Read Online Amballore House by Jose Thekkumthala - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jose Thekkumthala
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the name retained the ‘gust’ of ‘disgust,” a lasting reminder to a horrendous rape she had to surrender her dignity to. The painful memory never left her.
Only she and Chettiar knew that her sixth child was not from Thoma. Jaygust was also called Number-Six. He was the sixth child of Ann; but not of Thoma. She was thankful that God kept the secret well-guarded. The sight of Number-Six, a permanent sickle mark on Chettiar’s forehead, and his lost eye thanks to Subashini reminded her of the belittling episode.
***
Mannuthy life represented the bad old days whose undying images haunted Thoma and Ann even after they moved to Amballore and moved on with their lives. Old images came back to life when they were ruminating over their past. They came back like old friends dropping in for a cup of coffee. In a strange twist of life, those bitter images appeared consoling, and their reminiscences reassuring, if only because the couple knew they had crossed that bridge and never would have to confront old days again.
Even though their children knew that they came to a dangerous world because of Thoma and their misery was perpetuated becauseof his inability to support them, they were sympathetic to him because of the struggles he went through. Well, some of them were; not all. There was a redeeming quality to the battles he had to stage to set things right, so the thought process went; the thought process of some of his children, anyway. The struggles that Thoma had to endure after he was kicked out of his ancestral home were very many. He struggled to be good in the menial masonry work he had to embrace in order to earn a livelihood, and he braved unexpected layoffs occasionally. He broke his right leg while doing his job, an employment hazard that he was not insured for. There was not a single relative that stepped up to help him or his family. The list of his woes went on and on. Therefore, the lion’s share of his children was sympathetic to him.
However, Number-Six never forgave Thoma for making the family beggars in the streets of life. It was an irony of fate that Thoma’s only nonchild, Number-Six, was up in arms against him, whereas his legitimate children largely were at peace with him; staging a war against Thoma never occurred to them. As time went on and as Thoma became weaker and weaker and the children became stronger and stronger, confrontation between Thoma and Number-Six became more frequent.
It was in 1980, three years after the family settled down in Amballore, that Thoma went downhill with his health. Arthritis came visiting him and his movements became constrained. He could hardly walk and therefore, was confined to a chair or a bed. He was taking medication for high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. He was a diabetic, and heart problems ran in the family. He was struck with a stroke that paralyzed part of his body. He developed a hunchback in his old age.
Mathettan, Annamma’s husband, living across the back fence of the Amballore home, visited Thoma often and chatted with him. They were old friends. He was also making sure that Thoma was well looked after by his children.
As per phone conversations Mathettan had with Josh who was living in Canada, Number-Six picked fights with Thoma often. He ceaselessly criticized Thoma for the reckless way he lived in hisyouth, causing the orphaning of his family. Fingers were pointed at him for giving away his fortune to his siblings, thereby making him unable to support his immediate family, Ann and the children. Mathettan was concerned, because Number-Six started withholding essential medicine from Thoma to punish him. Sometimes, food was withheld. Poor Ann could not do anything to redress the wrong-doings; she was afraid of Number-Six. Therefore, she contacted Mathettan who contacted Josh who contacted Number-Six and talked over things.
One day, while Mathettan was visiting Thoma, an altercation broke out between the father and son,
Only she and Chettiar knew that her sixth child was not from Thoma. Jaygust was also called Number-Six. He was the sixth child of Ann; but not of Thoma. She was thankful that God kept the secret well-guarded. The sight of Number-Six, a permanent sickle mark on Chettiar’s forehead, and his lost eye thanks to Subashini reminded her of the belittling episode.
***
Mannuthy life represented the bad old days whose undying images haunted Thoma and Ann even after they moved to Amballore and moved on with their lives. Old images came back to life when they were ruminating over their past. They came back like old friends dropping in for a cup of coffee. In a strange twist of life, those bitter images appeared consoling, and their reminiscences reassuring, if only because the couple knew they had crossed that bridge and never would have to confront old days again.
Even though their children knew that they came to a dangerous world because of Thoma and their misery was perpetuated becauseof his inability to support them, they were sympathetic to him because of the struggles he went through. Well, some of them were; not all. There was a redeeming quality to the battles he had to stage to set things right, so the thought process went; the thought process of some of his children, anyway. The struggles that Thoma had to endure after he was kicked out of his ancestral home were very many. He struggled to be good in the menial masonry work he had to embrace in order to earn a livelihood, and he braved unexpected layoffs occasionally. He broke his right leg while doing his job, an employment hazard that he was not insured for. There was not a single relative that stepped up to help him or his family. The list of his woes went on and on. Therefore, the lion’s share of his children was sympathetic to him.
However, Number-Six never forgave Thoma for making the family beggars in the streets of life. It was an irony of fate that Thoma’s only nonchild, Number-Six, was up in arms against him, whereas his legitimate children largely were at peace with him; staging a war against Thoma never occurred to them. As time went on and as Thoma became weaker and weaker and the children became stronger and stronger, confrontation between Thoma and Number-Six became more frequent.
It was in 1980, three years after the family settled down in Amballore, that Thoma went downhill with his health. Arthritis came visiting him and his movements became constrained. He could hardly walk and therefore, was confined to a chair or a bed. He was taking medication for high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. He was a diabetic, and heart problems ran in the family. He was struck with a stroke that paralyzed part of his body. He developed a hunchback in his old age.
Mathettan, Annamma’s husband, living across the back fence of the Amballore home, visited Thoma often and chatted with him. They were old friends. He was also making sure that Thoma was well looked after by his children.
As per phone conversations Mathettan had with Josh who was living in Canada, Number-Six picked fights with Thoma often. He ceaselessly criticized Thoma for the reckless way he lived in hisyouth, causing the orphaning of his family. Fingers were pointed at him for giving away his fortune to his siblings, thereby making him unable to support his immediate family, Ann and the children. Mathettan was concerned, because Number-Six started withholding essential medicine from Thoma to punish him. Sometimes, food was withheld. Poor Ann could not do anything to redress the wrong-doings; she was afraid of Number-Six. Therefore, she contacted Mathettan who contacted Josh who contacted Number-Six and talked over things.
One day, while Mathettan was visiting Thoma, an altercation broke out between the father and son,
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