‘Valliachachan’ was very interested in
rearing goats. It was amazing to gaze at them climbing the rocks. They could
run really fast on the rocky hills. They bleated through their gaping mouth. Their
shed smelt pungently of urine. I was fond of goats although they have an
unpleasant odour. Valliachachan told me, “It is the secretion from the glands below
its eyes and other parts which made the goats have that distinct odour.” It is
this odour that makes the goats flock together. Some people use goat milk to
make tea but not all people relish it. It was interesting to watch them fight
with each other with their horns to gain supremacy. ‘Valliachachan’ warned us that the bull goats with horns and a
beard could gore me in the chest if I went too close to it. Jacob and I used to
run around and play with the little goats; they too were very fast for us. Be
it on the hilly terrain or on the rocks it was difficult to keep pace with them
or even catch them.
The
mutton for a biriyani made by our cooks Kochanna and helper Mary was obtained
from a three year old male goat which was killed for this purpose.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@google.com
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
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