TO HOME IN PARASURAM EXPRESS

I went home thrice a year. For Onam, Christmas and Vishu(Summer Vacation). Most exciting part was the previous day of the journey. That day we had the respective celebrations at school. Onapookalam (Floral design) competition and the Xmas Tambola were my favorites. There used to be special feast as well.

                     Onapookalam at Std-12

That night roll calls were special too. House master (warden) used to read out the destination of each student for confirmation while giving pocket money for the journey. The amount was in co-relation with distance to travel and seniority. Those days we felt like school gives it from their funds, by the way they used to ask many questions. After collecting the money we had to sign the list. It felt like collecting my salary.

                      Group song - Xmas eve 

Those nights were just normal for a junior student. When you are a senior in the school, those days began to be so special. We used to have floodlight socks ball cricket tournaments in our dormitory. Some guys would be playing cards the whole night. When in Junior classes it used to be WWF (now WWE) trump cards. We never slept those days. Then bath at around 4:00am and I guess by 5am we would have our breakfast (mostly bread and butter-jam on those days) and also collected our parceled lunch. It was Poori and dry Potato subzi stuffed in. I still have that wonderful taste at the tip of my tongue.

     Previous nights used to be like this at times

We then go to Thiruvananthapuram railway station in our school bus. Mostly used to be in time for Parasuram Express (around 6 am I guess). In some rare occasions we were slightly late and had to rush inside. Those times we would have to spread out to many compartments. Mostly we used to be inside even before the lights and fans were on. Teacher (guide) always asked us to occupy 2-3 adjacent compartments for his convenience. But as you become seniors in the school you simply want to go as away from the Teacher as possible. Sitting at the doorsteps, going to the pantry and buying stuffs, getting down at most of the stations unnecessarily were all considered heroics those days. Still cant figure out why we did so. It was more to do with watching and envying our seniors do those things I guess.

Now when I think back, It was a huge experience in my life. Those trips were so influential in me as I was travelling through the entire length of Kerala. A full day spent with people from all kinds of background from all over Kerala. I always felt moving in a long hall filled with such verity of people across Kerala. Mostly train was full from Kollam and sometimes even before. Many of us used to let others sit and use that as an opportunity to move around. There used to be noticeable changes even in behavior of the crowed as we moved through different regions. The way they ask us for the seat and so on. In some regions they used to be so polite where as some others could fight for seats. Some elderly persons used to ask us for a place and then later push all we kids slowly out and later get his people to occupy the entire coupe.

One incident vivid in my mind is giving some money to a begging kid of almost my age with a baby in his hand. I could listen to an elderly lady telling her family members '' look how nice of that boy, he never gave any money to any beggar. But when he saw a kid of his age he helped him'. I obviously felt very happy and proud of myself. Those days children begging were not so common. However the most common beggars were the ''Pardeshi Pardeshi'' singers from northern part of India and those compartment cleaners and shoe polishing guys from the neighboring state. Then there always used to be those merchants selling towels, purse, books, lottery, duplicate sunglasses and off course the Chaiwale and others selling food items.

Seeing our friends off from their respective stations used to be another lovely thing to do. I still remember the stations of many friends. Changanassery was a station were many of my batch mates got down. Then Kottayam, Ernakulam etc too had many friends getting off. Few of us were even nicknamed after those stations, like Gokuldas from Patambi, Lipeesh P from Parapanangadi. I remember those days when I travel across Kerala in Train even today and try to recall who all used to get down at each station. The happy and excited faces of parents and siblings who come to receive us can never fade in our memories. I also so some worried faces till they find their kids. Shoranur used to be the station where the train halted for more time. As seniors we even were comfortable if our parents never came to pick us up. We always felt we were grown up enough to take on the world. Now when I see school going kids, I understand how stupid we were to think so. Or is it that this generation kids are not as matured?

 Shoranur was important as it was the longest halt

In junior classes the excitement actually increased once I crossed Kozhikode, eagerly waiting to get home. Thinking of sharing with my brother all that happened in past 3 months in a night time, we never slept those nights. When the train crosses Mahe we used to get ready to get down. We had tickets booked in group. Myself, Nikhil, Ashish, Sruthiijith and some juniors are some I can remember getting down at Thalassery. Challenge was to get hold of the person who has the ticket and go with him, so that checker do not hold us back at the exit. I remember getting in this trouble once in 6th.

On that particular day when I gave money to the begging child, I was so excited and proudly told my father what happened. Unexpectedly he was not at all excited. In fact he looked little bothered. But with a smile he told '' You have in fact did a big mistake by giving him money. If you really had feelings for them you could have given or shared what ever food you had. They are all been sent to beg by some elderly people to whom they have to give the whole amount. Finally what the kid gets is more and more sufferings.'' Even today when ever I hear news of child trafficking I think of those words from my father. I never gave any money to any more beggar, but I remember giving the parceled lunch from our school mess to some children who came begging for money.

When you really want to see the smile on their face, give them food. 

No money please

IN TRAIN AS A KID

Thought of sharing all those experiences I have had traveling in Trains. Not sure about how much I can dig into my memory, but let me give it a try.

