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When kochechi gave me the newspaper for the first time, she told me, "Diya, you must return the newspaper intact". I agreed to it and returned home by holding it tightly to my body. After reaching home, I read it in detail, taking much time. After that, I put it on the table. After sometime, I could see my father taking the newspaper and reading it. When my father finished reading, my mother took it and started reading. As she read each news, she made comments on it and at last when she finished reading, she advised me that I should return it without making damage to it. But I didn't reply to her words because I had decided to consider it as a 'sacred book'. The next day I took the newspaper in my hands, arranged the sheets and the edges in the proper order. Then it looked like a new one. I went to Puthiyaveettil house and gave the newspaper. I was given the previous day's newspaper. Even today, I cannot tamper a newspaper or place it on the floor because it is 'sacred' to me.
In our science textbook, there was the picture of the cross section of the cells of onion ( Now I think that it might be onion skin epidermal cells ). We anxiously waited to see it through the microscope. At last the day arrived. We were asked to go to the Science Lab in a line. The boys first and the girls behind. "When the Teacher makes the roll - call also, the boys first and the girls second", I thought in my mind. Inside the Lab, the microscope was already set. We looked through the microscope and confirmed that the cells looked exactly like the picture in the text. I looked around that small room. Inside some jars, the dead human foetus were kept. I went out of the Lab much earlier than I thought. I think I might have irritated to see the 'real' Laboratory.
I remember that in VIth Std also, I went for a tour from school, to Ernakulam. As the place was somewhat near to our school, most of the students didn't show any interest in it. But when my mother heard about a tour, she became interested and told everyone that she would allow me to go on a tour to any place. During that excursion, I think we visited High Court of Kerala, Malayala Manorama Office & Bolgatty Palace. Then our Teachers said that we were going to see a film viz, "My dear kuttichathan". The word 'kuttichathan' means 'a little ghost'. I was not interested in a film but when everyone talked about the peculiarities of that film, I listened to them. "To see the film, one has to wear spectacles", some of them said. It was a 3D film. I didn't understand anything. I was in the queue at the entrance of the theatre. An employee was distributing spectacles to each of us. Our team sat together inside the theatre. I had already put the spectacles on my face. The film started. I was surprised to see Amitabh Bachchan ( a prominent Bollywood actor ) on the screen. He described how to handle the spectacles, how to wear it and how to remove it from the face. In short, he advised to handle it with utmost care. Sometimes I doubted - whether he was acting in that film or not ! It was only an introduction. The film had wonderful scenes and twists. Sometimes, I had a feeling that some objects were coming towards me and touching my eyes. Then I would close my eyes or remove the spectacles from my face. It was the first 3D film made in India. It was produced by Navodaya Appachan of Navodaya studio in Kochi, Kerala.
In those days, I had great interest to go to Church on Sundays because I liked to attend Fr Eappen Cholakkal's Holy Qurbana. As our church was under the Holy Apostolic See of Antioch and all the East, many Syriac words were included in the prayers. Though I didn't understand the meaning of all those sentences, I thought that I am lucky to hear a 4th language, Syriac. The meaning of Syriac & some Greek words used in the Holy Qurbana were given at the last page of our textbook. They were : -
Amen - So be it, ( same with )
Barekmor - Bless me O Lord
Haleluiaha - Praise the Lord
Kuriyelaison - O Lord have mercy
Sthoumankalos - Stand we well ( Let us stand well )
When the Holy Qurbana was performed, during many situations, Fr Eappen Cholakkal would pray with tears in his eyes. When he cried, we would also be in tears. Then, his speeches - I always waited for those moments. He would make a speech so that I would forget all my sorrows and reach at the top level of spirituality. I would be filled with energy to suffer anything in this world because I could enjoy after my death when I reach another world. After the Sunday School, when I walk home at noontime, I would say in my mind, "suffer everything, suffer everything with silence, suffer everything like Jesus". Fr Eappen Cholakkal would remind Sunday School students to participate in the Holy Qurbana attentively. No other thoughts would come to our minds during that time. I tried my best to do that. During the two and half hours, no other thoughts came to my mind. I succeeded in concentrating Holy Qurbana ! Concentration - that matters !
Later I understood that my Teachers in school also used to tell the same thing - to concentrate in studies during the classtime. Therefore, I tried to concentrate on my studies without thinking about another things. But how can I do that in my home ? My sister would always be crying. Then my mother's sound would be heard at its peak. In the midst of these circumstances, my mental injuries became wider and wider. But I could just complete all the homeworks somehow or other and read the lessons one time or sometimes two times. On Saturday, I would learn all the subjects from morning to evening, to make amends for the unlearnt parts of the lessons. In the evening, I would take the Sunday School textbook & learn it. But sometimes, there would be some homeworks - to learn a prayer ( mostly from Psalms ) by heart. Then it would become a serious thing & I would have to spend more time to learn it.
The next morning ( Sunday ) I would wake up early to attend Fr Eappen Cholakkal's Holy Qurbana and hear his speach. I had to set out at 07.25 a.m. from my home with my brother to reach the church because the Holy Qurbana started at 08.00 a.m. We had to walk through the same route to the Government Lower Primary School, Kadayiruppu, then near the school there was a mudroad through which we would walk straight and reach the church.
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