ANNA'S STORIES.

(This is the story of my elder brother K.N.Doraswamy. During the days of our stay with him & family at Charlottesville in Virginia, USA, he handed pages of the story written in his own fine handwriting. He conveyed that he has written them on prodding by his progenies. It seems that it is a half hearted and hurried narration. There are no insights about himself or his family life, his ideas or any such things. I read and copied them in my computer and found memory failure and egocentric notions cause many of them. So I appended some little notes in between. They are in brackets in blue. I am not judging him for any lapses. I tried to recollect from my memories that might not be completely correct. There are reasons for my notes.)

Anna’s Story.

15. 11. 2006

MY CHIDHOOD DAYS.

I was born in a little village of Kizhakkanchery in Palghat Dist. of Kerala in Feb. 16, 1922.(In this date Anna is not correct. His school record is 1923. The correct one might be 1924. I remember Anna making complaint about grandma for the wrong year and hence losing one year service in SVOC/Esso/HPC. He retired on attaining the age of 58 in 1981.KNK ) I belong to a poor family. (In spite of being poor, Anna claimed that our family was helping 2 athangal girls and family financially. Also he claimed to have farmlands and a garden in our family. What is the truth?) My mother gave birth to 10 children. I was the 3^rd in line. My grandmother, father as well as mother are all uneducated. (It is far from true. Father used to write in Malayalam and read Tamil and Mantras in Grandha lipi. Mother used to read Tamil books. In Nemmara I found those few Tamil books and read them.) Never went to school. My mother’s eldest son died at the age of 3. And a child after me as well as above me also died very young. Some how I survived to this day. So I was taken care of by very well esp. by (two) athangal girls name Sitalakshmy & Thangam as if they belong to our family, because their family was receiving my father’s & mother’s help financially. I studied in local school up to 5^th std. (up to 4^th and then 5^th at Vadakancheri) I had not much interest in sports. But I used to attend drill in the school because it is compulsory. Even though I play with friends they will not include me in their regular teams but keep a seat for me called reserve. If the team wins any even(t) I too get a prize along with them. I was not sad because I know I had little interest in sports.

There is a river in the village as a result I learned swimming. I used to go to the village temple for Ganapathy every day and partake in the bhajans slokas etc. and attend arati before coming home The village has two double streets and a single street. Our bldg was in the single street. (There were more single and double streets) My father was working in a restaurant and getting Rs. 20/- p.m which he remits by MO to my grand mother. Where ever I went I had to walk and no transport was available. Once I had to (go) a distant village and I travelled by a Bullock cart owned by my relative who was well to do. (Who was that relative who could afford a bullock cart? Not to my knowledge. I doubt whether any one had any vehicle in village. They hire one if they have to travel long distance. KNK)

I have not seen my grand father, even my father did not see him as he was a posthumous child because my grand mother because {?} became a widow at the age of 16 (are u sure? KNK) I was wearing only one towel (thortu? KNK) with no chappal or shirt to school. (Almost no village boys, girls or anyone else were wearing chappals in those days. KNK) As our family cannot afford them. I was one of the best students in the class. I used to help my mother in her work when I was a child. My father was working in Tanjore , Kunbhakonam, Mayavaram, Chidambaram etc. and came home once in a year for a month or so.

We had farmland and a garden. We got paddy once in a year and store it until next year. I used to go to the garden once in a while and even climbed coconut trees to pluck coconuts. (In the last Para Anna said that he had nothing to wear except a thortu and in following Para claims that we had farmland, garden etc. How come?) Our garden has a good number of coconut trees arconut trees, mango trees Tamarind trees and two tanks for watering the garden. There were other gardens also nearby. In the tank there were crocodiles, snakes etc. A time came when my father became sick for nearly a year and as a result he has to mortgage his house, farm lands, and garden and because. {?} He earned and purchased all these properties and lost everything. By the time I had younger brothers my father was regularly sending Rs.20/- every month. Whenever, I meet the postman I asked him any MO. He will reply “it will come tomorrow”. He will never say no to me. (Good people telling lies to innocent children?)

We had such good people in the village. Myself and my brothers were very well taken care of by my grand mother and I say that such grand mothers are very rare to be found.

MY LIFE FROM AGE OF 10.

