HOME
My wife had a dream, to own a house.
As we were living in a railway quarter, when we were married,
there was no need for a home at that time. My salary was enough for a living,
but thinking of a home, was like buying an elephant. We both had the habit of
spending without budget; in the end of the month, I had to borrow small money;
now when I think of it, I feel ashamed.
Then I worked in Projects, where I got quarters. After
promotion as Accounts Officer, I ought to have planned for building a home, but
I was thinking of hiring accommodation, rather, than building one. ‘Rats make
holes, snakes live in it’, I used to think.
Ultimately, my daughters persuaded me to construct a house.
Leena and family lived in Manavazhi for a month; it was then
that the work began.
The plot at Chathakudam was in the name of my wife and my
brother’s wife, joint property. After my brother’s death, I had no
psychological or moral hesitation in dividing the plot. K.K.Raman gave his
scooter for our use. Ravi and I went to different offices, to execute the deed.
At one stage, there was a hiccough; In the village office records, the owner of
the land was Leela, my brother’s wife. I showed the original deed and they were
convinced. Suppose we settled in Rajasthan. We will never bother about
documents and in future, Sudhur would have lost it.
Ravi made the plan of the house. There is a big hall and the
kitchen on the east and two bed rooms on the west side. I insisted on providing
a rectangular opening in the roof; The windows are many and ventilators wide
enough, to allow cross ventilation. Even in summer we can manage without fans.
The work of digging a well began first. After a few yards of
loose earth, laterite layers came and soon solid rock, necessitating blasting.
Ravi and leena helped, in removing the debris from the well bottom. Plenty of
clear water gushed forth and we were forced to stop digging.
(to continue)
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