PRODIGAL SONS' FATE
THE PRODICAL SONS’ FATE .
This happened long time back and is a true story and not an imaginary one
.
“Once upon a time long ago there was a lowest ranking forest officer by name Venkatasubbaih at Talakad. The top posts were usually held by Kodavas and the top most was dominated by Britishers.
Mr Venakatasubbaih was married to one Sm Lakshamma AKA Ammayyakka. He had two sons one aged about 9 years and another aged about 7 years . Their name was Nagaraju and narayana They were studying in classes 4th and 2nd respectively.
Mr venkatasubbaih was the firm believer in the adage “Spare the rod and spoil the child”
Even for minor faults he used to thrash these boys mercilessly not withstanding the interceding by their mother who also used to be thrashed. whenever she intercedes.
The family was living in the free Government accomadation the forest provided to staff at a place bordering the Forest and the town. The school was situated a bit away from the town and also situated bordering the forest. Many lorries used to ply carrying the forest produce on these roads and the school children used to hitch a ride at the rare of the lorries and get down in town when the Driver and the cleaner of the lorries usually used to stop for tiffin or tea or coffee.
The schools were for half say on Saturdays starting by 8-00 AM and ending by 11-00 am or 11-30. On one particular saturday these brothers saw the lorry which was going very slow in front of their school and got up at the back without the knowledge of the driver or the cleaner. Unfortunately for the boys the lorry did not stop at the town and went upto Maddur. At maddur the cleaner saw these two boys at the back of the lorry with their bag of books and told the driver. The time was around 1-00PM. The driver wanted the boys to get down at Maddur. Nagaraju told the driver as they cannot go back now to Talakad without any money with them he wanted to know as to where the lorry ws headed. The driver told them that he is headed to Bangalore. Nagaraju told him to take them to Bangalore and as his aunty is there he will go to their house and then return to Talakad later on. The driver got them lunch at his cost and they were seated inside the cabin. At Bangalore he left them near the railway station. Though the boys aunty’s house was in Malleshwarm Nagaraju could not remember the exact route to their aunty’s house.. Also
They knew the type of reception they would get if they returned to Talakad.. So the brothers decided to take any train that leaves Bangalore and try their luck elsewhere. Nagaraju had some changes in his pocket and they purchased some eatables at the railway station had them and drank water from the station platform tap. They got into a train without knowing as to which direction it was headed. Sleep over came and they slept in the train. Early in the morning a ticket examiner appeared and seeing these two boys asked them in Kannada as to where they are traveling? Nagaraju told him that they are from Talkad and they had come to their aunty’s house at Bangalore and they by mistake had taken wrong train.instead of train to Mysore . He also told him that they lost money at Bangalore,.The ticket examiner took pity on them and gave them some changes and told them to head back in the opposite direction. The brothers got down and instead of taking the train heading for the opposite direction they got into another train heading in the same direction as the first one. This they did because they were afraid to return to Talkad and face the music. After traveling for about 6 hours another ticket examiner came and in a language not known to these boys asked them several questions. As these boys could not answer them properly due to language difficulty he made them get down at the next station. They were forelorn and did not know what to do. Even the younger one who was supposed to be bold started weeping. A good man who had come to the railway station to send off a relative saw the plight of the boys and took pity on them. As these boys could not understand the language used by the gentleman by sign language he asked the boys to follow him. He had a small hotel near the railway station and gave them snacks and tea. He showed a dingy store room where all the provisions and vegetables for use in the hotel were stored . In a corner on the pile of gunny sacks they were asked to take rest. In the evening also he gave them snacks and tea. The boys were really tired and they were thankful to him . The next day morning he woke the boys by 5-00 am and by sign language asked them to clean up the floor of the hotel and tables and clean the vessels. They had no other choice but obey his orders. He also got them some clean clothes . the other workers had their own place to live. Only these two were housed in the store room. As time rolled by these boys learnt the local language and told the hotelier that they lost their parents at an young age and were looked after by a distant relative. When they grew up this relative threw them out and they did not have anyone to take care of them so they ran away. The boys became experts in preparing snacks and tea liked by the Maharastrians of the area .. In fact it was The Maratta area where they had finally landed ..
