J DANIEL FORMER PRINCIPAL St THOMAS HIGH SCHOOLHONNAVAR UTTAR KANNADA KARNATAKA INDIA

 

I and we as a family have so much to pen on 

J Daniel.

The association began when he married Animmamma.

Being Mummy's younger sister I had a special relationship with her.

I still remember her walking into our house at Munnar when she had visited the place. She was a student of UCCollege Aluva. The students from the College were on a tour.

She got down from the bus  as the group was returning from Mattuppetty. There is a dam there. It was one of the wonders of Munnar at that time. It still is. I was thrilled to be with her. She had spent the night with us and left to join her group the next  morning. Our house was below the road to Mattuppetty.

Every year Mummy used to visit Niranam and Animmamma was there to take care of me.

When she was married to JDaniel we were all there. It was at the Jerusalem Church. Niranam

I was in the primary school.

They had their first night at our Kumbalathu House that no longer is ours.

The next day JDaniel came out. He made friends with me and Leela.  He was wearing a pyjama and a shirt of identical colour.  It was the first time in my life I had seen such a dress. Didn't even know  its name.

He quietly told us to address him 'Uncle.' 

He became Uncle to us. He still is. 

Though he is no more.

Babychayan, Mummy's twin brother, when he heard us addressing JDaniel as 'Uncle' showed aggressive displeasure. He had repeatedly told me to address him or to refer to him as Danichayan from my young age upto my marriage whenever we came across. Afterwards he gave up.

Uncle used to flood me with gifts whenever we were together at Niranam or when he had visited Munnar. 

He was so wedded to Honavar and St.Thomas, he preferred to remain at Honavar. It was a relationship established in concrete.

It was the time teachers of Malayali origin  were finding employment at Ethiopia.

Once Mummy in her ignorance and her deep desire to see her sister and  her brother in law well settled in life had suggested that they both ought to make a beeline for Ethiopia.

Uncle quietly told her, he had no desire to leave Honavar, but he assured her he would never make Annie starve.

Mummy never returned to the topic

Once, I completed my MA, he took me as his own son.

Whatever I am today is solely due to the invigoration he had induced.

He had no need for that. He had his own four children. Those days the income they both generated was not enough for sustenance. Yet he took me under his wings. He ensured the blossoming of a nincompoop to an individual of substance.

Well I have much and much more to write. But I very well  know that in these days of capsules, you would detest me for flooding the WhatsApp.

Today, I am happy all his children are doing well in life. I am happy they have been richly blessed by God with riches.

Uncle had firmly believed in God. His God looked after him well. God has listened to his prayers. I am happy  his dear companion Annie and all his  children  have grown from those Honavar days to what they are today.

He cared much for his father in law and mother in law. When he came to know how they were suffering in their old age, he had sent Animmamma with a single mission. He told her to bring them over to Honavar.

And he looked after them. There is more to what he did there. But I prefer to go silent on that

Of course, as time has progressed, relationships  are no longer close. Everyone is busy with their own lives. No one has the time to think of anyone else. It's the way of the world. 

Riches come, vanish 

They come again 

They vanish again

The cycle goes on

But love stays

With us

But in the far corner of my mind everything is alive. They would remain like that as long as I am around.

I thank God for the wonderful relationship I had with Uncle.

I thank God he had sent JDaniel, my uncle to earth to fulfil God's vision and mission.

And I know he is a winner there.

FLOWERS STARTLE

 As I was driving out today

Flowers beckoned me
They startled me.
They were not flashy
But there was beauty 

All over them
I drove on to keep my date.
It was noon 
When I returned
They stood there
Inviting me to savour
Nature's striking gift
To mankind
Simple yet stunning

                                           Look at the contrast   
                                             Two reds
                                             Stare at  you
                                             Hiding almost
                                             Amidst plentiful
                                             Thick greens

                                             Striking indeed

                                                 

                                                    

                                                     

                   

                            The colourful patterns
                                                   
                                         Surprise
                                                                               

                                                                                   

K RAJEEVAN COMPLIMENTS THE AUTHOR

 On 1st February 2026,
the CSIMadhya Kerala Diocese  Treasury of Knowledge Literary Award  - 2025 

for the best book on Literature (General) 

was presented to ABRAHAM JACOB.

for  the book 

 A WALK THROUGH THE RAIN 

I forwarded the happy news to  K Rajeevan who had served as President of the SBI Pensioners' Association, Kerala.

