The Azure of Solicitude

THE AZURE OF SOLICITUDE
A Novel by
Joy J. Kaimaparamban
http://novel.bizhat.com
email: kaimaparamban@hotmail.com
Contact Address:
East of Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial G.H.S., Vayalar Post, Cherthala, Alappuzha District, Kerala State, S.INDIA - 688 536

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TWELVE
REVERIE ABOUT A GIANT Eappan stood beside Tharathy’s charpoy and said: ‘As the exam is over I won’t sit lazy here.’
‘You’ve got work, haven’t you? You can make a lot of lime.’
‘It isn’t enough to keep me angaged full time.’
‘Why can’t you read something?’
‘Kuriammamothalalan has a lot of work at his place. He has invited me.’
‘Did you meet him?’
‘Ya.’
‘You must’ve gone there.’
‘No, I met him on the last day of the exam.’
‘But what kind of work is it?’
‘Breaking coconuts for making copra, mostly. He’s thinking of shrimp culture too.’
‘What on earth do you say, you fool? Anybody can do such work. Don’t forget you’re a man of education. You’re going to have a degree certificate. If you go for manual work it’ll be disgraceful.’
‘Disgraceful?’
‘Yes. Lime making is your own work. Nobody can blame you when you’re engaged in it. But when you go Kuriammamothalalan’s and do manual work there people will blame you.’
‘Why?’
‘Can’t you think straight my child? You’re not a coolie.’
She was outraged. Words swirled in her throat.
‘But I have to go.’
‘Why? You’ve promised him?’
‘Ya.’
‘You should have told us before.’
‘I didn’t think it is so bad, Amma.’
‘You silly child.’
She continued in a low voice, ‘put a leech on a clean bed, it won’t lie there.’
Eappan pretended not to hear.
Sara and the others had already gone to work.
Eappan got out of the house.
After the examinations he had wasted two precious days wandering here and there. He thought it was good to meet Kuriamma. He had not expected such a response from his mother. When he had told his father he had not shown any objection. He adopted a neutral position, meaning as-you-please.
Under a Poovarasu tree, he saw Uthuppu’s cast net hanging like a big bird with huge wings. It was put there the previous evening. In the morning when Eappan was mixing the smouldered shell with water, Uthuppu was there, helping him.
He stood in the ferry waiting. The boat was on the other side. Two young people were in the boat. He recognised them as Martha and her husband. He supposed they were unexpected on the island.
The wherry moved.
Martha smiled at him and whispered to her husband. A glow of familiarity was seen on his face.
‘It’s a long time since I saw you,’ Martha said.
Eappan responded with a smile, ‘it’s what I must’ve said in greeting.’
Martha and her husband laughed.
‘Any treat round the corner?’
‘We’ve come to participate in the Audityapooja.’
‘Oh! That I forgot.’
‘It begins tomorrow.’
‘Ya.’
‘Purushanchettan had wanted to see the festival last year itself. But he couldn’t make it. This year he decided to come here at all costs,’ said Martha. Purushan nodded his head as if supporting his wife.
‘Ok, see you,’ he told them. As he crossed the rivulet, he saw a wide field festooned with coloured tissue paper and tender coconut leaves in preparation for the Audityapooja. The event would last for three days.
From a distance, he heard the sound of coir making reels. Back home, it was the sound of the lime forge. And here, this! Am I going to live with this sound all my life, he thought.
As his sisters worked there, Eappan had a healthy dislike for the place. But he had never expressed it.
Kuriamma sat on a chair in the portico of his house as if expecting somebody.
‘Come, my boy,’ Eappan was welcomed. Then Kuriamma said: ‘I suppose you are disinclined to work here as your sisters work under me. No such thought is warranted. If you have thought so it is because of your superiority complex.’
Eappan, ashamed, pretended not to have entertained any such thought. That rock carved like man had the capacity to grasp anyone’s mind at first sight.
He said:‘I have been watching you. I understood that you are a man of great ideas and hopes. I told Ittooppu to call you here after you’ve completed college. Ask him if I haven’t.’
Eappan could not disbelieve him.
He stood watching his sisters make coir threads.
‘They work well. I’m fully satisfied with them,’ Kuriamma said.
He might have thought I was asking him about them, he thought.
‘Hey, Sara.’
Kuriamma called and got up, ‘your brother is here.’
Sara, Ely and Lilly were surprised. They had not expected him.
‘Come, my boy,’ Kuriamma walked to the copra shed where, a little while before, Ittooppu was breaking coconuts and putting them in a bamboo basket. A boy stood nearby, collecting the cut coconuts. Coconut water was being collecetd in a big copper vessel. Kuriamma clapped his hands aloud and another boy rushed from somewhere.
There were huge heaps of coconuts and husks.
The newcomer brought another basket out of the copra shed.
Kuriamma asked: ‘Do you know how to break coconuts?’
Even though Eappan had never done it before he said, ‘ya.’
Taking a coconut in hand Kuriamma cut it with ease. Just one blow and the coconut neatly cut and the water rained into the copper vessel. Not even a drop spilled.
‘I will do it, Mothalala,’ Eappan said.
The copra shed was some distance away but Sara could watch the scene well. She was in a state of anxiety for Eappan had had no such experience before. Being a college student he was spared from most domestic chores. She feared he might cut his hand.
While taking the bill and the first coconut Eappan’s hands trembled.
‘No, you can’t do it. Give it to me.’
Eappan had been found unfit for the work.
‘Let’s spread the cut coconuts under the sun.’
Ittooppu helped to carry the basket to the ground, where the heat was like inside a lime forge. Unlike in the forge, the fire was blazing above. The sky burned like a smouldering blue vessel. Like pieces of a smile, each half-coconut sat on the earth looking up. Kuriamma enthused them to work hard.
By noon all the coconuts were cut and spread on the yard. Kuriamma himself was with them all the time. After the work, all sat in the shade and the sweat trickled more than before.
Ittooppu and Kuriamma disappeared and within no time black tea and victuals were brought. Eappan was in a new world, tired and troubled. Black tea and eatables eased his discomfort.
Kuriamma said: ‘Now Eappan may go for lunch. Come by five and in an hour you will be free.’
He did as he was told.
Around six Eappan and Ittooppu covered the spread of cut coconuts with the attees made out of the trunk of areca and braided coconut fronds. Eappan’s work was over.
‘Come tomorrow morning, Eappan,’ Kuriamma said.
Eappan walked through the twilight. Long shadows drew pictures of sadness. Crows alone sang, uglily.
He went straight to the limeshed expecting Kora or Uthuppu there. They weren’t there. He began to fill the well single-handed.
‘Eappan.’
‘Ya.’
It was Kunjeppu.
‘Where’s Uthuppu?’ Kunjeppu asked in a low voice.
‘I don’t know.’
After a pause Kunjeppu said: ‘Martha and Purushan have come visiting. They said they met you.’
‘Yes.’
‘May I help you, Eappan?’