After several years the small time hotelier grew up so was the wages and privileges of these boys who had grown up and became men. They also started enjoying smoking of beedi. When the hotelier asked them to marry local girls and set up the family of their own they told him that they would like to marry from their own place and they would marry the girl chosen by their parents. At this time they revealed the true story,..The hotelier insisted that they should go and meet their parents and patch up. . These boys did not know as how to trace their parents after nearly 30 years. Also they had forgotten the local language of Mysore that is kannada. So the hotelier with the help of the village school master put the problem before him, The teacher suggested that as the father of the boys were in forest department and as it is a transferable job they can get the information about their father from the forest department officials.
So these boys began preparation for their return to old Mysore area . The hotelier had started depositing small amount in the name of the boys in the post office saving account from the very beginning. This had grown substantially. They withdrew this money and at the suggestion of the hotelier they purchased a good costly saree and blouse piece for their mother and a good pair of Dhothis to their father . They left for Bangalore by the night train. These boys knew only Marathi language and broken hindi language and no other language. After their arrival at Bangalore they had their morning abolutions at the Raiway station and managed to locate the Forest Office. With great difficulty they told the officer in charge about their desire to meet their father who about thirty years back worked at Talkad in the forest department. The officer took pity on them and traced some files and told them that their father has retired long back and as he is a pensioner of the Government they may be able to find out from the then Accountant and Auditor General’s office of the then Government of Mysore. They also gave them a letter which contained certain details of the service of Venkatasubbaih.
This letter they took it to the Accountant General’s office and with their command of broken hindi pleaded with the concerned. At that office they got the information that Venkatasubbaih had not drawn pension for the last 5 years and may be probably not alive. Regarding the last address of residence they asked these boys to go to the Treasury at Mysore where Venkatasubbaih had drawn his last pension. These boys proceeded to Mysore and by the time they were given information it was late in the evening. In the treasury also they were told that their father is no more. They decided to spend the night on the Railway platform for the night and search the address in the morning.. Early in the morning with the help of the address given at the Treasury they proceeded to the suburb where this address was situated “.
The entire portion contained within the inverted commas is a flash back as told told to ammayyakka by Nagaraju.
Ammayyakka as usual got up by around 6-30 am as it was winter an with a small bucket with water and coconut broom stick and white powder for drawing designs in front of the house opened the door . It was a small house with space alround. The daily routine was to sweep in front of the compound gate slightly spray water and draw rangoli over the we t surface. On that day when these brothers came she saw them as two men with Dhothi cross worn (kachche panche) and turban with full arm shirts and mustache standing at the gate and enjoying the puff of a beedi.. She did not know
as what to do. She ran into the house and called her son in law in panick and whose name was Soori aka Surayanarayana who was still sleeping. He woke up with a jolt and Ammayakka told him that some 2 well grown up starngers are standing near the front gate . The son in law saw them through the side opeing of the door and he took a bamboo stick and went towards the strangers with threatening gesture and shouting at the same time as to why they are standing at his gate. This these men could not decipher and with difficulty and with folded hands nagaraju told him in broken hindi that they have come to see Ammayakka and he is nagaraju and the other one is narayana, the son in law knew hindi and was surprised that these two brothers about whom he had only heard and not seen and thought to have drowned in cauvery river at thalakad were alive and kicking.. Only few people knew the aliyas name ammayykka and the son in law was flabbergasted.. he called his mother in law and told her these strangers are none other than her long lost sons and they are alive. Ammayyakka invited the brothers into the hose and they were asked to sit on the bench in the enclosed verandah. They preferred to sit on the floor and asked thei mothe to sit on the bench. On this bench sat soori ammayyakka and the daughter kamala with her son ganesh.. there was much crying and weeping and rejoicing.. strangely the younger brother neither wept nor rejoiced Kamala prepared some snacks and offered it to her brothers. When coffee was given nagaraju asked politely whether they can get tea instead of coffee. And kamala prepared tea and offered it to her brothers.
The paras above which is in the inverted comma was what was told by nagaraju to his mother through the interpreter soori.
The brothers came to know the death of their father and also came to know that a daughter was born to their parents after their leaving thalakad. They also came to know that their parents thought they had probably gone for a swim in the river and drowned..