"What follows is pretty long.
It's on an award.
If you are interested, if you have the time and patience, please have a look. Or just ignore. 
For me, at my age 75 onto 76 it's a big thing. Especially when you are recognised that has never happened in life ever before. That too in the presence of a mammoth assemblage of people.
It was at Kottayam.
Baker Hill
It was a great emotional moment for me and as well as for my dear ones

Rajeevan replied

"My dear Abraham Jacob. 
I am immensely happy and feel proud about you for your remarkable achievement of being the recepient of the Award for best book on literature . My hearty congratulations to you. 
Long long before I had the opportunity to feel the pulse of your most     impressive  and  eloquent expressions in our  "companion". Hence  no surprise in this value addition. However, I sincerely feel that this should have reached you much much before. 
My special compliments for the Title of the book ' A walk through the rain '. 
Wishing you more and more laudable laurels in days ahead.
Regards 
Rajeevan"

It prompted me to respond 

"Dear Rajeevan,

Thank you for the compliments and reading me much earlier.
There are events in your life where things just happen out of the blue.
When the book was published, I never thought it would catch the attention of anyone at all. 
The award was beyond even my dreams.
The presentation was spectacular. Imagine the feelings when I accepted it in front of a mammoth assemblage of 10000 plus.
Later, the next Sunday, a friend at the Church queried, "How did you become a writer, the way you were into a world of figures whole of your life."
I must say life takes inexplicable turns.
36 editions of Companion,  compilation of the minutes of 36  executive committee meetings and on the job challenges had built my prowess in editing. I am grateful to you for entrusting me with the opportunity and for believing in me.
Each and every person I have met have taught me quite a lot. I am still learning. You are placed among the top in the list.
I keep on writing. My blog grows. Quality is what I stress. I edit several times before the blogs are published. Even then apprehension is within me.
It's like the manner in which I closed  the introduction to the book - 'A writer will write. It's not for him to self-evaluate.'
The Principal of the KUTSeminary was telling me that each of the articles was conveying a message.
And Rev Dr Santy S Paul,Faculty there, conveyed to me that  through what I write, I was making people to 'walk' along with me.
As regards the title, the book has a poem with the title. The poem is a bit long.
My brother, after reading it, was sharing with me, he felt he was walking through the rain.
Well, this has gone on for long. Beg your pardon for taking away your precious time.
I don't usually go off like this.
But we knew each other well. And we were good friends.
Perhaps it must have made me unleash.
Thank you once again for your message.
Regards to you and every one at home
Abraham

Traffic and Trivandrum Roads

 Trivandrum Roads/Traffic

We don't know what to make of the traffic on Triivandrum Roads. It's a mess everywhere. 

We pay the road tax for our vehicles. Naturally, we should be reciprocated with top class roads.

Instead we have apology of roads

You are held up everywhere. It'd be a surprise if there are no road blocks.

The dust on the roads pollute the air. People turn ill.

Hospitals are overcrowded.

Road rage is the new normal.

VIPs fly on the road. People are tormented to ensure ease of their flight.

MC Road and NH are examples of the efficiency of brilliant governance.

A road trip to Kollam that took one hour, now needs two and a half hours.

While you could reach Kottayam in three to three and a half hours earlier, it now needs five and a half hours.

We do not know we can have bypasses for the towns.

We are happy all trafiic is guided through the towns itself.

When the work on Venjaramood fly over began we forgot we needed service roads to divert the traffic.

We crawl there.

Now we spent hours together to transit through each town on the way. to Kottayam and beyond.

Will we ever have good roads?

CSI CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA NEEDS NEHEMIAH

 

CSI CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA NEEDS NEHEMIAH

When Babylonians invaded Judah, they carried the people off in exile, razed the city and destroyed the temple at Jerusalem. When the people returned after many years, they rebuilt the altar in the midst of the ruined temple to worship God. People, who remembered Solomonn’s original, spectacular temple, compared it with the new, rather pathetic looking replacement. 

They wept.

Similarly, when we look at the inadequacy of our own lives compared to the wonder of Jesus, we too might respond with tears.

Nehemiah prayed, “Turn their insults back on their own heads. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults.’’

Nehemiah was challenged to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In one of the most amazing accounts of leadership, perseverance and courage Nehemiah rallies the people to rebuild the walls in just 52 days.

Obviously, rebuilding of the walls meant that the city security would be enhanced. Those who had benefitted from the rather lax security that prevailed up until this point, in that they were able to come and plunder the city any time they felt like doing so, were less than thrilled that the work was progressing swiftly.

Sanballat and Tobiah are derisive of the attempts to rebuild the walls. They are contemptuous of the Israelites’ efforts in this regard because their criminal livelihood is threatened. They respond to the threat by trying to make it as hard as possible for the work to proceed.

While we understand that CSI is fragile, we should always remember that CSI on the right track will not be celebrated by everybody. And there are even those for whom CSI on the right track will be a threat.