When I was 10 years of age my father came from Tanjore. I just started going to high school in Vadakkanchery. (If what Anna says here is true then his date of birth given earlier is wrong.) The school was 1 mile away from our village. I had to walk through paddy fields to reach the school a short cut. I had to pay school fees also. My father with his meagre income of Rs.20/- p.m unable to spare money for my education decided to take me along with him to Tanjore and got me a hotel job on a salary of Rs.15/- p.m. The restaurant name was Mangalambika Lodge where my father was working as cook. After a few months of service there my father got me another job in another hotel in Chidambaram. The restaurant’s name was Nataraja Lunch home There I worked for a few months. My job included carrying Tiffin boxes for professors working in the Annamalai University at noon. During that period I got a strong feeling that I study in the university. This desire of mine never got fulfilled to this day. When I thought of children happily studying in the university and I am working in a restaurant as a child of 10 years I felt very sad began to cry thinking of my fate. (Anna is nostalgic about himself but did not try to graduate his two girl children in later years. Saras has to fight for it.) This I wanted to convey to my parents. So I wrote a postcard to my home address in Malayalam. My grand mother who got my letter asked somebody to read it for her as she was illiterate. She came to Chidambaram to take me home and promised to educate me at least up to Matric. I don’t know how she came to Chidambaram. She some how managed to reach the place with the help of so many people, to board a train from Olavakkode and changing train at Trichy Junction. (Olavakkode may be correct but she should have taken the train from Palghat thru Dindikal Junction and not Trichy KNK) At home she wanted to celebrate my thread ceremony but where was the money to celebrate with my father’s small income (?) Our family priest (who?) suggested that I collect money from house to house in the village. So my grand mother took me to every house with a plate in my hand. (it was not Anna but Krishnan who went house to house plate in hand. Not just money but materials also were gifted KNK) A good collection and my thread ceremony was celebrated, along with my brother Krishnan’s on the same day. (without father present? Who conducted the ceremonies? Anna seems to have forgotten that the thread ceremonies of Krishnan & Seshan were conducted together in Nemmara. Father did it to Krishnan & Anna did it to Seshan KNK)

My father felt very sad because, he was not able to do his duties to family by himself and started crying like a child and all of us in the house has to console him and promise to give him all help: Then something i.e. a God sent help came to us. A distant relative came from Nemmara Old Village who was a temple priest there and said that there was a vacancy for temple priest in New Village, Nemmara. My father readily accepted the offer and decided to sell our house in Kizhakkanchery and got to New Village Nemmara. (As per Krishnan, the offer came not from periappa of Old Village but from father‘s cousin (sister)’s husband in Pudugramam, Nemmara, when they were at Mylattoor, where after death ceremonies of grand father’s brother was conducted. All our family were also present for about 10 days. Not sure about father being there.)

We were staying in a rented house in New Village, Nemmara, Cochin State. My father was a temple priest in Ganapathy Temple and myself a Temple priest in Balakrishna (not Balakrishna but just Krishna KNK) both at New Village. I decided to continue studies in Nemmara high school and joined in the 6^th standard (2^nd Form) I had temple job in the morning and evening. I used to study fairly well from 6^th std to 10^th std. i.e. 5 years. Because of that I had no opportunity to play games except physical Drill weekly once in the school. I have to cook twice for the God after (offer? KNK) Neivedya take it home. Even the home work I used to do in the temple premises. (?) Some times help my friends in doing Arithmetic, Algebra etc.

During my stay in the village I had to stay in 3 places because of the rented houses were temporary. There was no water or electricity in the houses where we stayed. Well water and kerosene lamps. (as if others had them at home?)The only happiness was I was lucky to stay with my father, mother, grand mother and brothers. When I started going to high school, where fees are levied. My father decided to send my immediate brother Krishnan to a Sanskrit school nearby where no fees are taken. Thus went on 5 years and completed my 10^th std Public Exams with good percentage of marks. (in pass class family thanked God Ganapathy by breaking one hundred coconuts as offer. KNK) Afterwards I studied shorthand & type writing.

MY YOUTHFUL DAYS.

