All happened as if it was on Yesterday... ..What we did for them....and what they had given to us....
Dear JY
My hostel room was temporarily changed to a Medical godown...One or two days, I slept in the midst of Medicines... I behaved like a Pharmacist on those days in the Hostel...Prescribed some medicines to my friends and got a name as a ‘Vyaja Doctor’....We planned to go to the village on that Saturday afternoon, One day before the Medical camp...Two things we wanted to do on that day...One was to Inform about the Camp to all Villagers, To organise the Tribal youth to clean the Water tank & Pond...We tempted Liby and Saaju to join with us by the story of Delicious fish Curry(Adhivaasi) ..and told about the taste of Wild fruits...Interest is silently conveyed through the eyes...
The Day had come....We left the hostel with a small bag of one day clothes...Emi, Jobin, Pratish, Saaju, Liby, Bobin and Me...We bought ten kgs of rice and some vegetables for next day’s food...From Immanuel shop.
Eda Ithinte onnum Avashyam illa...Village people will give some to eat for tonight...Purchase only for tomorrow Lunch...Anson Doctorum, Sisterum varunathalle. ..We took all the medicines and groceries and fuel(Pump).. .went for the final Journey. Pratish had carried a Movie camera (Owner One ‘Elephant Vinod’).. On the way there was a small rocky tunnel, stopped the vehicle and had some Photo sessions...( yevide poyo entho..Ariyilla) ...They were reminding me about the Wild fruits...and Adhivaasi supper frequently.. .That forced me to pray ‘Daivame Preekshakalil praveshippikaruthe’.. ‘Reached there on around when our shadows fell on the east ...We had seen the Kaani before we settled in the Community house...(There was a small community centre in the village....For their small meetings... It was not properly maintained.. .there was a television and some newspapers.. .. Room was not properly illuminated. ..Room was filled with some dried leaves...There was a small room by the side of the community hall....Had a small courtyard and a cashew maavu tree in the front)...Placed our ‘jangamana vasthukal’ at the side room...Freshed ourselves for the Job in our hand....Clean the community hall and arrange it for Tomorrow....Choolu Kaikondu thodaatha palarkkum athoru navya anubhavam aayirunnu..Alle Emi...However Bobin Found some time to take the videos of some wild and rare Animals like Dog, Cow,Crow and Hen!!.....Entha Sargathmakatha! (I think we sent the video to NGC)
Liby was asking...Da Evideda Adhivaasi Chayaum Parippu vadayum...I behave as if I didn’t hear... Daivame ithu kure shlyam aayallo...Hmm But we didn’t have much time to be free....Liby, Emi and Saaju went to the big pond to know the situation... .We left the community centre and visited each and every village homes to inform the news...Some people heard it with enthusiasm.. .Some people gave some excuses...we tried to tell the importance of the camp...If any Youth was there, told about the Tank cleaning, sought for their involvement. We got a School athlete from one home...He became a comfort on the way...behaving like a matured person...he was studying in 8th Standard (Age=?)....in St.George.. Kothamangalam. . We saw some women were sitting in the front of the homes...Most of them were very silent to our call...we walked by the sides of canals, through the dusty roads, through the one feet forest ways ...Covered around 80 families.... As the darkness became too thick to see, we walked back...Bobin held the hands of Pratish..... I walked a little bit back of them ,feeling some tiredness... ..Singing a song....due to Night fears!...
They had already started the 2 HP pump to emptying the Pond.... Closed the valve towards the water tank...opened the outlet valve....pumping water to the marshy land... It was going on...Liby and Saaju was waiting for me.... Da,Evideda Ninte Adhivaasi Supper.... I also didn’t feel bad by their enquiry.. Since i also felt hungry...We got a Rice vessel from nearby house...Sports man also with us to help in making the food...Collected some wood and arranged the rocks like one ‘Aduppu’ ....Since Saaju always had a stock of ‘two birds’ match boxes...we didn’t waste time to get a fire...Angane ‘House warming’ nadannu...Both of them(Saaju,Liby) took the charge as the cooks...cleaned the rice with the water and put it in the vessel...I never moved from the Hot vessel,(Veshanittu irikkan vyaa...) Da Emi vilikkunu... Angottu Chenne....Illa kanji kudichitte ullu....
“Enthokke pukil aayirunnu..Kattu pazham, kattu thennu..Kattu Aana.”
After one hour, we, Seven took the rice soup with the pickles...Nalla Vishappu ullathu kondu Kanji poya vazhi arinjilla... Enikku kure koodi kudikkanam ennu undayirunnu But Njan Samyamanam paalichu...!
After the supper, we moved near to the Pump house....In the night most of the houses were lighted by the kerosene lamps...some were by low voltage lamps...It was real tough to find the way in the night as there was no street lights ....We got one ‘petro max’ ....Jobin hold the lamp and walked in the front through the unknown ways....each other made others way easy and safe...Tomorrow we may in need of pulley and coir...With one tribal friend we went to a house some what far from the community house We had a charge less torch ,i played on the torch with my thumb...Time was running fast by cutting the darkness of the night..... On the way back i sang a song to cover my night fear....We sat on the side of the pond, Two or three Tribal youth were awoke with us....Curiously listen the trumpets of wild elephants... ...
First Crisis
Pipe length was three by fourth of the depth of the pond....And HP of the Pump was not enough to pull all water...Need another pump of more HP...Time was around Midnight...If we stop pumping the water...then water again would rise....Effort would become like a line in the water....What will do! Somebody told...Some Pump operators are there in Kothamangalam. ...They may have Pumps..But Tomorrow is Sunday...
Ennu Snehapoorvam
Subin
We requested to our jeep driver, By his mercy we travelled down to the Idamalayar in that night...Emi and me sitting in the back...both slipped in to sleep....holding hands on the bar and supporting our tired face on the arms.... Jeep was moving slowly down through the forest ways....
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