VISITS TO THE SUBHASH PARK

At the entrance of the Subhash Park we were welcomed by the colourful balloons and ‘Kattadi’ and toy whistle vendors. With a three ‘Kasu’ coin we could buy three items from the vendors. It was interesting to note the three ‘Kasu’ coin as it had a hole in the middle. Six ‘Kasu’ made an Anna; sixteen Annas made a   ‘Panam’ which was equivalent to one Rupee later on but the real value was much higher. The ice cream and peanut vendors too were in great demand as most children thronged around them after all the running around in the park. The lollipops, pop-corn and cotton candy appeared much later. A large extent of the park was jutting out into the backwaters facing the Cochin estuary. The park had so much of greenery in it. Half portion of a broad passage is flanked by ‘Arani’ trees with drooping branches; the other half is lined by the Dibi-dibi shade trees very carefully trimmed round. The Palm trees and the ‘Tuja’ plants trimmed into varied shapes border the parallel pathway. We spend much of our time scurrying around, hopping and running on the lawn, which was neatly mowed dotted with circular clusters of flowers, bordered by razor–straight hedges. Flowering plants in full bloom were seen everywhere.  Different coloured Rose plants in full bloom, varieties of ‘Chembarathi’ (Hibiscus rosanisis), Cana flowers in five distinct colours, and an assortment of Croton including Gold Star, were what added so much of colour to the park. Another attraction was the swing and the see-saw. At times, we used to rest our tired legs as we squat near an old, abandoned British gun that collected dust. As the dusk tried to invade the landscape we tried to locate our parents.  From a distance, we could see a line of people sitting on the dwarf wall abutting the Vembanad ‘Kayal’ backwater; and they looked like tortoises sitting on a wooden log floating on water. We traced and joined our parents. The cool breeze from the Arabian Sea through the Cochin estuary was a great relief. The varied hues of orange, orange-red, red, and black were so beautiful. The varied hues brightened the gloomy and dull clouded skies. These spectacular and colorful scenes often come back to me. The joy I experienced during these rare moments had left an indelible imprint on my mind. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com