After retirement venkatasubbaih with his savings had purchased a small house in the suburbs which was still under development , he got his daughter married to a distant relative of his who was working in a private factory at Bangalore. Later on this soori resigned the job at Bangalore and shifted to Mysore where he got another job and staying with his in laws. After sometime venkatasubbaih died and the family consisted of ammayyakka soori, and his wife kamala and child ganesh.
Nagaraju enquired soori whether they can get any job at mysore? For this soori replied that as these brothers were experts in preparing dish liked by maharashtrians there is no scope for them in any Hotels of Mysore. As they are not qualified they may not get any job in any of the offices. The only option for them is to work as unskilled labourers in any construction site.. when nagaraju asked him as to how much he can expect soori told him roughly the wages and also asked him to furnish the address of his so that as soon as he finds the job he will inform the brothers. the real reason behind sooris statement is that if the brothers return they may stake claim on the house which is now in the developed area and that soori could not aspire to get this property.. nagaraju could sense it and told soori that there is no necessity for soori to take the trouble to write letters
And when they feel like seeing their mother they will once again come to Mysore. They also told soori that what they were getting at the hotel is much more than what a skilled labourer gets at Mysore along with free food and as such they are not interested in their coming over to Mysore to work as unskilled labourers.. The brothers handed over the saree and blouse piece to their sister and the dhothi to soori and thrust some rupee notes into the child ganesh’s hand and kept some money at the feet of their mother . at the command of nagaraju both the brothers prostrated to their mother they picked up the bag they had brought and without even a single backward glance they went out of the door and then the compound gate and vanished.
EPILOGUE.
Ammayyakka was related to one Jayalakshmi who was in the second house to the north of our house in chaluvamba agrahar mysore. Jayalkshmi was a close frien of our mothe even though by agewise Jayalakshmi was senior Whenever Ammayyakka used to visit mysore she used to invariably visit Jayalakshmi’s house as a courtesy call. Ammayyakka was of the same age as our mother This way ammayyakka became a close friend of our mother and the above narration is what was told to our mother by Ammayyakka,
This happened long time back and is a true story and not an imaginary one
.
“Once upon a time long ago there was a lowest ranking forest officer by name Venkatasubbaih at Talakad. The top posts were usually held by Kodavas and the top most was dominated by Britishers.
Mr Venakatasubbaih was married to one Sm Lakshamma AKA Ammayyakka. He had two sons one aged about 9 years and another aged about 7 years . Their name was Nagaraju and narayana They were studying in classes 4th and 2nd respectively.
Mr venkatasubbaih was the firm believer in the adage “Spare the rod and spoil the child”
Even for minor faults he used to thrash these boys mercilessly not withstanding the interceding by their mother who also used to be thrashed. whenever she intercedes.
The family was living in the free Government accomadation the forest provided to staff at a place bordering the Forest and the town. The school was situated a bit away from the town and also situated bordering the forest. Many lorries used to ply carrying the forest produce on these roads and the school children used to hitch a ride at the rare of the lorries and get down in town when the Driver and the cleaner of the lorries usually used to stop for tiffin or tea or coffee.
