Dear Friends, The beautiful sharings by Bincy and Tina really touched my heart. It brought back fond nostalgic memories of my wonderful grandparents who are no more.
I was specially attached to my dads father. Papachy was such a loving and noble soul. He lost Ammachy in 1987. Both he and Ammachy were great devotees of Mother Mary. He used to pray for each of his children and grandchildren. Both pappachy and ammachy were born on August 11th. The last words he uttered before passing on in 1996 were, children pray the rosary Even at his age, he would remember all his childrens and grandchildrens birthdays. He especially liked all of us grandchildren. Many a time he used to sing for us old Malayalam devotional songs. He would lull us all to sleep with, nyan urrangan pogum munmbai. His favorite song used to be, motshathin Rajave, Logathi karthave every night after the family prayer he would sing it. Pappachy was very loving to my mother. Mummy wept like a child when she knew he was no more. All who knew him loved him especially for his sense of righteousness. More than anything else, I feel the legacy that he and ammachy have bequeathed to his posterity is the gift of faith. Thankyou Jesus. I had a special affinity for him because of a certain happening where he literally saved my skin. I will never forget him. Pappachy, if you are reading this youre your heavenly abode, remember to pray for all of us ok!. Many years ago, when I was maybe 12 or 13, we were in our tharwad, (ancestral home), Uncles, aunties, cousins, the whole nellanikat clan was there. One day as is classic of me, I got into some kind of mess. Haa! I remember what it was, my dad had given us clear instructions not to by choondas (fishing hooks) coz they could be dangerous. I disobeyed and bought myself one, and went fishing one day. I wasnt very good at it, there was one chettan having a bath in the near by stream where I was fishing. After dropping the line, it seemed something had tugged at the line. I gave one pull to the hook, it came and landed on that chettans back! he was furious! Luckily it didnt spike him, but he threatened me by picking up a stone and hurled adjectives that made no difference to me coz I didnt understand a word of them! Nevertheless, I was scared out of my wits. I dropped my hook, picked my slippers in my hand and ran for my life. Once back home, I knew this guy will come and spill the beans to my dad. The wonderful thing about me then was, when I knew a spanking was due my way I would vanish from the scene, and go into hiding (something like what binladen is doing these days). That day, my latest hideout was the firewood heap. I made a hole in it for myself and remained there. As I had clairvoyantly perceived, the report reached the ears of my dad. He was furious!. where is that fellow? he barked! No one knew. OPERATION-JOSUN HUNT was called on. My siblings, cousins and daddin were all part of the search team trying to smoke me out of my hole! They looked in all the places I previously hidden. Even those days I had the wisdom to know that you should never hide in the same place twice. I therefore had ever-ingenious ways of finding new hideouts. That day the whole clan was after my blood! Poking with sticks under the bed, checking the attic, behind doors, somebody went as far as checking near the cow dung pit, etc Pandoras box was opened. With all the noise and pandemonium around, I was happily in my bunker. Suddenly, there was an unusual silence and whispering. I knew was amiss. I sensed someone had spotted me. My sixth sense told me to scoot off!. True enough these smart alecks found my hide out and were zeroing in on me. But before their plans could materialize I jumped out of my hiding and sprinted off. They all saw me, and as though they were hunting a wild boar or something, screamed in unision, there he is!. The chase was on. My cousins, siblings with daddin in the lead. I was desparate, daddin is a very good sprinter. If I keep running, in no time Id be caught. I did some quick thinking, I saw a very huge tree infront of me. I jumped for one of its branches and like our primate brethren, I scrambled up. Daddin and the rest of the team were below the tree. I made my ultimatum, If u guys dont leave me in peace I swear Ill jump! Daddin was not to take threats. He dared me to jump, and with that he started climbing after me. He knew, I was a coward and would never jump for the life in me. I did the only rational thing possible in such a predicament. I scaled greater heights, my dad too was nearing in. I was desperate. To my great fortune, pappachy was coming home that time after a walk in the town. He called out to us all and enquired what enlightenment were all the nellanikaddans seeking, standing under that tree. One of my cousins enlighted him about the whole episode. Pappachy told daddin to climb down. Daddin amiably obeyed. And in a very kind voice told me, Josunmone, come down well go for a walk I demanded first daddin promise hes not going to thrash my backside!. Pappachy negotiated and ensured that. Then I told him to send away my cousins and siblings. Pappachy shooed them away asking, ningellokke verre panni onnoum ille? (have you all got no better work in life to do or what?) Once they had all left, I carefully descended from