PERASSI AMMA – MOTHER’S SISTER

Mother’s elder sister (perassiamma) was given in marriage to muriyamangalath mana.

I have only a vague memory of this aunt, who never came to ammath, mother’s house, as she was suffering from fits.

Mother never talked about her. Her husband committed suicide; there after she became very ill and became persona nongrata in our circle.

Earlier, when she was comparatively better, mother paid a visit to her, when Savithry, my sister, was about two years old.

 As I was at kirangatu mana, learning veda, I missed that opportunity. It is said that perassiamma took the baby and lovingly called her MANTHIKALYANI, when Savithry broke into laughter. So she went on calling her M—–and enjoyed her laughter.

She had two  daughters. The eldest was married by Sankaran namboodiri of aykat mana (A.V Aryan, supposedly involved in the murder of Azhikodan Raghavan, a communist activist, belongs to this house).

They were very rich, with acres of rice fields and an orhard measuring a few acres. I stayed there during my days in Kerala Varma College. It was here that I saw a coffee plant for the first time.

Radha, my cousin’s first girl child, was two years old at that time.

She married a blind man who worked in a bank. Every day, she used to escort him to the bank. One day she got down from the bus, when it stopped near the bank. (in Keralam men get in and out of the bus, through the back door and women from the front door; a practice I find most obnoxious).

While going towards the back, to reach her husband, she was crushed by the bus and died on the spot.

Owing to mismanagement, as her husband knew nothing about worldly affairs, a reason for pauperisation of most of our families, including mine, my cousin Kali died in a pathetic condition. She was not invited for a marriage at ammath, for the simple reason that no one remembered her.

Alas ! The phrase POOR COUSIN  proved too true in her case !