The schools were for half say on Saturdays starting by 8-00 AM and ending by 11-00 am or 11-30. On one particular saturday these brothers saw the lorry which was going very slow in front of their school and got up at the back without the knowledge of the driver or the cleaner. Unfortunately for the boys the lorry did not stop at the town and went upto Maddur. At maddur the cleaner saw these two boys at the back of the lorry with their bag of books and told the driver. The time was around 1-00PM. The driver wanted the boys to get down at Maddur. Nagaraju told the driver as they cannot go back now to Talakad without any money with them he wanted to know as to where the lorry ws headed. The driver told them that he is headed to Bangalore. Nagaraju told him to take them to Bangalore and as his aunty is there he will go to their house and then return to Talakad later on. The driver got them lunch at his cost and they were seated inside the cabin. At Bangalore he left them near the railway station. Though the boys aunty’s house was in Malleshwarm Nagaraju could not remember the exact route to their aunty’s house.. Also
They knew the type of reception they would get if they returned to Talakad.. So the brothers decided to take any train that leaves Bangalore and try their luck elsewhere. Nagaraju had some changes in his pocket and they purchased some eatables at the railway station had them and drank water from the station platform tap. They got into a train without knowing as to which direction it was headed. Sleep over came and they slept in the train. Early in the morning a ticket examiner appeared and seeing these two boys asked them in Kannada as to where they are traveling? Nagaraju told him that they are from Talkad and they had come to their aunty’s house at Bangalore and they by mistake had taken wrong train.instead of train to Mysore . He also told him that they lost money at Bangalore,.The ticket examiner took pity on them and gave them some changes and told them to head back in the opposite direction. The brothers got down and instead of taking the train heading for the opposite direction they got into another train heading in the same direction as the first one. This they did because they were afraid to return to Talkad and face the music. After traveling for about 6 hours another ticket examiner came and in a language not known to these boys asked them several questions. As these boys could not answer them properly due to language difficulty he made them get down at the next station. They were forelorn and did not know what to do. Even the younger one who was supposed to be bold started weeping. A good man who had come to the railway station to send off a relative saw the plight of the boys and took pity on them. As these boys could not understand the language used by the gentleman by sign language he asked the boys to follow him. He had a small hotel near the railway station and gave them snacks and tea. He showed a dingy store room where all the provisions and vegetables for use in the hotel were stored . In a corner on the pile of gunny sacks they were asked to take rest. In the evening also he gave them snacks and tea. The boys were really tired and they were thankful to him . The next day morning he woke the boys by 5-00 am and by sign language asked them to clean up the floor of the hotel and tables and clean the vessels. They had no other choice but obey his orders. He also got them some clean clothes . the other workers had their own place to live. Only these two were housed in the store room. As time rolled by these boys learnt the local language and told the hotelier that they lost their parents at an young age and were looked after by a distant relative. When they grew up this relative threw them out and they did not have anyone to take care of them so they ran away. The boys became experts in preparing snacks and tea liked by the Maharastrians of the area .. In fact it was The Maratta area where they had finally landed ..
After several years the small time hotelier grew up so was the wages and privileges of these boys who had grown up and became men. They also started enjoying smoking of beedi. When the hotelier asked them to marry local girls and set up the family of their own they told him that they would like to marry from their own place and they would marry the girl chosen by their parents. At this time they revealed the true story,..The hotelier insisted that they should go and meet their parents and patch up. . These boys did not know as how to trace their parents after nearly 30 years. Also they had forgotten the local language of Mysore that is kannada. So the hotelier with the help of the village school master put the problem before him, The teacher suggested that as the father of the boys were in forest department and as it is a transferable job they can get the information about their father from the forest department officials.
So these boys began preparation for their return to old Mysore area . The hotelier had started depositing small amount in the name of the boys in the post office saving account from the very beginning. This had grown substantially. They withdrew this money and at the suggestion of the hotelier they purchased a good costly saree and blouse piece for their mother and a good pair of Dhothis to their father . They left for Bangalore by the night train. These boys knew only Marathi language and broken hindi language and no other language. After their arrival at Bangalore they had their morning abolutions at the Raiway station and managed to locate the Forest Office. With great difficulty they told the officer in charge about their desire to meet their father who about thirty years back worked at Talkad in the forest department. The officer took pity on them and traced some files and told them that their father has retired long back and as he is a pensioner of the Government they may be able to find out from the then Accountant and Auditor General’s office of the then Government of Mysore. They also gave them a letter which contained certain details of the service of Venkatasubbaih.
This letter they took it to the Accountant General’s office and with their command of broken hindi pleaded with the concerned. At that office they got the information that Venkatasubbaih had not drawn pension for the last 5 years and may be probably not alive. Regarding the last address of residence they asked these boys to go to the Treasury at Mysore where Venkatasubbaih had drawn his last pension. These boys proceeded to Mysore and by the time they were given information it was late in the evening. In the treasury also they were told that their father is no more. They decided to spend the night on the Railway platform for the night and search the address in the morning.. Early in the morning with the help of the address given at the Treasury they proceeded to the suburb where this address was situated “.
The entire portion contained within the inverted commas is a flash back as told told to ammayyakka by Nagaraju.
