my school memories. Our Physical Education Teacher was Ms Thresiamma. We had a drill period each day. We would go to the ground in a line because she was very strict in everything. When everyone reaches the ground, she would ask us to run around the ground twice. After that, we would be in a resting position, 'stand at ease'. She would make us do some exercises by uttering 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Then she would leave us at our own choices. My friends would always play "kabadi". But I didn't like that game. The girls would be divided into two groups. The leader of the 1st part would call a person from 2nd part. The whole set of 1st part would try to catch one person. When they together approach me, I would become afraid. They could easily catch me. Therefore, I was a poor performer.
Though our Mathematics Teacher Chandrakanth Sir taught us very well, I was not good in Mathematics. His daughter Lekshmi was in another division in VIIth Std. I remember some homeworks which I couldn't do at home, I completed after reaching class refering some other's notebooks.
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