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| Pa. Singaram |
Translated into English by Saravanan Karmegam.
Chapter 9: The Journey
At Mosky Straat, 18th number pawn shop building.
It was evening.
While eating Rambutan fruits scrupulously peeling them,
Kayambu Pillai told the third cash box supervisor Murugaiah Pillai sitting
opposite to the owner of first cash section, Seenaa kaavannaa.
“Let them leave with the blessings of the Lord
Thandayuthabani. (Lord Murugan). I don’t object to it. But personally I don’t
like them leaving”
Murugaiah Pillai was sitting on a wooden plank with
his legs folded in such a way that one of his legs was folded along his loin
area and the other folded perpendicular touching the wooden plank making it
difficult for anyone to arrive at a decisive conclusion whether his posture was
a sign of humility or arrogance.
“Yes…yes…you
are right” Murugaiah Pillai sang the same tune.
“Thooo…ththooooo” Kaavannaa spat out the spittle of
crushed nuts into the spittoon kept near the cot with its mouth open, collected
the water jug from the boy who was holding it with his two hands obediently,
and gargled his mouth.
“Dei…anyone there?”
“Anything you need?” asked the attendant who was busy
recording something in the registers, got up and went to him.
“Tell that chap to bring that tablets. It is in the
almirah..”
The attendant went in swiftly.
What Kaavannaa told him to bring was a bottle of Royal
Manmatha Sanjeevi tablet (Royal brand libido enhancing tablets). It was just
enough to eat one tablet three times a day for a full mandalam (forty eight days). No matter how much weak
you had become due to old age, you would still be able to regain all your
virility. One would get a chiselled frame of body and magnetic power in eyes to
attract women. It didn’t require any disciplined intake of food. If you didn’t
find tangible results, the money would be returned. Our Pillai was now sixty
years old. He was fifty nine by the seventeenth day of Avani month. He
had that medicine brought from Penang. He had kept it in different bottle.
“My stomach always gives me trouble. This medicine is
good for stomach the doctor said”
“Yes…yes…we must be prudent in settling such issues at
appropriate time. You are right”
The boy came running to him with a bottle in his
hands.
“You fool! It is not that one. It is a blue colour
bottle on the upper layer. I asked you bring my wife but you have brought my
mother in law. You bugger! You have proved your idiocy again. Go…get the right
bottle..”
The boy ran to almirah again climbing down the stairs
fast.
“So, we can safely assume that the total value of the freight
will be nearly forty rupees. Can we?” Moonaa Roonaa’s posed him this question
with his usual obsequious voice.
“No ..no…it can never be forty or fifty. It won’t be
more than twenty-five or thirty”
“I just asked you as I heard the freight is getting
loaded in lakhs”
“Empty talks! Anyone can do it. Can’t they? It would
fetch nothing. I think they are planning to take tea, coffee and mace spice,
sell it there and bring cloths here”
“Seems to be a well thought out plan anyway. But this
is war time. If something goes wrong on their way?”
“It is none of our concern. Isn’t it? It is their plan
and they execute it.” Kaavanaa sank his body behind, stretched out his legs,
raised his hands upwards and yawned. He then rose, stood up, and twisted his torso
left to right and vice versa trying in an attempt to drive away sluggishness
built in, and sat on the chair again. “mmm…it is their sweet will they prefer
leaving from here. These days everyone thinks what they see with their narrow vision
is only correct. In earlier days, before venturing into something, the elders
would be consulted to assess the pros and cons of it. It is miserably missing
these days. Isn’t it? What we see now is just an outgrown form of such
impudence.”
“yes…yes…you are right. I heard that they are going to
set off their journey tomorrow”
“Let them go and come back after minting money. No one
would object to it. I understand that Pandian, that Nadar community chap who
was working as clerk in Zhanna kaanaa Roonaa office, is also leaving along with
our Chettiars. Am I correct?”
The boy brought blue colour bottle and a jug full of
water. He took two tablets, put it into his mouth and drank some water.
Belching followed drinking- paa…aahvvv…paaa. Ahhh..”
The boy collected the bottle and water jug and went
in.
Murugaiah Pillai remarked, “You are right. I also
heard the same. He is different type of a chap. Straight frame. Not having even
an element of likeness with our chettiars’ body size. He wouldn’t look like a
person who was groomed under Zhaanaa Kaanaa Roonaa pawn shop.”
“You will find different languages spoken in different
countries. He is from the south. Near Aruppukkottai. Immigrant groups. He
father had a shop near Pillaiyar temple in Sinna Mangalam.”
“O.K. OK. Is it possible to reach Penang in four days?”
Murugaiah Pillai got off from the wooden plank and
wore his slippers.
“Yes…it will take at least four days to reach. Where
are you leaving? For a relaxing stroll? You are going to Thana Lappan. Aren’t
you? O.K carry on”
***
The passengers scheduled for leaving for Penang were
going to Belawan port. Pandian was going on behalf of his construction company.
