Wish you the best of the season. I am here with a video on chapter six of ‘Ripples Roping Memories’
Rani’s dad goes to Hari’s school and gets the school leaving certificate. Lakshmanan anna, maternal aunt’s son arranges Hari’s admission in Oxford High school. Dad packs Hari’s clothes in a suitcase and boards the train with Hari to drop him in Simaluru at maternal aunt’s house. Hari attends the first day of the school but he does not return to aunt’s house. Instead, he takes a train to Sagarpur and reaches home. He manages to travel without ticket and money. He gets down at Bailey station and crosses a number of railway lines. He boards a Vanavli bound train. He has not eaten anything after he had his snacks in school the previous morning. Dad is surprised to see his soiled pant and shirt. Dad realizes that educating the boys is a difficult task. Mohan is happy to have Hari home.
Mohan is the most sensitive of all Rani’s brothers and sisters. He looks delicate and dainty in a light blue shirt, dark blue pant and a red tie on while dressing for his kindergarten school. Later he is admitted to Bright Boys high school. Jolly Kutty, the math teacher canes Mohan when he commits mistakes in calculation. Mohan follows the footsteps of his brother by bunking school and tuition classes. He has some speech problems. He enjoys roaming in Era Vane jungle. He picks berries from the forest, puts it in his pocket and comes home. He tells everyone in the house that he has brought berries from the forest. He does not want to share the berries with anyone in the house. Dad threatens him to show the berries. The muscles on Mohan’s face twist due to fear. He looks down and says ‘No’ several times. Finally he slides his hand slowly into his pocket slowly and removes berries which are black and shining. Dad takes it in his hand and smells it. He bursts into laughter because they are not berries but goat’s droppings.
Uma as a baby is very cranky. Mother places a pacifier in her mouth to keep her quiet. Mucus oozes from her nose. She contracts small pox. Her tongue has blisters. At night, she sleeps with her tongue sticking out. Mom gives her ayurvedic medicine along with soft food and liquids. Uma’s innocent talk sets all into laughter. She says, ‘Can you listen to Shivan songs?’ She means cinema songs. Hari calls her as ‘Gogi’ which means she is a person of little sense. Revathi and Uma are always together while going and returning from school. Rani’s friends see them and comment. ‘They are your sisters? How sweet they are!
Revathi is darker than Uma but has good facial features. Revathi has a protruding navel. Mother dusts some boric powder on her navel and ties a bandage. Revathi is struck by jaundice. She turns yellow. She is taken by Menakaben to Gauri talkies to treat her for jaundice. A man recites a mantra and performs a ritual. The water in the plate turns yellow. Revathi gets cured of jaundice and does not get it again. She is advised to avoid fried and spicy food.
Karnesh’s mother dominates him. She blackmails him emotionally. She says, ‘Kanna, I am the only one mother of yours. You must listen to me. If you don’t, I’ll cut my wrist with a knife. See, I have a knife with me. I’ll die and you will be left with no mother. Do you want your friends to play with or your mother?’ Karnesh does not play with any of his friends. Karnesh’s father gives some money to Rani’s family to buy a steel cupboard. In lieu of it, he expects sexual favours from Rani’s mother. Rani’s mother’s face flares up with anger and Karnesh’s father, Natesh darts away from her.
Rani’s paternal grandfather favors Maya atthai’s children because of their fair complexion. He calls Rani as ‘kali’ which means a black person. Maya atthai hands over discarded clothes to Rani. Rani takes an estimate of how much the dress should be shortened or how it should be altered and uses needle and thread to stitch it.
Sister Uma imbibes the art of drawing sketches from father. Rani is surprised to see how she paints brightly a beautiful flower, an impressive cartoon and a saree border design. She draws designs on cloth and paints it. She is good at stitching too. Dad insults Rani whenever she stammers. Dad says, ‘Are you aware of what is happening around? You seem to stare into nothingness. You dull witted girl!’ Rani’s brothers and sisters tease and denigrate her.
This much for this video. Thank you for listening. We meet again with another video soon.
( Video can be viewed on You Tube by typing ‘Ripples Roping Memories’)