Opposition to CSI on the right track is real. We have our own Sanballats and Tobiahs, who come and plunder CSI any time they feel like doing so.

Nehemiah shows us the way:

Pray and leave the opponents in God’s hand. 

Continue the work.

Please do not be distracted.

When we are ridiculed or opposed, leave the issue in God’s hands.  

Leave room for God to act.

 

 

PALLIATIVE CARE THAT SHOULD NOT BE

 

Palliative Care that should not be 

This is a real story. But names are changed for privacy.

Mathew and Susan belonged to Kumbanad. They were neighbours. They were of identical age. They had attended school and college together. They were thick friends. Their families, much earlier, had decided to unite them in marriage once they found employment.

In this land where jobs were few and difficult to come by, Mathew and Susan were lucky enough to be appointed as clerks in the Postal Department   at Kottayam. A year after their appointment, the families got together and conducted their marriage as envisaged.

Everything went on well.  Mathew and Susan managed to purchase a house at Devalokam after staying in a rented house for three years. They had two sons in this period.

As time moved on Mathew's father, Alexander, became ill. He needed advanced treatment. As it was available at Kottayam alone and not at Kumbanad, they  brought both the father and the  mother to stay with them.

While the treatment was going on for his father, tragedy struck.  Mathew's mother suddenly had a heart attack. Unfortunately she succumbed to it. 

Now Mathew and Susan had a difficult time. They had to attend to their jobs. They had their children at the school. And there was Mathew's father, Alexander, who needed a male home nurse as he could not move around by himself. 

Mathew, with the help of an agency, was able to locate a male home nurse, Sabu.

Sabu said he would do the job at Rs.20000.00 per month if the family provided him food.

There was no other go. 

Mathew agreed.

Sabu came and began to look after the ailing father of Mathew.

Initially the arrangement worked out well. Alexander was happy with the service by Sabu.

Later on, Sabu became aggressive. He began ill treating  Alexander. 

Sabu would set the AC at 18 degree even as he could see Alexander was shivering. He refused to cover the poor man with a blanket. He would not provide Alexander with hot water to drink and help him withstand the extreme temperature. 

Alexander quietly suffered. He did not convey the difficulties he had faced to Mathew or Susan. As Alexander had to be carried to the bathroom, Sabu had thretened him that he would be throwing him down sharply to the bed if he had said even a word about how he was being ill treated to Mathew or Susan.

Alexander knew very well if Sabu was dismissed, it would be difficult for Mathew and Susan to locate a replacement. As Alexander was in need of constant care, he knew either Mathew or Susan would have to give up their job to look after  him. As he loved them, he did not wish to add misery to their lives.

Like every good thing coming to an end,   every bad thing will have to come to an end.

One day Susan returned from the office  a little earlier as she had a splitting head ache. At home she found a shivering Alexander and a Sabu in deep slumber with the AC temperature at the lowest. She just couldn't believe it. They had been under the impression Sabu was looking after Alexander very well. She probed. Alexander couldn't hold back any longer. 

Susan phoned Mathew. She asked him to come at once. 

Sabu was full of regret. He said he would look after Alexander well.thereafter.

Mathew made up his mind. He complained to the agency. They at once recalled Sabu and arranged a replacement. They assured the replacement won't create any mischief.

Fortunately the replacement was good. He took good care of Alexander till he breathed his last after three years.

 

This is the story two girls

 

This is the story two girls

The first one is an MSc Biochemistry, aged 38, with a 14 year old son

She is well eduacted. She had an English medium school education

Her husband is a teacher in a private school

She works as a health inspector in a Municipality in Central Kerala for which the  qualification prescribed is a pass in SSLC.  She got the job because she is  an SSLC pass. We can see that her PG degree and  her 7 years in the College were a waste. 

She became health inspector after getting through a course recognised by the Govt. Her job is to visit houses and ensure everything is clean everywhere. Her first question everywhere is, is there a dog. She steps in when the reply is negative. She enquires if  is there anyone here with fever. She conveys that dengue is prevalent everywhere. She asks  whether the house has any plants inside and whether there are little pools of water that breed mosquitoes. 

Then she advises how to carry on without contracting any infectious disease. 

Job over she leaves 

The second is an Engineer.  She is a pass out from LBS Trivandrum.  She works in a Bank.as a clerk.  She must be around 35.

Her husband, an engineering graduate is employed in another bank as a clerk.

They have a seven year old girl who attends a premium school. 

She says she joined the bank because she couldn't find a job as an engineer. 

She concludes, "You don't get a job in the field you are trained."

This is the bane of  Kerala.  Jobs are few. Your qualification does not provide you the job for which you are trained.