* * * * * * *

Eappan fell silent.
‘What happened to you?’ Sara asked.
‘Nothing, Chechi.’
He did not want to say Uthuppu had taken toddy. He knew it would cause a tremor in the house. Nobody knew anything now. Why should I myself say it? Being a person of no regard for the feelings of his people, perhaps Uthuppu would leave home if others blamed him for following the bad example of their father. It would mean breaking up of the family. Eappan did not want to lose his brother. So he pretended not to have known.
After taking supper Eappan washed his hands as if in a reverie.
‘Achaya.’
He looked up.
Uthuppu stood in the front yard.
‘If you have eaten supper let’s go to the limeshed.’
‘Don’t you want to eat?’
‘No, I’m not hungry.’
‘Have you finished your work?’
‘Preparation of Panachikkaya juice? Yes, I have. Now it’s to be boiled. I’ve told Ely about it. I wish I have a new net, Achaya, a net with Kanjanam and lines inside. It’ll help me catch a lot of fish.’
As once father had said Uthuppu might have decided to become a fisherman.
‘I’m on my way,’ Uthuppu said.
‘Ok.’
In spite of the toddy Uthuppu showed great enthusiasm for work but Eappan felt no satisfaction. While turning the wheel, Uthuppu slipped. He went drowsy. All of a sudden Eappan caught hold of the handle and paid attention to it so that the rotation of the wheel went on.

