Kusalam
A fiction
The Ever Toiling Wife A woman named
Poniyamman lived in a town with her in-laws, husband, one son, one
daughter, a dog, a cat and a mouse. This looked like a good setup for
conflict. She also tended cows, bulls, goats and sheep in her backyard.
She had a car, a driver and a help in the kitchen. She got along well
with all of them. Others were not so. The dog, the cat and the mouse had
a natural antipathy towards each other. The son and the daughter were at
odds with each other, always vying for dominance.
The son was younger, though he thought he was better than his
sister and always took help from her doing his homework.
The
mother-in-law (MIL) was vixen superior, always finding fault with the
daughter-in-law (DIL). She was not good enough. She claimed she raised
her children better than Poniyamman and took care of her husband better
than she did.
MIL: Look at
you. You are a sight to see. Your grooming is atrocious. You are a
married woman. Why are you not wearing your flowers? Why is your pottu
(forehead mark of a married woman) so small? FIL: Mannu,
don’t talk to your DIL like that. She is doing the best she can. She
works all day long taking care of the family, the animals… Did you ever
milk the cow in the backyard? And yet you want your coffee right on
time, that too served on the bed before you even move a muscle. MIL: Then why
don’t you milk the cow, the goat… and clean the shed. You sit in the
front yard under the mango tree and read the newspaper all day long. FIL: I was
the provider of my family and in my retirement, I want to relax and do
what I like. DIL did not
want to take sides and get busted and burnt with venomous words from
MIL. The dog was
chasing the cat and the cat was after the mouse. The cat jumped on the
kitchen shelf and was beyond the reach of the yelping dog. The mouse ran
into a hole in the backyard and disappeared. With this event resolved,
the animals were safe. A temporary peace prevailed. The son pulls
on the pigtail of his sister. She turns around and tickles him to death
in the armpits. He begs her to let him loose and promises he would not
yank down her hair.
Daughter: If
you continue to yank my hair, I won’t help you with your homework. Got
it. Behave. Brother: Yes,
Sis. Whatever. Husband
returns home from work and brings two strands of jasmine flowers for his
wife and tells them to get ready for an evening out. The parents, the
children and the dog take off in the car; the driver was given the rest
of the day off. The purring
of the car fades and disappears. MIL: Look at
your son. He did not take us with him. I did so much for him. I am a
nobody in the house. FIL: What are
you talking about? You have been bossing everyone around in this house.
Even the dog and the cat treat you with deference. The cat stops mewing,
the dog stops yelping, and the cow stops mooing at your command. The
mouse is nowhere to be found. MIL: Why does
our son not take us with him? FIL: There is
no room in the car for all of us. Besides, our son would like privacy
with his family. Don’t you remember that you did not want my parents to
go with us on our outings? The mouse ran
across the kitchen, the cat chased it and the dog is nowhere to be
found. Yes, it went for an outing with the family. Pots and pans clanged
and rolled as the cat pounced in and out of them. That was enough to set
off the crankiness in high gear in grandma.
MIL: When are
we going to get rid of these pests? FIL: The
children like these three companion animals. They go only to the
children. The mouse has no fear of them and eats cheese right out of
their hands. The family
went to the beach and the children were playing boomerang and Frisbee
with the dog. The dog liked
the Frisbee because he could catch it but got frustrated with the
boomerang since it came back to the launcher. It was a fun evening for
the kids. The snack venders always gravitate to wherever the children
are. So it happened. They ate anything he sold.
They took
rides in the beach with the dog.
The orange orb of the sun was dipping into the ocean. It was time
to go back home.
Everyone
freshened up and got ready for the evening meal.
Yes, it was grandma’s cooking. MIL took pride in cooking meals
for everybody and appreciated the accolades about her cooking from the
family members, esp. the children.
She lived for that moment. Ponniamman
woke up from the bed early in the morning. It was time to milk the cows,
whose turgid udders were having spontaneous letdown of milk from the
teats. It was time to let the calf suckle and relieve the tension in the
udders. The calf ran to the udder, gave it a good muzzle-butting and
suckled eagerly. As the calf was satiated with milk, Ponniamman cleaned
the teats and milked the cow with no problem. The cow yielded enough
milk for the whole family.
Ponniamman never had to tie the legs and restrain the cow for milking.