I got my SSLC certificate as well as Shorthand typing certificates. I was not knowing what to do next. One day my head master Mr. N. G. Sreenivasa Iyer called me and said that (he) is thinking of getting me college admission (in) Ernakulam far away from my village. But I told him as the college was faraway I have to arrange accommodation for my stay and other expenses like meals fees etc. which my parents cannot afford. My head master said that I go to Bombay (Mumbai) along with his son in-law who has come here on vacation. I decided to go with him and search for a job there. His son in-law was staying in Trichur and hence I had to (go to) Trichur for. boarding a train. It was 2 days journey. He was travelling in 1st class and me 3^rd class. He was a good man by name R.S. Mani, vice-president of Shanmukhananda Sabha (but there was no such sabha then) who came in big stations and came to see me in the 3^rd class to see that I am OK. The IIIrd class was very crowded He took me to his house and I stayed in his house for a week as he did not bring his family because of (?) it was war time and people were afraid to keep the families in cities for fear of an air raid. On 23^rd April, 1942, I got a job of a typist in Standard Vacuum Oil Company. I went to a bachelor quarter in Matunga after my stay

I was getting a salary of Rs. 50/- p.m.. I used to send Rs.25/- home to my father. I was living Rs.20/- p.m saving Rs.5/- I joined free Hindi class, became a member of Athletic Club. I was going to gym there and Basket Ball. I was very regular for my office taking hotel meals twice a day.

Then one day a letter came from home that Krishnan ran away from home. I became a worried man. After (Not after but much earlier than KNK) 6 months my parents got the news that he is in Anantpur and joined military service because it was wartime . I took leave after a year and went native place. To my surprise my brother Krishnan was there. He was discharged from military as {he} was physically found him unfit due to bad eye sight. After returning from vacation I made arrangements to bring him to Bombay. I got him a job in my Co. as a worker on daily wages {as per Krishnan it was on monthly wages} That too on shift – day shift and night shift Every now and then we have to shift our bachelors residence for one reason or another. I made great blunder in not taking a house on rent for my own stay and bring parents earlier a great mistake I made ever in life .

I used to visit a distant relative of mine in Matunga weekly where my grand mother’s uncle (what memory plays in Anna? It was grandma’s nephew & family. KNK) was staying where their 5^th unmarried daughter was staying. Whenever I visited them they used to tell me that I must marry that girl. She was not very beautiful. But some how a desire of marriage was kindled in my mind. After a few years I was destined to marry that girl only. One of the reasons being they were related to my grand mother and they have a 6^th girl also in their family. The girl whom I got married was Kamalam. She gave birth (to) 2 daughters named Parvathy & Lakshmy. After 2^nd delivery she got TB attack and in spite of our trying level best to cure she died and therefore I have to take care of my children in Bombay where I was staying. My wife Kamalam was with her parents at Trichur and myself at Bombay working and sending them money to my father in-law who took care of my kids. My in-laws both died one by one because of old age. Thus my relationship ended. But occasionally I was visiting my brother in-law, name Parameswaran (Konthai) and he was very good towards me. He had 6 sisters and no brothers. A loving person

Myself along with my brothers took a house on rent on Sion-Trombay road in Chembur. We paid 3 months rent in advance. But no pugree as was the practice then. We took possession of the flat and brought our parents and grand mother. Another blunder I made that I did not take a group photograph. As a result I had no photo of my beloved father to show it to anyone We wanted our parents a peaceful life in their old age. But things happened in a different way. With (in) a year my father died natural death (?) after getting a severe asthma attack with which he was suffering for long. There my brother’s wife died and after a few years my grand mother died . My brother got married to wife’s sister and went separately to stay. (as per Krishnan, father expired after his 2^nd marriage to Annam and shifting to Station Colony.)

Myself and my brother Rasamani took a flat each in a new building called Deepam in Wadala. We moved to our new apartments in Wadala. The Wadala area was surround(ed) by schools and colleges. My children got their education in nearby school. I stayed there for 20 years before moving to Vashi in Navi Mumbai in April, 1987. I completed my service of 39 years in Standard Vacuum Oil Company, Esso and Hindustan Petroleum Corp, and retired.

I decided to go for job since, my son Narayanan was staying (in) the University of Baroda and I had to send him Rs.600/- pm for his expenses He was doing ME there. So I worked for Nav Neelam Co-op. Society, Worli and Wadala Industrial Estate, Wadala until he completed his studies.

I got married the 3 daughters Parvathy, Lakshmy & Sarasvathy. Celebrated their marriage equally well with cash dowry and ornaments etc. I celebrated thread ceremony of my son for 2 days with equally (?) well.