Ammayyakka as usual got up by around 6-30 am as it was winter an with a small bucket with water and coconut broom stick and white powder for drawing designs in front of the house opened the door . It was a small house with space alround. The daily routine was to sweep in front of the compound gate slightly spray water and draw rangoli over the we t surface. On that day when these brothers came she saw them as two men with Dhothi cross worn (kachche panche) and turban with full arm shirts and mustache standing at the gate and enjoying the puff of a beedi.. She did not know
as what to do. She ran into the house and called her son in law in panick and whose name was Soori aka Surayanarayana who was still sleeping. He woke up with a jolt and Ammayakka told him that some 2 well grown up starngers are standing near the front gate . The son in law saw them through the side opeing of the door and he took a bamboo stick and went towards the strangers with threatening gesture and shouting at the same time as to why they are standing at his gate. This these men could not decipher and with difficulty and with folded hands nagaraju told him in broken hindi that they have come to see Ammayakka and he is nagaraju and the other one is narayana, the son in law knew hindi and was surprised that these two brothers about whom he had only heard and not seen and thought to have drowned in cauvery river at thalakad were alive and kicking.. Only few people knew the aliyas name ammayykka and the son in law was flabbergasted.. he called his mother in law and told her these strangers are none other than her long lost sons and they are alive. Ammayyakka invited the brothers into the hose and they were asked to sit on the bench in the enclosed verandah. They preferred to sit on the floor and asked thei mothe to sit on the bench. On this bench sat soori ammayyakka and the daughter kamala with her son ganesh.. there was much crying and weeping and rejoicing.. strangely the younger brother neither wept nor rejoiced Kamala prepared some snacks and offered it to her brothers. When coffee was given nagaraju asked politely whether they can get tea instead of coffee. And kamala prepared tea and offered it to her brothers.
The paras above which is in the inverted comma was what was told by nagaraju to his mother through the interpreter soori.
The brothers came to know the death of their father and also came to know that a daughter was born to their parents after their leaving thalakad. They also came to know that their parents thought they had probably gone for a swim in the river and drowned..
After retirement venkatasubbaih with his savings had purchased a small house in the suburbs which was still under development , he got his daughter married to a distant relative of his who was working in a private factory at Bangalore. Later on this soori resigned the job at Bangalore and shifted to Mysore where he got another job and staying with his in laws. After sometime venkatasubbaih died and the family consisted of ammayyakka soori, and his wife kamala and child ganesh.
Nagaraju enquired soori whether they can get any job at mysore? For this soori replied that as these brothers were experts in preparing dish liked by maharashtrians there is no scope for them in any Hotels of Mysore. As they are not qualified they may not get any job in any of the offices. The only option for them is to work as unskilled labourers in any construction site.. when nagaraju asked him as to how much he can expect soori told him roughly the wages and also asked him to furnish the address of his so that as soon as he finds the job he will inform the brothers. the real reason behind sooris statement is that if the brothers return they may stake claim on the house which is now in the developed area and that soori could not aspire to get this property.. nagaraju could sense it and told soori that there is no necessity for soori to take the trouble to write letters
And when they feel like seeing their mother they will once again come to Mysore. They also told soori that what they were getting at the hotel is much more than what a skilled labourer gets at Mysore along with free food and as such they are not interested in their coming over to Mysore to work as unskilled labourers.. The brothers handed over the saree and blouse piece to their sister and the dhothi to soori and thrust some rupee notes into the child ganesh’s hand and kept some money at the feet of their mother . at the command of nagaraju both the brothers prostrated to their mother they picked up the bag they had brought and without even a single backward glance they went out of the door and then the compound gate and vanished.
EPILOGUE.
Ammayyakka was related to one Jayalakshmi who was in the second house to the north of our house in chaluvamba agrahar mysore. Jayalkshmi was a close frien of our mothe even though by agewise Jayalakshmi was senior Whenever Ammayyakka used to visit mysore she used to invariably visit Jayalakshmi’s house as a courtesy call. Ammayyakka was of the same age as our mother This way ammayyakka became a close friend of our mother and the above narration is what was told to our mother by Ammayyakka,
posted by N.S.Char at 4:19 AM
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