She and the cow got along well with each other and the milk yield was
always abundant. To take up
the challenge coming from her husband, MIL once tried to milk the cow in
the past. It was a disaster. The cow hit MIL on her rump with its
muzzle. That was the end of that experimental challenge. Grandma gave up
milking the cow since then. With her bruised ego and rear end, she was
bedridden in the prone position for a few days. Guess, who took care of
her needs? Yes, it is DIL. MIL could not
stand the mouse dashing across the kitchen and her bedroom, looking at
her mockingly with front paws up in the air.
The children laughed and FIL chided them for their irreverent
laughter. The girl picked
up the mouse, stroked it gently on its back and let it go.
The cat was
the first one to get up in the house and lick the milk dripping from the
cow’s udder. The dog always followed the cat and made it hard for it to
lap the cow’s milk from the floor.
Ponniamman tied the dog to a post so it would not bother the cat.
The woman of
the house rented her bullocks for field work and earned income to pay
for the children’s education and books. Once the cow
ceased to be a milch cow from old age, Ponniamman did not sell it to the
local butcher. An animal retirement home was run by a non-profit agency,
where old animals retired to die of natural causes. There were
cases of brucellosis in the town. The vets and the doctors recommended
the public they boiled the milk before consumption. Some people drank
the raw cow’s milk and came down with the disease. Some infants and old
people died of the disease.
Ponniamman always boiled the milk before she let her family drink it.
She collected
the cow dung and made patties and slapped them on the walls of the barn.
Once the cow dung patties were bone dry, she used them as fuel for
cooking. She always washed her hands after making the patties. She found it
took too much of her time to tend to the goats and sheep. She sold them
to the marketers of goat’s milk. She worked
hard and supplemented her husband’s income to maintain a good standard
of living. The children helped her maintain a vegetable garden, where
they grew okra, brinjal (eggplant), greens and herbs for daily use in
the kitchen. One day, when
Ponniamman went to her bedroom to wake her up for coffee, she found MIL
was having stertorous breathing. FIL was fast asleep and did not even
hear her noisy breathing. MIL was unconscious. She placed a call for an
ambulance and took her to the hospital. Mil stayed there for two weeks
and luckily was not handicapped with paralysis. She recovered fully. MIL thought
if it were not for her DIL, she might have died or been paralyzed
permanently. She appreciated DIL's timely help. DIL gave the daily
medications right on time to MIL. MIL had a
change of heart and mind after so many years of putting down her DIL.
The fact she was alive and well was due to timely help she received from
her DIL. FIL was also happy
with DIL’s timely help for him to stay as a couple with his wife.
Children and the father were happy they had grandma around the house.
She had no
washer and dryer. She did all the washing and dried the clothes on the
clothes line. Luckily for her, the daughter did all the coaching and
help with the homework for her brother. Here again, a mother was in the
making. The father
walked the dog every day of the week. The father
took his parents and the family every Friday to the local temple by bus.
Once a month, he took his wife to eatery, leaving the children and his
parents at home. That was her day in the month.
March 25,
2016
Vicious Dog Attacks Husband
One day, on the way back home from the bustop (The car was in the
shop.), he was attacked by a dog a few blocks from the home and was
admitted with leg injuries and lacerations. When the family was waiting
anxiously for him, a phone call came saying he was admitted in the
hospital for lacerations. DIL rushed to the hospital and stayed by his
bedside all night long. Next day, he was discharged. He took 2 weeks to
recover from the dog bite and go back to work. Luckily for him, he did
not need rabies shots. He was on antibiotics. That was a vicious dog,
and was reported to the Kusalam City Animal Control Department. That dog
was a known biter. This time, the ACD put him to sleep, which Ponniamman
family regretted. Their own dog was people lover and always wagged its
tail even to strangers. And yet it liked to chase the cat more as a play
activity.
She was
on call, when a scheduled nurse called in sick, and worked on weekends.
She went to schools and surrounding villages, when time permitted, to
educate the people and children on hygiene, prevention and home
remedies. Mosquitoes were a menace. It was not uncommon to see persons
with mosquito borne illnesses like elephantiasis. She was a
popular educator and nurse among students and people. The students
called her nurse Ponni. Yes, she was a nurse instructor in her
children's school. Her children were proud of her services to the
community. At her home,
she had indoor toilets and running water and showers. The city water
supply was erratic and unpredictable and so she had an overhead tank to
insure constant supply of water. People who
did not have indoor plumbing used well water for toilets and showers,
and drinking water fetched from a large local pond that collected rain
water. It was full of debris, fecal matter... People boiled that water
before drinking. People who did not boil suffered from diarrheal
diseases. The well water was too brackish to drink.
