Amazon Best Selling Novel “Malabar A Flame” in Lima World Library
11. Perseverance
In the morning Mary was busy readying children for
school. Warm rays of the sun peeping through the window
awakened Antony from deep sleep. He opened the door.
Cool breeze brought the warmth and fragrance of flowers
into the of the room.
Soon after the breakfast, Mary watched Antony dressing
up as usual.”Where are you hurrying to?. Why don’t you take
rest for a day?’’
“You know I could not sit idle. I’m going to the bank to
deposit the cheque. Then some other chores,” he said and
went out. She very well know that her husband could not
remain idle. That is how he built up his life. Toiling and
toiling. Abject surrender to his superiors. Sincere in his
chores. Selfless in his commitment to any work entrusted to
him.
After remitting the cheque, Antony came out of the
bank and started walking aimlessly, brooding over the past
and thinking about the future. He was oblivious of the cattle
grazing in the fields, As is wont in the English countryside, it
started raining all of a sudden. He bwalked briskely and took
shelter under a big tree. Branches swayed in the wind, leaves
fluttered in gay abandon. You can’t scareme, my baby leaves!
He wanted to tell them.
Rain subsided and ebbed away as suddenly as it came..
He started walking. In front of him the work of the new
underground rail tunnel was going on. He also saw widening
and deepening of the Thames in brisk pace. He stopped for
a while to look at workers rowing to the other bank to mend
the rusted portion of the big bridge across. He suddenly
remembered the workers doing such jobs on catamarans in
Mattancherry back home.
He walked up to the rail rack where the road ended. Many
railway workers are busy ercting new lines. At a distance a
man was sitting and smoking. He was either a supervisor or
a contractor or an engineer. Antony asked him about the rail
office.. He pointed out to a distant building. Antony walked
again towards that high rise.
When he reached in front of the office he stood for a
while to take a breath. Wiped the sweats on the brow. The
front door of the building was closed. One counter was
open. Above hung a board announcing the company that
has undertaken the work. Antony flashed a smile and asked
the “Is there any vacancy for job? The silver haired, clean
shaved man looked at him as if seeing a strange human.
Many strangers arrive here for job. One of them. Where do
you come from? Have you got work permit? A battery of
questions. Antony picked up a paper from his pocket and
unfolded.While browsing the paper he scratched his cheek.
“Where did you work before?’’
When he said “for Peter Scot”, the man at the counter
was impressed and did not want to go further. “I am Carl
Cock,” he said while giving the paper back. He stretched a printed form to Antony and asked him to fill it up. It was
related to the work of the canal. Duty hours morning eight to
evening four. He handed over a card to Antony. It mentioned
only the name and number of the employee. He browsed
the form retuned by Antony. Legible handwriting. He is of
course educated. It was the first time an Indian was applying
for a job there. An Indian speaking good English and writing
quite legibly. Cock was impressed about his new find.
1948. Britain was recouping from the destruction caused
by the Second World War. Construction work was in plenty
everywhere. Importing workers from Ireland and West
Indies was one way of fighting labour shortage. Antony
was one of the latest addition to thousands of new workers
added to reconstruct London. Out of the destruction of
the War. May was glad that her husband found a new job,
sooner than she had anticipated. The children did not know
much of the intricacies of their ‘appa’s’ change of job. It was
a better job, they were told.
Mary brought lunch for her husband and kept him
company during the noon break. After finishing eating
they had enough time to stroll the Thames where work was
in progress. London was growing leaps and bounds. New
vehicles plied on London roads. On Sundays, Antony mad
it a point attend the retreat at St Pauls Church with family.
While in the Church, he felt he was in a royal durbar. Mary
could not understand what was going on in the church as
her English was not that good. But Antony enjoyed the
discourses. Mary noted that there were no Asians or Africans
among the regular attendees.
Danny found “ A D 604” on a marble tablet. Suddenly
Sara asked: “Appa, when did the English become Christian?
Like us or even before?”
That was good question. “Mole, in ancient past it was
Romans who ruled over Israel and England. They also knew
the miracles done by Christ. At the time of Christ there were
Christian faithful here. But this nation was declared Christian
officially in A D 312. But we in Kerala knew Christianity
much before, from AD 52 when we believe St Thomas
arrived to make us Christians.”.
