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One day, quite unexpectedly, aunts Molly, Laly & maternal grandfather came to our house. Being a child, the centre of attraction was my sister. Aunt Molly discussed something seriously with my father. They had come for an admission - to admit aunt Laly for a course in Kolenchery. I think it was a Diploma course in Civil Engineering. We had heard about that course earlier. There was a rumour that the course didn't have Govt. approval. But aunt Molly and grandfather were very stern about their decision. They were sure that after that course, aunt Laly would get a job. I was hearing all their words with wonder. "How can aunt Laly learn by living in this house ?", that was my doubt. I knew that if aunt Laly came to live with us, I would have some benefits. She would help me in all household chores. But I asked her when we were alone, "aunt, don't you know that you can't study anything because of my mother's character ? Then why do you prefer to stay here for studies ?". She smiled and answered, "don't worry little girl, everything will be ok". During the course, shirt & pants were necessary for doing practicals. White shirt & black pants - for giving measurements, aunt Laly & my father went to the tailor's shop in Kadayiruppu. I remember aunt Laly wearing white shirt and black pants, when the stitching was completed. ( I have one incident to tell you in connection with aunt Laly's studies ). One day, I was going to school, climbing down the steps. I think aunt Laly had no class on that day. My mother & aunt Laly were washing clothes. My mother was saying something at the sametime telling my sister to move away from wet land. While climbing down the steps, I thought, "how much aunt Laly has to learn ! But she suffers silently. But what can I do ? They already know the character of my mother".
I don't remember when aunt Laly's classes ended. Now I remember another incident. My paternal aunt's eldest son, Simon, his wife and children came to our house, oneday. There was a camera with him. Though poor, he was ready to work any job. He did business ie he opened shops in many places. Most of them were failures but at least one of them was profitable. My parents, as usual, received them with great happiness & laughter. Seeing it, I felt an aversion. He wanted to take our family photo. I didn't show any interest in it. They compelled me many times but I didn't move from my seat. I opened my books and acted as studying. My father said to them, "she is like that". My mother said, "she won't talk to anyone". Cousin Simon said, "some children are like that, but when they grow up, their behaviour will be changed".
On Saturdays, after breakfast, I would go to the rubber plantation with one of my books. After reading sometime, I would walk from one side to another, collecting all small dry twigs. I would place all of them near the boundary between our land & Puthiyaveettil house's land. After sometime I would have collected small twigs for one week. Then I would break the lengthy ones and take all of them to my own land. There I would classify them as very small twigs, small twigs & ordinary ones. I would carry them to our back verandah and place them there. The very small twigs would be placed in the kitchen, in a place where firewoods were kept, below the fireplace.
When I describe all these things, I think how expert was I to light up a fireplace using small twigs in Std VII ! After that, time has changed in an amazing manner. I think these changes would occur in all fields. But the responsibility of the scientists & politicians is to bring these changes upto the lowest level. But when I analyze the present age, I think that they fail to do so in many fields.
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