I did all Sharda (Shradha?) the death rites of my grand mother, father, mother all of them died of old age and all brothers were staying together at the time of their passing away. (not correct, when father & grandma died Krishnan’s family and at mother’s in 1980 or 1981, all else were living separate. How Anna did got this confusion? KNK)

My son got admission in Stanford University USA for M S So he decided to study there in US. Stanford is a well known university in the States. My son got a job in Morrison & Nelson Co. and started staying in Sanfracisco: He took his friend as a room mate and decided to bring us to US. I felt that it was a terrible mistake on his part.

PARVATHY’S MARRIAGE.

I was looking (for) a bridegroom for her. I decided to give 3 daughters in marriage earlier. It so happened one day a friend of mine by name Chakrapani Iyer, came with his friend by name Lakshmana Iyer with few horoscopes for his son’s marriage to an astrologer staying in the oppo bldg at Wadala. The astrologer told them that all horoscopes did not agree with his son’s horoscope. At that time Mr. Chakrapani remembered me that I have a daughter of marriage age and so he came to my house with his friend Mr. Lakshmana Iyer and asked for my daughter’s horoscope. We went again with my friend to the astrologer who said my daughter’s horoscope agrees well with that of his friend’s son. After they came and saw the girl and the bridegroom to be agreed that he liked my daughter. The marriage was celebrated in a hall in Matunga. It was ration days and there were restrictions for feeding people etc. Some how I managed with my house, my brother’s house as well as his neighbour’s house. She retired from her Govt. job and his (her) 2 sons well settled I life.

LAKSHMY’S MARRIAGE

My second daughter’s marriage was celebrated in Palni. All my relatives came to Palni for the function. Because the bridegroom party was from Coimbatore near Palni and they were insisting to come to Mumbai. (some things missing here KNK) Aftera few months’ (Not years? KNK) stay in Coimbatore I had to bring them to Mumbai for permanent settlement which they are continuing at present. She has 1 son & 1 daughter and that they are also well settled in life.

MY 2^nd MARRIAGE

After my 1^st wife’s death I remained as a widower for about 15 years (what 15 years? I recollect that he lost Kamalam in about 1949 and married again 1957. KNK) with little interest in life. But my fate was otherwise. My 2^nd wife happened to come into (my) life. She started working in Esso canteen as its cashier. Thus one day one Mr. K.P.D.Menon who came & sat with me when I went into the canteen for a cup of tea. (it was an officers’ canteen on the 7^th floor and not for clerical staff. KNK) He was also Esso employee and he is very next neighbour of my 2^nd wife who came with a proposal for the canteen girl to me. He was also a widower like me at that time. He introduced me to her and our friendship came into being. I married her in spite of objections from family, mainly because I am Iyer and she is an Ayyangar. Till that I never knew Ayyangar sect exists amongst Brahmins. (from family Krishnan was the only – since, Annam & chidren were at Vadakkanthara at that time - member who attended the marriage function held at Plot No 449, in Matunga. KNK) My 2^nd marriage was celebrated in a better style than my 1^st marriage. The entire thing changed my attitude towards life. In due course Sarasvathy & Gopal was born to us. Just as I performed marriage for Parvathy & Lakshmy I performed Sarasvathy’s marriage also to a Tirunelveli Brahmin boy by name Krishnamurthy my 3^rd son in-law. (Here Anna is hiding the fact that Sarasvathy was divorced from Murthy and married Anil. Anna with manni was staying in the same house with Saras & Anil. KNK) All my children still think they are 3 sisters and one brother and love each other. Gopal married against my wishes one American lady 3 years older to him and twice divorced. He knows well that he has come from a Brahmin family. He knows that I have celebrated all required by a Brahmin boy, esp. Jathakarmam, Nan(m)akarmam, Annaprasanam, , Chowlam , Upanayanam etc. all in grand scale. Only I got his marriage invitation by Post which reached me after his marriage. This may be due to his frustration because of not getting a suitable from our own community or is it a fait-accomple? (Italics by Krishnan) All my children still think that they are 3 sisters and one brother and love each other. This is very very rare in the case of 2^nd marriage. My 2^nd wife is also good a mother to my 1^st wife’s children w ho take care of them very very well. Even now my children are my assets. May God give them long life and happiness.

