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I AM SCHEDULED FOR SLAUGHTER
People write their autobiographies to enable posterity remember them. Inert objects do not have that privilege. How can they do that when they are not human beings? But, I, Lakeview , am fully alive. I am not inert. I was full of life. I am full of life.
However, I am scheduled to be slaughtered anytime now. My current owner and his people vehemently think that I have outlived my utility. They strongly think that at the age of 50, I cannot be salvaged. They think I am past my prime. They think that a house of 1200 sq. feet is very large and that it is wasting a big area that could be utilized for agriculture. Yes, I am what I am. I am a house. A house, where people happily lived together. I was a house filled with laughter.
The foundation stone for me was laid in November 1974. Present were George Mathew, his wife Sally George and his elder son Roshan. George was a Service Engineer with the Malayalam Plantations, Suryanelli. Sally was a home maker. Aged 24, Roshan was jobless. He was a post graduate. He had worked as a Lecturer in a Junior College in Bhatkal, Karnataka soon after his post graduation for one year, 1972 – 73. George was the owner of a property measuring 45 cents at Alamthuruthi, adjacent to the lone culvert on the Alamthuruthi - Chathanparambu road. He had purchased it during the period 1961 to 1974 in four tranches. It is located just 1km from the Alamthuruthi Junction on the Tiruvalla - Kayamkulam Road. A square plot that has a magnificent view of the vast paddy fields, it was aptly named 'Lakeview.' The siblings of Roshan could not be there for the laying of foundation as they were at their Colleges. Riya, a post graduate student, was at the St.Teresa’s College, Ernakulam and Rajesh, a Pre degree student, was at the Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum. They were staying in their hostels.
A few months before settling on the current lay out, George had decided to build me facing the west. Necessary preparations had been done for that. But his Ammachan (Uncle) had dissuaded him. The advice was, building a house facing the west would invite disaster (dosham in malayalam). Though George was a firm believer in the power of Jesus, he was a nest of superstitions too.
It was dichotomy.
When George had purchased the property, his father was alive. He advised George to build a nine room row of shops there. The idea was to rent it out and earn an extra income. There was no SWOT those days. George went ahead with the construction, borrowing the maximum from his Provident Fund. Since PF loans were approved only for building dwelling places, George had submitted a plan to build two floors projecting the first floor as his place to stay. He then reneged and did not construct the top floor. The PF authorities reciprocated. They initiated recovery process for nonperformance. Since he had no means of survival if the recovery was effected Geoge gathered courage, and met the PF Commissioner. He took pity on George and cancelled the recovery process.
The beauty was once the building was completed there were no takers. At last all the nine shops were taken on lease at Rs.15.00 each per month. However, there had been default in the payment of rent. One barber did not pay rent for 24 months and finally he returned the key with a demand that he must be paid some compensation for vacating the room. The lesson was never go for anything without SWOT. But it was too late.
George and family were in Suryanelli. In 1974, George learned he would have to retire at the beginning of 1975. The employer was extending his service for one year each at a time after he crossed 50. George knew he had to build a house in the plot he owned. As I have recalled earlier, he had planned to build a house facing the west on this plot. The lay out for the basement was marked. Then his Uncle Kochukunjachayan advised him it would be nothing but ‘dosham’ if the house faced the west. George at once discarded the plan, unwound the ropes and a new layout facing the east was set out. It is where I stand now.
Since a house could not be constructed all at once, George built a lean to behind the shops where the family stayed for two years.
My construction was in multiple phases. Initially the basement was built just above the level of the road that skirted Lakeview. Then assuming the road would be raised further the height of the basement was raised by another two feet. George and his elder son who was employed by then together went on to bring me to a partially finished state. The family of five began staying in this house that was me. While my interior had been plastered, the exterior was not. The electrical wiring was temporary. I displayed hanging cables in all the rooms. But the big relief was, I was lit by electricity.
George had no pension. He didn’t have much savings either. The education of the three children took care of whatever he earned. What surprised me was, despite severe shortage of cash for their survival, the family was always happy. Laughter filled the air. They staunchly believed in God. I believe that must have pulled them on
Later, at the time of the marriage of George’s elder son, permanent wiring was done in my interior. But before that Sally, the mother of the house was afflicted with brain tumor in August 1977. It was Cancer of the worst kind, Glioblastoma. Alas, she succumbed to the illness in May 1978.
I was very happy when my exterior was plastered in 1980. I looked a complete house. But there was no mother in the house.
George lived on till 2008. He died after the mismanagement of his treatment at Pushpagiri Medical College Hospital, Tiruvalla when his hip was broken in a nasty accident at his younger son Rajesh’s house at Kurichy.
I was really happy Rajesh and his family enjoyed the hospitality I had offered. They were keeping good company for George as well. . When life went on smoothly recurring floods disrupted the peace. I began getting flooded year after year. While any prudent man would strive to rebuild the house flood safe, Rajesh chose to shift residence to Kurichy leaving George forlorn. I knew Rajesh alone wouldn’t have taken that extreme step. To put it mildly, he had been prodded to do that.
Though I and George were alone, Rajesh stayed with us for a few years till he managed a transfer to a locality closer to Kurichi. While we were pulling along happily, a spate of illnesses forced George to leave me stranded and shift to Kurichi. George finally came back to me lifeless.
With George’s sad demise Rajesh took up my ownership. He would visit me, but never accept my hospitality. Rajesh became the owner of the shops too. He would dutifully collect the rent every month. Gopu, a two wheeler mechanic was one of the tenants. Gopu had ensured that no one entered my compound without authorization from Rajesh. In return, Gopu had filled the compound with his vehicles and scrap. I looked dirty.
Meanwhile floodwaters were filling me with regularity. Rajesh did nothing to overcome the challenge posed by the floods. It was disheartening to watch a part the lean to where the family had stayed earlier, crumble. I was pained by Rajesh’s response. He said, “Let the whole building collapse. I am not going to spend even a single Rupee to renovate or rebuild it.” It made me understand what lay in store for me.
Later Rajesh relented and had renovated the shop building, a step that ensured Rajesh better rental earnings.
Rajesh has now earmarked me for demolition. I am awaiting the dawn of that day when I will be no more.
It was George’s fervent, ceaseless prayer to the Almighty that I should be preserved for the future. George is no more. Rajesh is preparing to construct a small house in my place to pay lip service to George’s pleadings to God, all the while affirming that he would never stay in the house, George, his father had bequeathed to him with the firm belief that his son Rajesh would stay in the house he had built for him.
George remains forgotten. In this land where people conduct memorial functions for their dear departed, I am sad, the people for whom George had toiled hard ignoring his own interests have cast him off into oblivion. There had never been any memorial function periodically on his behalf after George took leave from this world.
I am placing here a few of my pictures. It plainly tells I have become dilapidated solely due to neglect. The Fridge in the pictures is a gift to George by his grandson when he learned that George did not have a Refrigerator after Rajesh took the Fridge in the house to Kurichy while shifting his residence. The gift still works very well.
Well, every life has to end somewhere. I stand here counting my days.
