Kamakshi chechi

Chechi was very close to me, even from childhood. We played together and she always bossed over me. We seldom quarrelled, and that too, only momentarily. I remember Amma taking us for bathing together to our pond and we used to play by sliding on our oiled bodies. The pond was rebuilt and rebored by father. It had water throughout the year and was nice to swim in, especially in the rainy season. Parathy amma taught us swimming by guiding us using a long cloth. 

Chechi was 3 years senior to me in class also. We both studied in Vivekodayam School and later in Sree Kerala Varma College. I studied there only for intermediate while she finished her BA (Economics). She was a great singer and received laurels from College. A bhagavathar taught her classical music - after her marriage too. So both my sisters were musicians. I too had a taste for music, but only for listening to it. When Ramdas was born to Chechi, in 1955, I had just joined Medical college. Appuchettan's Devi was also born in 1955.

I still remember the shock we all had when we heard the news of (Chechi's husband) Kuttykrishnanchettan's demise at Madras, where his last posting was. His sister Koumudichechi was also there. Sreechettan and I went to Madras just to comfort Chechi. Amma (Mother) decided to keep (Chechi's youngest daughter) Shylaja with us for some time until Chechi settled down. Even now, we consider Shailaja as our eldest daughter. In 1973, she rejoined Chechi at Trivandrum. Amma too was with Chechi for helping out, till I returned from the UK in December 1974. Chechi continued working in the Met office till her retirement. By that time, (her eldest son) Ramdas finished MBBS, got admission for MD and later DM (Nephrology). After her retirement, Checchi was with him and (his wife) Jayasree. 

Chechi had to face a lot of vicissitudes in life. Her second son Ramesh's addiction to alcohol gave her lots of sleepless nights (even to us and Ramdas). Ramesh got married and we thought he would improve - he again had lots of deaddiction experiments. Then one day, we heard the sudden news about his death due to drowning. Fortunately, his widowed wife was employed in the Army. She went to Goa or some place. The nightmare didn't end there. Her third son and his wife separated. Now, Chechi says her mind is numb to anything - happiness or sorrow. She still carries on, looking after great-grandchildren. One great comfort is that Jayasree (another GEM) is with her, strongly supportive. Jayasree is an ideal daughter-in-law for an equally great mother-in-law.

I am 84 now and Chechi is 87. I feel young when I remember that I am her little brother.

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