STORY-ELEPHANT

STORY-ELEPHANT

I used to be carried by father, when he went to see pooram festival. I was only four but I enjoyed the sight of elephants. I used to pester my father , demanding a live elephant to play with. So he bought a small elephant from the forest department pen at Kodanat.

It was of my height and I would watch the mahout  washing it and help him. I neglected school. When I was twelve, I told father that the mahout is not needed, I shall do everything. My play mate Paru would come and help me in washing the animal, which would take a long time. Every inch of the animal is to be scrubbed, with a coconut husk brush, made by cutting it into four. Paru would wash it by a hose.

When the animal was of some height, he was adorned with the golden ‘nettipattam’ and used in a small pooram. Paru and I stood on either side,  proudly looking at the audience. I got money from the Committee, which I handed over to father. He patted me and Paru and said:”When you two are big, I shall arrange your marriage.” I looked at Paru; for the first time , she became shy. I winked at her.

We used to take the elephant, named Ramu, to carry coconut tree leaves , which were either donated by the owners or bought for money.

We never used the iron chain or any arms normally carried by mahouts. Whenevr we took tea, we used to give dosa or idli to Ramu also. We three were a small family. Only when the animal was under the influence of ‘mad’, it was chained to a tree. At that time also, we two could go near him, to give it special food as prescribed by ‘vaidyan’.

In due course, it became big and beautiful, with long tusks and the trunk so long that a part of it remained on the ground, even the head was high.

It fetched good money and there was great demand for it, during festival season. Father was very happy and used to praise us . When I became twenty, we were married, as promise by him. We had no sexual contact till then.  Now Paru stayed in my house. A local newspaper carried our story, in a special edition. It showed our photo, standing on either side of the elephant !