1: The First Journey

Hailing from a district (Wayanad) where there was no rail, as a kid it was always a wonder seeing the train. Really cant  remember when was the first time I saw a train, thanks to the family rooting in Thalassery (Kannur). When ever we went to parent's place for holidays it was usual for us to get caught in level crosses. I was always excited about that and also remember dad keeping me interested and making sure to show me the train pass through. Thinking back I realize that those generation had a relaxed approach to life, in a sense they lived each moment. Its hard for our generation to get stuck in a level cross and feel cool about it. :)

Think I should mention an incident here. This Christmas when me and my schoolmate visited another school friend in Oxford we got caught in a level cross. That was my first experience of a level cross in UK. Don't know why was I so excited at getting stuck there. Guess it was all those wonderful moments, sitting on dad's lap waiting for the train to arrive at various level crosses in an around Thalassery. When I shared the excitement with my friend who was driving, I felt that he was not so excited about having to wait. Or was he more interested and excited about the Christmas Lunch?

As far as I can remember the first train journey was from Thalassery to Kollam. But I know that it was not the first time. I have heard mom telling the experience of having to travel in train to visit some relatives.  It was the summer holidays after Std 2. That trip was to visit our family friend who were also our neighbors. Those days the relationships between the neighbors were so strong. I (not only me, all kids) used to call him ''PAPPA''. He was a high school teacher from Kollam working in Wayanad.

I actually don't remember much details of the travel as it was a night journey. It must be Malabar express or Kannur express. But what I remember clearly are traveling in the boat, going to riverside and watching elders fishing and whole lot of  first time experiences of staying in an island (In and around Chavara). We also used to have bath in river. Another thing I can remember is the nice seafood we had prepared by Ammama.

It was the next summer vacation and we were in native. First week of May parents have been to Wayanad. Primarily for collecting their April salary and also to attend a wedding I guess. Those days are normally the happiest days in the entire vacation, as it was very difficult for our grandma to control us. I am not sure if I was worried or happy when my parents did not return on the day they told they would. Next day morning, at the sight of an Auto I ran towards it. I saw mom weeping and then dad hug me and told that ''PAPPA is gone!''. In my memory that was the first and very rare occasion I saw my dad cry. Pappa was his best friend, who died of  heart attack laying on his laps on the way to hospital. I doubt if he had made such a close friend ever in his life again.

So the next train journey again was to Kollam. Unfortunately that was a very sad trip, unlike the previous one.

2: Journey to School

This was in many ways the most important journey of my life. When I think back its unbelievable that as a 10 year old kid I was so excited to join Sainik School. It was mainly due to the wonderful experience I had staying away from home in Std 5. It was a sort of Gurukul system of education that year. We were eight boys and a girl student, staying and learning with a Guru. All boys were targeting Sainik School and she was targeting Navodaya School. It was a long list of things to purchase for joining the school. I remember my dad going around with the checklist. Now I realize it must not have been affordable for him and he must have borrowed money from friends and relatives for the same.

We were all set to go. All things were packed in a trunk box, which also was part of the check list. The only thing which was not fit in the huge trunk box was the hokey stick. Those days my uncle was a auto driver and so we set off to the railway station in his auto. I remember sitting on top of that trunk box to manage space. That was the first sleeper class travel I can remember. In the train we met another friend and his dad for the same destination. It was so easy to make out, thanks to the black trunk box. He is still my friend and he is Jayadeep Jacob (Roll No:3288 from Payyannur). We had three berths reserved. In the lower birth was mom and my little brother, me in the middle birth and dad on the top birth. I was afraid of losing my hockey stick and hence slept holding it.

Reached Thiruvananthapuram next day morning. On the way we had seen Kazhakootam railway station, but the train did not stop there. So we checked in to a lodge and then had breakfast at Indian coffee house. It was a unique building like a red light house, which is why I still can remember where I had breakfast 20 years ago. Then we hired a taxi to go to the school.

At Vetturoad junction the car took a right turn from NH47 where I saw the first sign board for Sainik school. Then I remember seeing the gate on which it was written Sainik School Kazhakootam. It was a narrow road those days on one side there were quarters and other side was full of Cashew trees. Car took us to the main academic block. We were then directed to the auditorium from where I was enrolled as a CADET of sainik school kazhkootm and was numbered 3289. From that moment till date it has been one special number for me. Even today I search for that number when ever I see a vehicle number plate. From there we were informed about our house allocation, I and Jayadeep were allocated to Veluthampi house. I was the only one among the seven friends from the Gurukul system to be allocated in Veluthampi house. Others had at least one more existing friend in the same house. Nalini Miss was the Matron and Francis Sir was our house master. They checked all the items in the check list and then admitted me in. There were some more things to be purchased from the school canteen like bed, mosquito net, bucket etc.

Other things in the huge campus (350 plus acres those days) which kept me excited in the first day was two Airplanes (one yellow one blue), so many football, basket ball and plenty of other play fields which filled the campus.

By evening all the excitement had died of and the pain started sinking in. It was time to say goodbye to my parents and brother. I was almost crying and then my dad as usual tried to cheer me up.It was really heart breaking for a 10 year old to stay more than 450 km away from home. But guess I managed better than many of my friends who were crying loud and making big scene. Some were even running behind the cars. However I could not sleep that night.

More to come...