SINGAPORE MADRAS MUNNAR

 Papa was in Singapore during the Second World War. His remittances from Singapore had steadied the family. During the war he had really suffered. After the ship he was supposed to board had sunk,  people here had the information he had succumbed to a watery end. 

Later he took another ship and reached Thalavady. However Appachan and Ammachi told him not to go back as they did not wish to lose him.

Well, they had no job to offer him either. He had no personal savings . Whatever he had earned at Singapore had been sent home to ensure the family did not suffer. He had told us his only possession left was a gold ring. Appachan then  told him he had no money for  marrying off one of his daughters. Papa's response was typical of him. He took off the ring from his finger, handed it over to Appachan.

He went to Madras and managed to get a job there. 

He had told me, if he had stayed on in Madras he might have boarded a ship to Singapore as he could not tolerate the hot climate of Madras. However Kattanam Appachan, his brother in law, who was at Munnar had invited him to go across for an interview. The British  impressed with his track record, chose to employ him. The moment he was in Munnar, he said he did not wish to leave the air conditioned climate. And he stayed.

I have often wondered, if Appachan and Ammachi had permitted him to go back to Singapore, he would have, knowing his nature, taken the majority of the family to Singapore and to a better future. 

But that's wishful thinking. Not that life in Munnar was bad. It was good.

I can understand  my cousin's wish to work in Munnar. Fact is no one wishes to leave the place once you are there. He had grown up there.

But those were the days when class barriers had segregated people into water tight compartments. No osmosis was permitted or possible. 

Today it's different.