Moly sat with her sister Martha in the kitchen.
In the front room sat Purushan, Thanka and Kunjeppu. They seemed to be in serious discussion. Moly could not guess what. She thought that Martha and her husband had come in connection with the Audityapooja starting the next day.
‘What’re they saying, Chechi?’ Moly asked at last.
‘I think it’s about you.’
‘About me? What on earth about me?’
Martha murmured: ‘If you can keep a secret I’ll tell you.’
‘I won’t say a word to anyone, Chechi. Please!’
‘Don’t you know that Karunan has got a job now?’
‘Heard your hubby say so.’
‘In fact he is good chap, moreover a graduate. He can easily get a bride having a good job. Can’t he?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Your Chettan has an idea. If Purushan proposes something Karunan can never say no.’
Black clouds surrounded Moly’s heart.
‘What’re you saying, Chechi?’
‘Purushan is very much interested in this matter.’
‘What’s it?’
‘Don’t you smell anything yet?’
‘Not in the least.’
‘You’re pretending to be ignorant.’
‘Out with it without beating about the bush, Chechi.’
‘Purushan’s idea is to make Karunan your hubby.’
‘It’s impossible.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t want to marry now. I want to study.’
‘Studies can be continued after marriage.’
‘It’s not practical.’
‘I think it is.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘When you see Karunan I am sure you’ll change your mind.’
‘Never, Chechi, not even if Kamadeva himself comes!’
Martha glared at Moly.
‘I too was like this. But I was compelled to become Purushan’s wife. Gradually I learned to love him.’
‘I’ve got other ideas about my life. You had no such thing.’
‘What’re you saying Moly? Everybody has ideas about one’s own life.’
‘I’m talking of my ambition. I think your aim was gaining a good husband.’
‘I don’t think it’s mean to have that aim.’
‘However, I don’t think it’s great.’
‘You’re trying to defeat me in debate.’
‘No. Please don’t think so. You tell Chettan not to look for a youth for me. Please don’t think I am like you.’
‘What is she saying?’ Purushan came in.
‘She’s unwilling,’ Martha said.
‘Why did you reveal it to her? I had asked you not to. . ’
‘If she’s not willing, why can’t we leave it at this?’ Thanka asked.
‘This is a golden opportunity. Better don’t miss it.’
‘But I won’t give consent.’
Moly stood her ground.
‘Appa, I shall send Karunan here. Let her see him.’
‘That you may do.’
‘But I don’t want to see anyone,’ said Moly.
The others did not answer. Instead they looked at each other. It seemed that Kunjeppu was tempted to say something. But he had no mind to compel Moly because of his affection towards her.
The subject was dropped. Moly had the strong support of Thanka, which made her more courageous.
Moly longed to have a meeting with Eappan in order to inform him of the developments. After supper she got out, moving as silent as a cat.
‘Moly.’
Moly froze.
‘Chechi,’ she whispered.
‘I knew it when you got up. Where are you going?’ Martha asked.
Moly stood in silence for some moments. She was thinking.
‘Why not answer me?’
‘I’m in great desperation.’
‘Why?’
‘All of you together are trying to throw me into a pit.’
‘What?’
‘I was going to the lake-mother to tell her about my sorrows.’
‘What? Are you mad?’
‘You people may turn me mad.’
‘But I can’t understand what is wrong with a marriage.’
‘It will spoil my studies. I prefer death to it.’
‘Come, my child. Nobody is going to compel you.’
Martha thought Moly had decided to sacrifice herself.
When the next dawn flowered in the east and was about to raise the red pearl in its palms, Moly and Martha woke up. They had to go to Achankara to participate in the Audityapooja early in the morning.
The Audityapooja field was already crowded.
Plantain stumps were seen all over, coconut leaf ribs making small circles around them. In each circle half cut Hydnocarpus Pentantra fruit was placed in a vessel in which coconut oil had been poured and cotton wick laid. When all wicks were lit it the blue sky seemed to have come down wearing all of her stellar ornaments.
Male and female youths, old folk and children had thronged the worship field. All the females had plates in their hands which filled with plantain fruit, different kinds of flowers and lighted joss sticks. They danced and sang praising the Sun. Martha and Moly had took part in it. It went on till noon. There was a lunch break. After it the ceremony was repeated. With sweat trickling bodies the females danced while their blouses and jackets stuck and the male youths ogled them with desire. All inhabitants of Achankara had come to take part in the worship of the Sun. Once a year the ceremony was held.
Among the spectators Moly saw Eappan, Uthuppu, Ittooppu, Kuriamma and other familiar faces. Moly felt that she was in the palms of Eappan’s beloved looks swinging her up and down. The feeling heaped pure, white and fragrant flowers on her soul. Her eyes filled with joy. Her lips got drenched. She stood in the valley of the birds of temptation. Her heart was filled with the desire for another meeting with Eappan.
In her trance he comes and says: ‘see my giant.’
‘No, not now. Another day.’
He says: ‘See my giant.’
He takes her hand and drags it to the giant.
‘No. . . No. . . No. . . ’
She mumbled in her trance.

***