[Fiction] Plantains

In the center of sprawling one hectare landscaped surroundings, a double-storied mansion. A crumpled, folded dream of a cramped city flat.

It was only last week that I shifted here. Partition had placed this bounty in my husband’s kitty. The difficult task was ahead of us. We had got the whole exterior re-done and being as stingy as one can be, my husband had personally supervised the works. Time and money constraints made us vacate our flat in the city and shift in, much before we were scheduled to. The interior works were still being completed at snail’s pace. I was told that a man would come to fix the tiles in the dining area today.

******
He was at the door with his tool bag. When I opened the door, the first thing I noticed about him was the gold chain around his neck, kissing caressing the sweat trickling down his neck. He had a strange smile on his face. He walked straight towards the dining area where tile-work was to be started and I went to the kitchen for the usual chores.

I could hear him working outside in the dining area and with some effort I could also keep a watch on him. While opening the refrigerator in the dining lobby, I unintentionally glanced at him. He had taken off his shirt and hung it on one of the windowsills, lest it gets spoiled. It was normal in this part of the world. You could see more men walking around with bare torsos as if wearing a shirt was abnormal. The more discreet and literate were always the ones who were immaculately dressed. Does education make us more circumspect?

As his hands worked on the chisel and hammer, I watched the flexing muscles on his shoulders. I was still looking at him when he turned his face towards me and smiled again. A child-like smile. I was annoyed. Is he trying to act fresh with an aging mother of two teenagers using that child-like smile? Can he not smile a bit more maturely? I asked myself. He got up and walked towards me while still wiping clean his brow off the sweat.

“I am the same old Johnny. We studied together in the same school. Have you forgotten?”

Utterly embarrassed, I just smiled and turned towards the kitchen. Yes, it was Johnny. I did not look at him again.

They reach for work at nine. It was mandatory for the employers to provide tea, a light brunch of porridge, lunch, then tea and snacks in the evening, before they leave at six. It was a military dictum of the trade unions in this part of the country. It was brunch time already.

******

In the thatched classroom, we sat on the same bench. Talkative girls were made to sit between two boys. That was the norm in our grade. With rashes spread all over his skin and white clear eyes bulging from sockets of a darkened weather beaten face, he was scary to look at. To add to this was a strange odor that emanated from his unwashed clothes. I never talked to him much and would endeavor to sit as far away from him as I could. One day, during the recess, he stretched out his hands towards me. In one he held a beautiful Plantain stem and in the other a red-leaded blue and pink striped pencil.

“This is for you.”, He said.

I accepted his gifts with some circumspection but did return a smile of gratitude. This became a regular feature. When I least expected it, he would fish from his dirty bag, a beautiful Plantain stem and present it to me. As time passed, the rashes on his skin and the odor became meaningless to me.

We all used to walk down to the village school from our homes. Winding through a small hillock and paddy fields was this pathway, which was a shorter way to reach school. Though, we seldom used it. Somewhere alongside this pathway was Johnny’s small little shack. Right in front, to the other side of the pathway, was a small pond, it’s water completely camouflaged by dark green Plantains, sprinkled with beautiful tiny violet flowers. Sometimes, on my way to the school, I took a shortcut and stopped at his doorsteps, calling out his name. He would be delighted to see me, like a clueless child in a toyshop. Then he would prance across the pathway and wade into the pond to pluck the most beautiful of those Plantains. His arms would extend towards me with his catch and I would be happy to accept his gift. Its bulbous roots were good to wipe the writing-slate and could also be used to play various games.

******

“I dropped out of school in the eighth grade when my father expired.” He informed me with a matter-of-fact giggle.

I have never seen him talk without a smile or a giggle.

“You remember? I used to come and take free tuitions from Pillai master. Once I saw you there. I frantically tried to draw your attention with a wave. You never responded to my smile or wave. I suppose you failed to notice that I was there.”

Probably, he was unaware that all my smiles and waves were pledged and mortgaged within Pillai master’s domain. He had no reason to know and I had no excuse to tell him about it either.

Late night, after my dinner, when I got out for a stroll, my eyes involuntarily settled on the artificial pond outside. Lotuses bloomed in full glory complimenting a mesmerizing and enchanting full moon night.

I should cook up an excuse that would make my husband agree to replace these lotuses with Plantains. I told myself. I should decide tonight.

******
Inspired by “Kulavaazhakal”,
a poem in Malayalam by Reshmi K.M.
Translated by Vijay © 16th April, 2006