They walked to the spot where the ancient London Bridge
as majestic as ever. Built in 12th century, the Bridge stood there
as a sentinel to the antiquity of the city of London. That day
they also saw the West Minster Abbey and the surrounding
small town for the first time. Those sights delighted them.
Some of the people there looked them with fancy. Didn’t
they see humans? Mary asked.
“They might have pleased with your kasavu sari or your
beauty” Antony told Mary. Mary felt shy but Sara giggled.
One buxom madamma watched them curiously. Mary was a
bit annoyed byuy the stranger’s piercing eyes. But the English
woman was persistent. “You,..aren’t you Indians?”
Antony replied in the affirmative. The woman touched
Mary’s sari and tried to check its texture. “Mary stood there
as a petrified guinea pig. “This is very beautiful. Indians are
smart. Happy in seeing you here”. Lovable words. She walked
away. Mary understood that the woman was just appreciating
her dress and felt very happy. She again looked at the womanwith respect. Her dark wide eyes fluttered and docile smile
spread on her thick brown lips.
On the road they heard the chimes of horse carts. They
had come from Start Fort by train. Return trip was also by
train. The adjacent seats were all vacant. Surprising the kids
the train rushed leaving behind forests and rivers. Children
were elated at the marvelous scenes all the way. All trains are
of the same colour and cute. The houses all stand along in a
long rows. When the trai n entered an underground tunnel,
Mary sat a trance her eyes wide shut.
At the next station a male and female boarded. They first
ventured to sit close to Mary and then changed to a another
at a distance. Mary did not like the other woman’s sharp look.
She was distraught. But soon she regained her composure
and assured herself that despite the faded complexion,
she did match any white woman in appearance. She saw
Antony watching the white woman closely. “They enjoy
the loveliness of your kasavu sari’ Antony enlightened her.
“Why are you watching her instead of me,?” she asked him
half-jocking. “Am I not beautiful?’
Antony and Mary have experienced on many occasions
that the white had an innate dislike for the non-white whom
some might feel intruders into their own country. This
racialism was not universal but would raise its ugly head
occasionally. But Antony had better counsel? Did not they
have the same colour and caste difference back home/ Will
any Namboodiri offer you food on the same table from
which he savor them? Did not they cast the lower castes as
untouchables?
He know that Mary had a sharp tongue. And a habit of
venting her feelings out then and there. While walking the
roads in Cochin, she used to question the right of the ‘noble
class’ to ban others accosting them on their way. “Is the road
given to you as a dowry?” she is heard asking a Namboodiri
once.
When Mary started abusing the white passengers ion
Malayalam for keeping themselves away from her in the
compartment, Antony intervened to keep her from boiling
over. “Be calm Mary. They will learn to be more civilized and
gentle. Has not our muthalali treated us equally?’ he asked.
One day Antony was amazed when he overheard Mary
asking Sara “ Will you teach me your English? I have passed
seventh class. I know how to read and write English. Further
I want to learn how to talk.’’
That was the beginning of a new Mary, empowered to
take on the English in their own land. Antony was distraught
at first. But he felt proud that his wife was learning to cope
with English life. That too very fast.
Antony and Mary sat in the cabin thinking over how fast
their children had grown as part of the English society. In
schools they had equal opportunity and equal friends. Colour
differentiation was not in the books. It was specially because
the English society comprised of many people from far and
wide, from many nationalities, from Asia, Africa, Europe
and far east. East was undestiid to contribute to the general
welfare of the English nation.
Mary and children were aghast while seeing a while ladyand big dog boarding the train at the next station. Antony
said that here animals and humans have equal status and
recognition.
“Aren’t there rabid dogs here’’ Danny asked..
Dogs and cats are living inside the house. They will not
be let out. Hence there is no rabid dogs.”Antony tried to
explain.
Near the door a young man and a young woman stood
rubbing their shoulders. It was evident that they were lovers.
Soon they huddled each other and started kissing unmindful
of the others in the cabin. Mary stood up and stood like a
wall in between the couple and her children.
“Why do you stand? Antony asked.
“Sitting for long. I feel a pain in the hips,” she replied.
The pain was over when the train arrived at Stat Fort, their
destination.
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