Kurumbachi

Ever since I have known her she had thick wrinkles on the face and she was lean and very thin. She looked like she is in her 50s that was when I was 5, last time I saw her was during my graduation (almost 10 years back) she looked the same then. She was ever 50. She was dark like any other workers of her class; the unforgiving tropical sun gives such a tan especially for someone who worked outside on the fields or garden. She was cheremathi lower class based on caste system evidently existed one time, and silently prevailing even now. She had a strange name; probably it may not be strange enough for her parents to give her that name. And to this day I don’t know whether it was her real name, everyone called her “Kurumbachi”.



Our rented house was very close to my first school, one minute walk. That makes it easy for me to sneak out from school and hide somewhere at home. The house had a big front courtyard, largely shaded by two cheeni trees. These trees didn’t behave well to make Kurumbachi’s work more difficult. Those trees tormented Kurumbachi every season, the spring with flowers, autumn with leaves, summer with dried fruit, and of course monsoon with everything including the branches. Every morning she cleaned our courtyard religiously, for atomically smaller wage and breakfast.



She lived 2 KMs away, every morning she would start from her house barefooted and with empty stomach, walked all the way to our home. As soon as she reaches, she drinks a black tea and starts working. After the work she eats breakfast, mostly two or three dosas, idly or chapathis dipping in black tea. I haven’t seen her eating any egg, meat or even drinking milk. I often felt very sad when I saw her sitting on kitchen floor eating the rolled dosa. When she sees me watching her, she always gives me sincere smile that would stand out from a million fake ones I had and might have in future. I think she never cursed or complained about her life or else she can’t smile that openly. She had a happy face; maybe she does not realize life can me more comfortable. Comfortable enough so that she done need to walk 2 KMs for couple of grams of sugar and carbohydrates.



I live every moment, every hour, every day, every month, every year in need for more, more peace, more love, more money, more power, more friends and what not. Kurumbachi lived, walked long for food, smiled and she always had very little of everything. I like to believe she lived happily.