A PANACEA FOR ACHES AND PAINS

One day ‘Appachan’, Jacob and I went past Kochupoovan’s house on a hunting spree. A lot of water birds used to come to that area and my father found immense pleasure in shooting them down and taking them home for a good meal. I saw Kochupoovan’s head popping out from a trench in his courtyard. ‘Appachan’ had a chat with him for a few minutes. He told ‘Appachan’ that the police men of Thevara station arrested him in a false complaint and manhandled him severely. He added, “When the house officer, a novice, drove his knee into his groin; he slumped to the floor; his head hit on the side wall and he slipped into unconsciousness.” While chatting, he sneezed and spat a gob of bloody phlegm into a pit nearby. His wife looked at him and tenderly stroked his shoulder, and said, “Therefore, he was being given a ‘Kuzhikachal’.” This is a very old practice of getting relief for severe aches and pains. Hence he resorted to this mode of warming himself in a trench to heal his body of aches and pains. There were two trenches. In one of them there was a big earthen pot filled with Ayurvedic medicinal herbs and lots of water being boiled with firewood and that was connected to the adjacent trench through a pipe. Somebody would massage him with ‘Karpurathi’, ‘Sahajarathi-Thailam’ and Pottanchukkathi-Thilam’, an Ayurvedic oil preparation. He would then lie down in the adjacent trench where banana leaves were spread and he was then covered with lots of banana leaves. Such warming was a panacea for the damage caused to his body. He would be given tender coconuts and other liquid food only. After a week he would be given a soup made of black cats. This would help him revitalize once again.

Kochupoovan was a notorious thief in the locality. He was so daring that he used to meet the owner of the house and demand money. If he failed he could expect him that night. He was a dark skinned dwarf with a streak of moustache, whenever I met he would squint and grin at me and would enquire “Appachanundo?”, (whether ‘Appachan’ is at home?) I smiled at him.

When he was in a good and relaxed mood, I asked him about his modus operandi. With a smile on his face, he narrated a few of his deft ways. One such instance was that of a lady, who used to wear a very heavy gold chain. He made several attempts to get it; he found that he was obsessed by that very chain which he so badly wanted to own. This made him pursue his target and achieve it at the earliest. When he stole fowls, he would pile them into a sack, which he always carried with him so that they don’t cluck. Similarly, he would place a wet sack on the head of cattle before untying it and leading her away. He did it so that she did not moo in protest. He could then take her wherever he wanted to as if he were her master. He even told me that his attire was normally an undergarment alone on a very well oil massaged body. This would enable him to easily slip off even if anybody tries to catch him. In times of extreme trouble he preferred to dive into the ‘Kayal’ to escape. He claimed himself to be a great swimmer. 

Liars, robbers and murderers are all dishonest.  Be it among the rich and poor, oppressed and oppressors, they all are a dishonest lot. I have heard people say that Kochupoovan was so compassionate with the down trodden and he shared his booty with poor people. The crooks, thieves, liars and frauds in the society would give liberally to the poor in order to camouflage their crimes against the State. Is it a reason to justify the crime committed? 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

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