Others were sundry travellers: Sa. Mu Andiappa Pillai was proprietor of a shop
owned by him. Shanmugam Pillai was the son in law of Si. Vai. Vaithiyalingam Pillai.
It was about twelve years and three months since he had last seen his wife.
Nallakannu Pillai, a Konar caste man but in the name of Pillai, was a senior
agent in ‘Doniko’ Kannappa Chettiar’s shop. “Dried Meat” Annamalai Pillai,
agent in Muru. Na. Si’s shop. It was well known that any problems created by
him could be solved by none other than himself. Si. Pa. Sanga Pillai, another
Pillai alias Servai owning a shop. Then Saminathan, son of Na. Muthaih Pillai going
on behalf of the latter. Lastly agent Angamuthu on behalf of Muru. Sathappa
Chettiar.
The kerosene engine emitted smoke and left.
After crossing Post office came Delhi Company, then
Kemethe Hospital. The Petrol pump at Peppeyam was lying totally burnt down. Then
came Kulukoor. Fully grown trees standing along the road were giving a great
amount of shade. Then Poolupiraiyan. Houses were standing on wooden pieces in
the middle of the groves on both sides of the road that had taken diversion towards
east.
Pandian was thoughtful, rubbing his forehead. ‘Isn’t
the same corner of the street where one Tamil woman dressed up in Malay style asked
me about Kannathal Temple for her eye pain? Yes. It is in Nattarasankottai.’
In
Nattarasankottai
The abode of
Goddess Kannathal
Get my eyes
pain cured
O! Mother
Goddess Kannathal.
I would offer my both eyes.
At Labuvan, washer man Pachaiyan was sitting with folded legs on a bamboo chair in front of an arrack shop. Some Indonesian, Chinese and Tamil labourers were sitting on the floor. The Nana plants were found thickly grown like dense bushes all around market streets, banana and coconut groves.
The vehicle entered Belawan city. The smell of bog was in the air. It seemed that the sea had receded. On the left was found the Appam shop of the cook, Periyampillai who once worked in Moski straat. His wife was a Tamil woman. She was walking like a Manila duck shaking her big rounded buttocks that seemed to be sticking out of her frame.
Boxes, bedrolls, and bundles were loaded into the ship. The episode of sentimental send off commenced.
“Rathinam, I
take leave”
“O.K Anna. Bon voyage. The boy from Renovation Company folded his hands. He called out to Pandian, Anna…mmm”
“What?” Pandian went near to him.
“My father was working as an agent in Kuala Kangsar. I don’t know what had happened to him when the bombs were dropped there.” His teary eyes stared shedding tears. “Was he ….? He asked.
“What is his name? Sivasami Pillai?
“Sokkaiya Pillai. Rangiyam shop. Seenaa Vaanaa Moonaa Roonaa shop.”
“I will meet your father and will get back to you. Do you have any letter with you?”
“Yes…Yes…I have Anna”
“Don’t be the one with a loser’s heart. Be strong. Don’t lose your heart.”
“But I haven’t received any letter Anna”
“How could a person travelling in a boat in Kuala Kangsar write a letter to you? Be brave. I will meet him and ask him to write letter”
“It is okay Anna. We don’t own any land assets in our village. I don’t know how my mother and sister are managing their days there. We both here are the only bread winners…mhmmm…mhmmm…” he cried.
“Wipe your
tears. You are not a woman to shed tears. Are you? Your mother and sister will
be alright without any problems. Don’t worry.”
Rathinam took out his hand kerchief and wiped his tears. His modern appearance with pant, shirt and over coat and hair trimmed in style in vogue failed his childlike innocence radiating on his face.
“Anna…if you are unable to find him out, please meet one ‘Mokkai’ Palanippa Chettiar and ask about my father. He is from our village. He is presently in Penang. Inform him that I am working here. If something untoward happens, let my village know about it”
“O.K. Be strong. I take leave.”
“OK. Anna. You too take care of you”
The ship was about to set out its journey. The Chinese sailors were shouting and ran here and there, untied the ropes and rolled them into bundles.
Final send-off: Both the people in ship and their close ones on shore were yelling at each other.
“All of you be safe….We are leaving…. All of you be safe…. Moonaa Roonaa, take care of the shop….Maple! I have to meet Theena to ask him about the recent developments in the village. Aavanna…you are the eldest. Take care of our belongings. …all of you pray to God Thanni malaiyan.* and you will never face any problem en-route…. All of you be safe….Bon voyage”
The ship started moving slowly towards north. The harbour began disappearing. The greenery was slowly receding and finally disappeared.
***Chapter 9 “The
Journey” ended.
Part
2 Buds
Chapter 10: “Aavannaa” will be published soon.
Notes:
*The God
Thanni Malaiyan- another name of Lord Murugan. His abode is in Thanneer Malai
in Penang.
