OUR MOONLIT NIGHT OUTINGS

I reminiscence ‘Ammachi’ taking us, children, out into the courtyard on full moon days, to dart with her. The leaves of the huge mango trees would be shimmering in the moonlight. Jacob and I used to run from one point to another and the one who reached the finishing point first would get a crescent shaped lemon or an orange candy. Pengal, my elder sister too joined us on these nights.  I found it really interesting to play on moonlit nights with the stars twinkling up in the sky.  I felt as if I was running and playing with the moon. Each time I ran I thought that the moon too ran with me in the same direction. I was rather confused to spot the same moon at Muttuchira, my ‘Ammachi’s parental house, which is almost fifty kilometers away from my native place, Kumbalam. I thought that the moon was only gazed at Kumbalam. May be I was very possessive about it as it was so amazing and so friendly, that it made me happy to look at it at night. ‘Ammachi’ told us, “The ebb and flow of the water in the Vembanad ‘Kayal’ is due to the influence of the moon.” She further said, “The flow of blood from a cut wound would be more in the presence of moon in the sky.” I vividly remember ‘Appachan’ asking Thommachan Kelanthara and Ayyappan Manathara to cut the bamboo trees on the ‘Amavasya’, New Moon Day only otherwise pests would attack the cut bamboos and spoil it. No doubt, moon, other planets and stars have a great influence on the flora and fauna of the earth.

I recall ‘Appachan’ and ‘Ammachi’ taking us to the bank of Vembanad ‘Kayal’ during moonlit nights. As I fixed my eyes on the landscape with fascination, I could gaze at the crescent moon and the stars that glistened in the backwater. The sudden breath of cold air raised tiny goosebumps on my skin. I enjoyed the crashing waves and the sea-gulls, with their cries, hovering about beneath the varied spectacular hues on those irregularly shaped and wandering bits of cloud, and listening to the sound of helicopter-gunships that hovered over the backwaters on their routine patrolling in the region. The nighttime breeze was rustling the shawl loosely thrown over ‘Ammachi’s shoulders. The light wind tried gently to sweep her curly hair on to me while I wrapped my hands around her. My hair too was ruffled. The dazzling lights across the island, the urban areas of Ernakulam, Venduruthy Bridge, Willington Island, Thoppumpady and the Edakochi-Aroor Bridge were all a feast for our eyes. On full moon days the shores and the ‘Kayal’ looked breathtakingly beautiful.

We could smell the humid air from the backwaters. Our face and hands felt sultry and with the taste of salt in our mouth we went back to the Mana.

I observe the same passion in my children, Kiran Rose and Karan Jose, whenever we take them out in the courtyard to dart and dot in the moonlight. While scurrying, the children prefer munching the “Cocao Brown Chocolate Crackies”, to lemon or orange candies. These chocolates are manufactured by Cochin Coco Products, Kakkanad. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com