‘’ Fond memories of my child hood ‘’[ 8 ]
‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
Again my
eldest sister started screaming during her sleep at night.My brother told me
that the brahman used to come to her in dreams and frightening her.
One day
pottanammachen came home with a big bundle of flowers,,camphor,agarbatti,and
certain other things.The astrologer and the priest came home afterwards.They
arranged the central hall for the
Puja. They
made my sister sit in front of the homakunda[ fireplace]and started
chanting mantras and offering flowers
,and ghee to the fire.After the pooja she was asked to stay in the temple nearby, day
and night for a few days.My mum accompanied her for the stay.Every evening one
of the constables named Kesavapilla used to take me and brother to the temple
to see mum,.
after the Pooja he used
to take us back.The road was full of ditches
and there were no street lights; only kerosine lamps, here and there and in its dim light
the road was
almost in darkness.So Kesava pilla used to hold my brother’s
hand and
carry me on his shoulders.One day on the way back we saw a bushy
shrub full of
fireflies glittering like anything. It is still live in my memory the beauty of
the fire flies glittering in the bushy tree in
darkness.Then we wanted some of them to take home .Kesavapilla was very loving
to us children and he caught three or four of them put it in a matchbox and gave
us.We were anxious to reach home and to open the matchbox and to see them
glittering. When we opened the box one out of the four is not glittering and
moving…an other one is very slowly glittering…but not moving.Then my brother
told me that one is dead and the other one is dying.Those were mine..the dead
and the dying.I started crying....
I
wanted to go back and catch some more flies.Then my grandma made me sit on her
lap …patted on my back lovingly and said that it’s mother in its nest
will be crying to see its baby.When she knew that
it’s baby is dead …poor thing
she will cry
…cry and die of sorrow.They have a small house called nest,and inside it
a mummy dad brothers
and sisters as you have.If we miss one among us won’t
we feel sorry?Like
that they will feel sorry.So don’t hurt the small insects, ,don’t catch them
up,,….they are helpless we have to help them’’.Then I started
to cry again
that I wanted to go to her nest ….see her mother and pacify her.Some how my
grandma pacified me.Even now at this age of 79, whenever I see a firefly I
remember my grandma’s words ‘’Don’t hurt small insects.’’
‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
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ReplyDeleteNice lesson for childern
ReplyDelete