About my brothers

As mentioned previously, we were originally 14 siblings. 5 died - these were all my elder sisters - much before I was born. I have only heard about them. So my parents were earnestly praying for a girl and then Kamakshichechi was born 1934.

Eldest was Ramankutty chettan employed in the registration department. Though his was a small job he was very satisfied and happy mainly because of Karthyayani chedathi amma who managed their family very well. Edathiyamma (Elder sister-in-law) was our eldest maternal uncle's (Krishnamman's) daughter. She was very beautiful and theirs was a love marriage. Their eldest child was Valsala, then Ambika and later Malini and last their last was son Rajan. He stays at their house now. Malini had CA (cancer) and is no more. Ambika is happily married to Siddhan in Bangalore. Valsala was married to Vijayan from FACT . Vijayan expired a few years back due to a cardiac attack. They have 3 girls and a boy. All well settled. Valsala lives alone in Udyogamandal - she is company for Chechi who is doing baby-sitting for her great-grandchild there.

Balachettan was a gymnast and was interested in body building. He married Radha chedathiamma, 2nd daughter of Janaki oppol of PT house in Chelakkara near Pazhayannur. They didn't have children for some years and then Shobha was born, then Lathika, Asokan,and Krishnan. They are now in Mulakunnathkavu except Shobha who is staying alone in Tirur near Thrissur after her husband Ramanathan died. Balachettan never stuck to one job and was a rolling stone and so no fixed income and depended on others always - quite unfortunate. 

Machettan was the most sathvik of all the brothers.He never harmed anyone knowingly or unknowingly and was very religious. He was the one who suggested that we read Krishnavathara series of books (8) by KM Munshi and he presented me with a large book on Bhagavad Geetha. He was the one who took Amma (Mother) and me for Guruvayur bhajanam after Father's death. He was working in Railway Mail Service (RMS) until retirement and was quite satisfied with a comfortable life mainly because of his wife who spends only for necessary needs and was not a spendthrift. She was a very efficient housewife. They had three boys and three daughters. Eldest is Krishnachandran (Bangalore). Their next son Hari was also in RMS like his father, and then Raghu who was not having any job. Eldest daughter is Geetha, then Brinda and last Rekha. Of all these, Rekha keeps contact with me via Whatsapp very regularly.

Appuchettan was a very benign person and was a strict Deputy Secretary in government service. I stayed in his house when I was a medical student in the first few days until I joined the hostel. Even later I used to go to his house when Devi (their daughter) was a toddler. They had an old servant named Kamalamma who would baby sit for Devi. I enjoyed occasional home food of Radha chedathyamma when I got fed up of hostel food - but our hostel food then was not bad at all. We even used to have a weekly feast. The food was plentiful, all items very tasty too. The purpose of visiting their house was to have an outing also. Babu and Raju were their sons. All the three children liked me much and we did fireworks for Vishu together. Edathiamma was working in Cotton Hill School right opposite their home. She was quite a senior teacher then. They had change of residence twice more before owning their own house at Peroorkada - Indira Nagar - where Chechi also got her house later. Appuchettan's death was sudden due to a viral fever at Thrissur where he had come for Machettan's condolence - a double tragedy within a short time.

Sreechettan had a volatile temperament. He got married from Kodungallur Methala one Mr VT Gopalamenon's daughter Thankam. She was Mr KA Krishnan's sister and Sreechettan was his close friend. Sreechettan wanted to marry only Thankam. Father didn't agree in the beginning but agreed later under pressure. Sreechettan had three daughters only. They are all happily married. The second and third sons in law died - one due to cardiac arrest and the other due to diabetic complications. The eldest is Bhaskaran - he is in Canada with Rema. They have one daughter only - Meera - who is in the Medical field I think - not yet married. Bhaskaran has aplastic anaemia and had marrow transplantation and is on immuno suppressive treatment. Rema is quite brave facing all these challenges and puts up a brave face.

Balagopalachettan or just Ettan for me was eight years elder to me. He, Kamakshi chechi and I were the group of siblings moving together. Others were too senior to be with us. As mentioned elsewhere, he married our uncle's daughter Indira chedathyamma. They knew each other before also, and there was nothing new about it, but Ettan didn't want to marry immediately because my studies needed his financial help. His objections were waved off and the wedding took place. After that they both were very happy. I've never seen them unhappy or fighting. To me they were an ideal couple. Ettan still continued to finance my studies and he presented me with his Favre Leuba watch! They had 3 sons and one daughter. Jayakumar, Sathishkumar and Sureshkumar and daughter Devi. When Jayan and Sathish were studying in Calicut, we were their local guardians - Jayan in REC and Sathish for medicine. 

Devi got married to another gentleman from Sharjah - Ramachandran. He too was from Thrissur and their whole family was known to us. A very loving family. One cannot find a more decent, considerate and loving gentleman than Ramachandran. He is an ideal father, lovingly and intelligently bringing up their children Remya and Rahul. Both are brilliant in their own fields. Remya is now engaged and Rahul took doctorate from US. I don't have to stress the fact that Devi is my pet. She looks after her elder brother Suresh though he doesn't have a proper job as he has some handicap. I must appreciate Ramachndran too for keeping Suresh with him.

I had been going regularly to Sabarimala for years (19 years?) since 1965 with small breaks and many times in the company of Ettan and Sreechettan from their Quarters at FACT in rented taxi. The route was Ernakulam, Chottanikkara, Vykom, Ettumanoor, Kaduthuruthi, Kottayam and then via Chalakkayam, Pampa.

I think I already wrote about Kamakshichechi and her sad story about losing her husband Kuttykrishnan chettan in 1968, about her getting a job in his department, and about Shylu's bringing up as our own child until she joined her mother in Trivandrum. Ramdas was in Thrissur then, finishing SSLC, Jayan and Mohan were with him. Ramesh came to Calicut to be with us and my mother for 2 years.