AN INCIDENT IN MY LIFE

I was nearly 10 yrs old. I had an elderly uncle & aunt. Of course they were distant relations. They were poor staying in a village called Old Village. I was staying in a nearby village called New Village, in Nemmara in old Cochin State. The uncle was a Sri Krishna temple priest of the Old Village. They had a son named Shankar who died at the age of 18. He had 2 sisters name Pichakuty and Annapoorni.

Any temple priest job is a very low paid job with no leave at all. As my (uncle) is poor he was not able to educate his daughters. They (who?) had their old mother staying with them. I used to go to his house often as the two villages are very close by, even though they are distant relations. Years passed and the old uncle & aunt died leaving the old lady and daughters. They were staying in a rented house and therefore they have to vacate. The old lady decided to go like a sanyasini going to different places walking. After a few months she also fell down dead. The 2 sisters were left alone with nobody to take care of them. Once a person from Coimbatore married her eldest. The other one also got married to a hotel waiter and started staying with him. The elder sister who got married went to stay with her husband to Coimbatore. She saw another woman in the house. The man asked her to stay with them as a servant. But she refused and came out on the street. She travelled alone to Tanjavoor and started staying in a hut near a temple. An affair between her & the temple priest, a daughter was born. The child grew up and passed SSLC. Before she got a job she also died at 18. Look at their fate.

When I was going on a pilgrimage with my mother, I was able to get their hutment address from the temple. Their life was very very sad and we gave them some money as a token help. When her daughter died the temple priest also left her. The eldest named Pichakuty was working as a part time servant in restaurant and the second one Annapoorneswary was staying with her husband. (where?)

Now that I have not learned whether they are still living or dead and their whereabouts. They must be now senior citizens now. May be they are in Tanjore or Trichy or nearby town... Only God knows, only help for them is God

A note from Krishnan.

As far as I recollect, her name was Subbalaxmi called Pichakuty meaning a gift from god. In my student days in Nemmara, she was married to a man from Coimbatore or nearby locality. After marriage, she left along with her spouse (not alone, as Anna had stated) to his place. Later she came back pregnant (I think it was her husband himself who brought her back as well as conducted rituals connected with) and delivered a girl child. A few months later (when husband did not turn up to take her home) she went back (whether alone or with escort is not clear) taking her child. (Ponnammal also confirms all that is said here.) She was not welcome in her husband’s home since some other woman was residing in the house with him. I have no idea, of the demise of both Periapa and Periamma.

Anna says that she was not a mother when she went to her spouse alone from Nemmara after marriage. In those days, no newly married girl would have been sent on her own to a far off and unknown place. Possibly, she went alone second time and on finding the ground situation, she left to Tanjore. But why Tanjore? Who was there for her help? How did she find a place there? She might have acted as a help in some temple. But to enter into an affair with a stranger temple priest? In those days there were several Brahmins who had more than one wife in their home. Thus Pichakuty could not have serious objections to live as co-wife. How did she dare to have an affair with another that resulted in a girl child? Anna says that illegitimate child was educated by (whom?) the priest, (since Pichakuty herself had no wherewithal to do it) i.e. The priest was maintaining the two for about 15/16 or so many years? What was the public reaction to this situation since it was though long term affair but still not accepted by Brahmin community anywhere? Curiously, Anna first said that Pichakuty’s elder brother died at 18 and her own daughter also at 18.

Now the real question. Who imparted this information to Anna? Pichakuty herself? The priest? Their daughter? When Anna was on a pilgrimage to Tanjore mother was with him. Did mother impart any such information? I am very sure if mother was in the know, she will not have agreed to meet Pichakuty at all, since she will consider the other as a fallen woman with whom no Brahmin should have contact. I know the mental makeup of our mother. She was so engrossed in her Brahmin origin & status she did not allow Akhil & Govind to touch her feet when they went to seek her blessings after marriage, at Chedda Nagar.

I am also sure that none of three would have given this information to Anna at the time of his visit & meeting her in a hut. According to the narrative, her daughter was no more. Then how did the question of her affair and the daughter came up? If it was an illegitimate child she would have kept mum on her past, especially since, mother was present there. Mother should know more about Pichakuty than Anna himself.

Finally, it is in bad taste to characterize your own sister-younger cousin, as a private prostitute without well verified facts (mine as well as Anna’s contact with that family was lost when we came out off Nemmara) and or un-impeachable evidence.