September 4, 1979 (ചിങ്ങം ൧൯, ൧൧൫൫)
6 AM to 9 AM
Kuttan was half asleep when he heard the debate between Amma and Akka on whether they should wake him up. It was Thiruvonam day! Had it been any other day, he would have pretended to be asleep. But today is different. He has been waiting for this day since last year! To the amazement of his mother and sister, he came alive immediately and rushed through the morning routines.
He joined Akka, who was sorting the flowers for the pookkalam. After a little argument over the pattern for the pookkalam to use, they settled for a bright yellow sunflower on a twig with two green leaves. He wanted it bigger. But there was no sufficient amount of flowers available. And they did not know how to fulfill the requirement of using 10 different colors on Onam day on a Sunflower design. Kuttan found a solution. He suggested to fill the gap around the petals with different colors. Brilliant! For the next one hour, they were busy making the pookalam. When they finished, on their front yard lay a full bloomed beautiful Sunflower smiling at the sky. Satisfied with the creation they went for breakfast.
Amma had prepared Idli and Sambar for breakfast. While eating, Kuttan was lost in thoughts about the exciting day ahead, although he had planned the activities many days in advance with his friends. Somehow, he gulped down the breakfast and rushed to the nearby coconut farm where his friends were waiting.
9 AM to 12 Noon
"You are late!", said Ravi.
Ignoring him Kuttan asked, "Where is Shaji and Ramesan?"
"They will not be coming. They are undergoing punishment!"
Purushan, father of Shaji and Ramesan, was infamous for punishing them for silly reasons. No one dared to question him. Everybody was afraid of him.
Ravi continued, "It is the Arakallin pilla and Ulakka again.."
Kuttan visualised the dreadful scene, in which Shaji holding a heavy Arakallin pilla (a heavy grinding stone) and Ramesan an Ulakka (a long piece of wood with metal covering at the ends, used for milling grain) above their head, exposed to the rays of the sun. They would have to remain thus, maybe for hours, until Purushan gave them the respite. Often that respite did not come before one of them fell down due to fatigue.
Kuttan did not ask for the reason for the punishment. It was nothing new. He cursed Purushan under his breath. He felt a bit disappointed that two of his team members were already out.
Jayan asked, "Who will play Maveli, if Shaji is not coming?".
Last year, it was Shaji who played the role of Maveli and he played it well.
"Let Kuttan play Maveli, this time", suggested Madhu, "He is the tallest among us after Shaji"
Kuttan felt inwardly happy at the suggestion as he had always wanted to be Maveli, but so far the odds were against him.
Having reached a consensus on the candidature of Maveli, the children advanced to Maakaachi Veli, a vast open
deserted ground along the paddy fields of farmer Krishnan Nair. There grew in abundance, the herb Punjapullu, the only but indispensable component of Maveli's costume. The children pulled out the plants from the loose earth and made tiny clusters of them by tying with Vazhakachi (strands of banana leaf stem). Kuttan ensured that they had not mixed choriyanam with the bundles accidentally. Once in the past, the Choriyanam, a herb that causes horrible itching rashes, had played spoilsport and the Maveli had to jump in a pond to cool off.The children tied the small bundles of punjapullu on Kuttan's legs, hands and all over the body. They attached only a thin layer of the grass on his face so that his vision and breathing were not blocked. Thus the Maveli was ready! It resembled a huge green bear.
Kuttan shook himself up to loosen the costume enough to walk freely. The Maveli had to dance at every home's front yard! The group of children now announced the coming of Maveli with an outcry. The lead trumpeter shouted "Maveli Vanne.." and the others supported him with "aye .. aye.."
Maveli vanne.. aye.. aye..
Andilorikke.. aye.. aye..
Thiruvonamunnan.. aye.. aye..
(Here comes the Maveli who visits us once in a year to share Onam lunch with us.)
The procession moved to the first house in the vicinity. It was Krishnan Nair's house. By the time they reached the house, the trumpeting had invited more children in the locality to the procession. Now it was a sizable crowd. The procession stopped at the front yard of the house. The family members of Krishnan Nair appeared. The children repeated..
Maveli vanne.. aye.. aye..
Andilorikke.. aye.. aye..
Thiruvonamunnan.. aye.. aye..
Vallathum thanne .. aye.. aye
The last line was a request to the house owner to give something as a gift. Every year, that particular line flared up a heated discussion whether it was appropriate for Maveli to beg.
Next, the children sang the Maveli song.
"Maveli nadu vaneedum kaalam.. thaka.. thei..
Manusharellarumonnu pole.. thaka.. thei..
Amodathode vasikkum kaalam.. thaka.. thei..
Apathannarkkumottilla thanum.. thaka.. thei..
Kallavumilla chathivumilla.. thaka.. thei..
Ellolamilla polivachanam thaka.. thei..
Kallapparayum cherunazhiyum thaka.. thei..
Kallatharangal mattonnumilla thaka.. thei.."
Maveli (Kuttan) danced to the tune of the song. His first ever performance as Maveli! Everybody liked it.
Madhu said, "You dance better than Shaji". "Yes", others echoed the same sentiment.
Krishnan Nair gifted them upperi (pieces of banana fried with saccharine and ginger paste) and 10 paise. Not bad for a start! They proceeded to the next house with the trumpeting song, Maveli vanne.. aye.. aye..
By noon, they had covered almost all houses in the locality. The collection was not bad! Three rupees eighty paise. As Maveli, Kuttan was entitled to a major share. He received 50 paise. The balance was equally divided among the rest of them.
Now, it was time for lunch. With promises to meet up again in the afternoon for a swim at the nearby Vembanadu lake, the children went home for Onam Lunch.
(to be continued in part 2 ..)
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