Amma, I saw a ghost

 The year was 1989. We had  gone to Palakkad to attend a cousin’s wedding at Kalpathi. Kalpathi housed our Athimberthatha and Athaipaati (maternal). It was a typical Agraharam ottuparai house with two elephant-statues adorning the entrance. It was spacious and one could get lost in its labyrinthine rooms. In those days, catering wedding feasts was not outsourced. The backyard of the house adjoining the kitchen was installed with a kitchenette called the  rendaankattu. This was primarily used during festivals or weddings to prepare feasts of gargantuan proportions. Delectable jangiris, laddoos, kaimurukkus, adirasams and the like were belted out of this mini-kitchen that had all but a kerosene stove, a varaghu aduppu and if one’s means allowed it, a gas stove and a cylinder. The cooking days running up to the wedding day or the festival day would last a week. The house came alive with guests pouring in and children running hither and thither. This particular year is etched clearly in my memory and manages to give me goosebumps to this day.

                                     

                                                Amma,I saw a ghost!

The year was nineteen eighty nine;

And life was going just fine.

Until one day, Amma received an inland letter;

Her stern expression turned to a smile upon seeing the name of the sender.

For, the letter had brought a lot of cheer;

It was the wedding of a relative, so near.

I was all of seven;

And a holiday meant running around the house without a concern.

We reached Athaipaati’s house ;

It was huge and in its comparison, I was but a mouse.

It was abuzz with visitors everyday;

And with Appa-Amma busy, it gave me a lot of leeway.

Amma knew of my mischievous ways;

And gave me her customary lecture to prevent any menace.

She said, “Now, be a good girl and don’t go on wandering about;

You might get lost and not a soul will hear you shout.”

I said, ‘Okay!’, and went on about the house anyway;

After all, I had to make memories worth the stay.

Rendaankattu was my first stop;

To see if I could grab a delicious snack to pop.

Next jaunt was the hall;

It was filled with vendors, visitors and all.

‘Matchukul’, the stowaway room, held a lot of treasure;

But the lack of light there did not bring me any pleasure.

And that was when I spotted the ebony wooden staircase;

I looked  all the way up to the last step and my promise to Amma was all but a haze.

I thought, ‘What the heck!’;

And decided to take the trek.

I took every step with great anticipation;

Thinking about the consequence of this mischief gave me trepidation.

When I reached midway;

I wanted to scream, “Mayday! Mayday!”;

What I saw numbed my every sense;

For, there I was, with no defence.

Walking down the stairs, towards me;

Was something I had not seen even in a dream.

It’s visage was dark with big, popped eyes;

I stood there as if turned to ice.

It had matted hair and flashed a broad, toothy smile;

It petrified me and my reflexes took a sweet while.

It had worn Amma’s Pochampally silk saree;

As if it were ready for the wedding soirée.

Something in me jolted;

As I turned back and bolted.

I reached the hall full of animated conversation;

If only I could tell everyone about the diabolical apparition.

I decided to be quiet about the arcane matter;

Since the admonition of Amma frightened me greater.

Was it a dream? Was it real? Oh! What an adventure!

To this day, I wonder.

                                                        -firefly

Glossary

Athimber thatha - one’s father or mother’s father’s sister’s husband.

Athaipaati- one’s father or mother’s father’s sister.

Agraharam- a row of Brahmin-houses in a village.

Ottuparai- tiled roof

Rendaankattu- a small kitchen in the backyard of a house that was used for large scale cooking during festivities

Matchukul- a secret room in the house for storing grains and precious items.

Varaghu aduppu- a cooking oven made of clay with tree branches and twigs used for making fire.