my lofty position. Pappachy held my hand and took me for a walk to one of the nearby tea shops. He told me to have whatever I wanted. I got a soda, and vazhakya boli (banana fritters). After he had satiated my appeitite, he started driving home a point very firmly but with a lot of love. In short what he told me was this, Dont be so stupid in future ok! Be an obedient child and use ure brains well! I promised Ill never repeat it. He bought a few narangya muttais (lemon candies) telling me to share them with my cousins and sibs, and we walked back home. At home, since I had pappachys backing. The scenario changed. I became a favorite to my cousins and sibs, my aunties went out of the way to serve me my lunch and call me naughty boy! I came near my dad, and smiled one of my mischievious smiles. I could see he was still seething with anger, had it not been for pappachy that day, a disastrous rendezvous with the cane or belt would have been mine. Pappachy sat on his rocking chair, with daddin sitting nearby, legs folded, reading a news paper. And when tempers were cooled and things were back to normal, he cajoled my dad to bury the hatchet. He told my dad, anyway hes ure son only isnt it? Like father like son! He narrated an incident that happened when Jose Nellanikat was younger (that time he wasnt my father!). The memory of it made my dad chuckle and laugh at his own past. Daddin must have realized that JJ is not just a chip of the old block, but very much the old block itself! I dont know if itll bring a chuckle on ure faces, but each time it comes to mind, I cant help but laughing. Heres what happened. As a child, Jose Nellanikat was mischievious at times, once in a while he used to land himself in trouble. During those days the rule of the home was, where ever you were, you ought to be home by 7:30 pm. After that the doors of the Nellanikat household would be closed and family prayer would begin. And anyone who was locked out had no way of entering till the prayer was over. Then also, a tax for late coming (spanking) would be levied. One day my dad had gone to play football and somehow lost track of time. Family prayer was over, dinner was over and still no trace of Jose. Pappachy and Ammachy got a bit worried, they both started praying rosaries and seeking the intercession of St. Joseph, St. George, all the guardian angels etc that Jose would be safe. At about 10 pm Jose comes merrily whistling away and knocked on the door. Pappachy was infuriated! No other kid dared to flout the rule of the home till that day. The audacity with which my dad said, ammachy kadogha thurraku (mom open the door) really annoyed pappachy all the more. He said, you can sleep on the verandah tonight. Next time learn to come home early Pappachy wouldnt budge and Jose could be a nut too at times. He threatened to jump in the well if the door was not opened. That was not convincing enough for pappachy. Seeing that the deadlock would continue if things remained like this, Jose said loud enough for all to hear, Im going to teach you all a lesson with that he went off, took a towel that was hanging on the line nearby, picked up a boulder wrapped the towel around it and threw it into the well. There was a loud splash and suddenly you could hear the main door opening and the whole family running towards the well with lamps and torches. Ammachy kept reproaching Pappachy for being so harsh and strict. Pappachy too was a bit shaken, his intentions and motives were not to keep Jose outdoors, but to educate him the value of not loafing around late night. He didnt expect this kind of an anti climax to the episode. He flashed his torch in the well, and Lo! There was Joses towel floating!. He called Joses younger brother Antu to go and call his uncle who lived nearby. As Antu was running in the direction of his uncles house. He heard a familiar voice barking at him from beneath the pine-apple plantation, where the hell are you going, dog? (sounds more appropriate in malayalam). Antu, realizing that Jose had pulled one over them all, broadcasted in a loud voice, Pappachy, Jose is here only, nothing has happened to him, he was fooling us! Jose was in real soup. Pappachy caught him, dragged him home, took his favorite mulberry stick and gave Jose some good licks. Daddin learnt one of the greatest lessons of his life. Never again did he repeat it! All of us started laughing away while pappachy was narrating this to us. I shared my narangya muttais (lemon candy) and pappachy warned me. if ever you try these kind of stunts again, the mulberry tree was still there in the courtyard. I really miss my grandparents. I know they are with Jesus, praying for their mischievous grandchild. Jesus bless them. Let us make a small sacrifice this lent and pray for the souls in purgatory, especially those with none to pray for. God bless you all, Josun Jose/New Delhi/India ----------------------------------------- Meet the Reluctant Saint, Palm Sunday, April 13, 7pm ET/PT, on Hallmark Channel. http://www.reluctantsaint.tv During the Lenten Season, please help support the mission of Catholic Online by purchasing goods and services from our sponsors at http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===============================================================================
