Page 16 - Memoirs of Sarasworthy Somasundaram

Family Laughs
Aiyah – (Leaving on his normal round of evening visits.) “Be good boys, don’t get up to any
mischief”

Amma: (a little later)

“Lakshman, where are you? Come son get these mature coconuts off this tree, If we leave
them any longer, they will go dry.”

Amma and Lakshman walked up to the tree. Amma was standing under it and Lakshman
climbed up. Amma called out instructions and he plucked Coconuts and dropped them
down. We were all in our front yard watching.

Suddenly the front gate opened and in walked Aiyah. This was unexpected. His evening
rounds were generally long. Miraculously, Amma had vanished into the house! Lakshman
was perched up in the Coconut tree, he was safe as he was a good climber. Amara-giri has
many trees and climbing them was one of our favourite past times. But of course a coconut
tree requires more skill.

We, as usual, gave the game away. We probably giggled. Aiyah’s eyes went straight to the
Coconut tree; of course there were coconuts at the foot of the tree. Aiyah walked up to the
tree and with trepidation gave directions to Lakshman on how to climb down.

Raman and Lakshman
Raman had just started going to Primary School. Our family was living in the Mission house.
(the principal’s bungalow) attached to the Teacher Training College, Chacakachchere. The
Primary School annexed to the Training College, was just across a large stretch of playing
field from our back veranda.

Laskshman was playing on the back verandah, the Primary School was having their
morning break and the children were all out playing. Lakshman stood up and watched
them. Suddenly he saw a boy attack his brother Raman. He jumped off the veranda,
dashed across the intervening ground, and as he reached them, bend down and picked up a
handful of gritty sand in his two small hands, and threw it at the boys’ eyes!! The boy stood
back stunned. Gritty sand can hurt the eyes terribly, he ran screaming into the building.
Some Teachers ran out and summed up the situation, they marched Raman and Lakshman
to our father’s office.

[A principal’s son is exempted from the spanking he deserves, fair? Well, that was
Chavakachcheri!]

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