Reminiscences 02 Poem by Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon
Reminiscences 02
Guests Galore, Uninvited
Those were the days!
Travelling was an arduous task. Hardly anyone owned a vehicle. No cars, no motorcycles, not many had even bicycles. Public transport was in its nascent state. Of course, there were trains running long distance to Mumbai, Madras, Delhi etc. But, to reach the Railway Station, you need to catch a bus, for not many could afford a taxi car.
So, in my childhood, people traveled seldom. They walked, if the distance was a few kilometres. (My father who taught Malayalam Literature in a Christian Missionary High School nearly four km from our home, walked the distance and back everyday for thirty-odd years.) Hotels and eateries were few. So, people on travel drop in at the house of a relative unhesitatingly, to partake their food. I recall that we used to have many such uninvited guests.
When we had such guests at most unexpected hours, my mother would run to the backyard to pick a few ocre or egg fruits or lentils to prepare an extra dish for the guest, albeit uninvited. Of course, curds and buttermilk were essential ingredients, and were abundant. Same with milk (for coffee) , butter and ghee too. She will reluctantly dig into the stock of eggs she has stashed away for her children too, if the guest was important. In those days, organised poultry farming was rare and eggs were not sold in the shops, at least in our village. Every household depended on their own chicken farm of a dozen or so hens for supply of eggs. We had too.
There is a saying in Malayalam: "Guest, like rain, who drops in at dusk, shall stay for the night." (സന്ധ്യക്ക് വന്ന അതിഥിയും മഴയും രാത്രി തങ്ങിയേ പോകൂ.) This used to be quite true in those days. Guests, of course, had no choice and rains, on their own volition. But no longer.
I believe you are saying that unexpected guests had few or no alternatives for lodging and meals while traveling away from their homes so their best (or only reasonable & comfortabe) 'choice' was visiting a relative. bri ;)
(cont.) 'volition /və-lĭsh′ən/ noun The act of making a conscious choice or decision. 'He left of his own volition.' '
'Guests, of course, had no choice and rains, on their own volition. But no longer.' Do you mean 'reins', as in: 'A means of restraining or checking. 'kept a tight rein on expenditures.' A means of controlling or directing. 'the reins of government.'? ? ? (cont.)
You describe a society in which giving is one channel of distributing resources. Travel is not convenient, but hospitable customs bring connection with the outside world. I hope the connections you describe can regrow.
i DON'T SEE them...yet. Remind me if I don't get back to check again and respond, please. : ) bri p.s. The same is true (maybe) for your The Swan And Me.
I'm looking for the comments I left and for your 'rejoinders' [[ REJOINDER: 'An answer, especially to a reply. An answer to a reply; in general, an answer.' ]]
6) for Bri. Occasional showers will continue throughout the rest of the year. The saying I cited says that if it starts to rain by sunset, it would rain continuously through the night. Exactly like a guest, who happens to drop in in the evening. Hope Bri appreciates
5) for Bri. The South East Monsoon comes by the middle of October and lasts for about a month.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/5/2025 6:14:35 AM # 1.0.0
3 1/2 or 4 [I've give 4] stars. ;)
Thank you Bri.