Fun Times For
entertainment, people listened to the radio for music and plays, went to
the movie houses, fares… There were street performers, vaudeville…
Supple and lax-jointed adults and children showed their contortionist
displays on the streets and open spaces. Children climbed poles and
stood on heads on the upper end of the pole. People painted themselves
over the bodies looking like tigers with yellow and black stripes and
danced menacingly. Some people went from door to door taking their
dancing bears to perform for a fee. The monkey handlers squat on
the bazar street and make the monkey to do jumping, vaulting and other
tricks that delighted children and adults. To make the monkey safe for
the onlookers, the teeth were pulled out. They were fed bananas and soft
food for nutrition. Then, there were the fortune tellers with parrot,
which pulled cards with the fortune of the paying client written on it.
Bullocks were also used for entertainment. The handler went from house
to house telling stories and seeking the approval of the bullock to
which the bullock nodded its head. There were some but not many dog
shows.
There were
snake charmers with snake baskets on a street show. The charmer
plugged the fang with wax so it cannot eject the poison. Pulling the
fang was common. But it grew back. The snake charmer played a wind
instrument (Pungi) moving it sideways and in a circular fashion
pretending to charm the snake, which followed the motion of the wind
instrument with an extended hood. (The snake does not have ears
and therefore it does not hear but feels the vibration and follows the
motion of the Pungi.) It was common
to see a fight between a mongoose and a cobra arranged for a short
period by the snake charmer. The mongoose giggles and tries to sink its
teeth on the hood of hissing cobra.
Mongoose has mutations
in the nicotinic
acetylcholine receptor that
protect against snake venom.
It is common to see a fight between a leashed mongoose and a cobra
arranged for a short period by the snake charmer. The fight is short and
sweet and so the cobra does not die. In actual fight, the cobra tires
easily, while the giggling mongoose endures longer.
The circus
came to town every few years. The usual tiger, lion, elephant,
horse, and dog shows were common. The daredevil motorbike stunt rides
inside the grilled globe of death were common.
Ponniyamman dies of pneumonic Plague Ponniamman
developed flu-like symptoms with fever, headache, vomiting, cough,
shortness of breath. and spitting of bloody sputum She took
antipyretic and went to see the doctor, who put her on doxycycline on
suspicion it was pneumonic plague. A few days later, she died. she
went too late to the doctor. An autopsy was performed and specimens were
sent for laboratory analysis. The entire family, on the advice of the
doctor took prophylactic antibiotic for 7 days. She was
cremated. The family mourned for the loss, survived by MIL, FIL, husband, the children,
the dog, the cat and the mouse. The millstone fell off her shoulders and she was
liberated. Lab reports revealed that
she died of pneumonic plague. Who will milk
the cow? Who will take care of the dog and the cat? The mouse is on its
own. Who will take care of cooking, cleaning and minding the children
and the rest? Who will stand in her place, doing social work? Some
needed immediate attention. The father assumed the responsibility. The
millstone came to rest on his shoulders.
The bereft
husband’s name was
Pandiyan.
He hired a woman to do all the household duties. The children and the
grandparents were happy with her. She was a widowed woman living next
door. Not much of a commute to work. She was about two years older than
him. Luckily, no one knew her age. She looked younger than her
chronological age. The salaried woman went by the name
Kusali.
She was unlike the now dead wife of Pandiyan. FIL and MIL liked her
looks, her carriage and her dedication. The children adored her. She
made it possible for children to treat her as their mother. The dog, the
cat and the mouse were good too in their own way. The cow was very
docile when she milked it. The stage is set for a romance between
Pandiyan and Kusali. Both came from the same caste. The subcastes were
different. That did not deter MIL, FIL and Pandiyan. The stage is set
for a romance between Pandiyan and Kusali. The children were not yet initiated into the ugliness of caste
differences and hierarchy. Quickly, she
transitioned from a helper to a date and finacee of Pandiyan. They went
to movies, restaurants, parks, shopping… She became a virtual mother to
the children, taking them to school, games… She became a welcome
addition to the family and soon, they were married. The transition from
a neighbor, to home help to date and finally to a spouse was on a fast
track. She made that transition so easy for herself and for the rest of
her new family. Kusali was
from a rich family and independently wealthy. She received steady income
from her real estate. Her now deceased husband left her immense wealth,
another member of old money. Why did she take up the job of a maid in
Pandiyan household? She was really not a maid but a caretaker. She knew
the family for many years and developed a liking for it. Since she had
income coming every month, she employed servants to milk the cow and do
the household chores and sold off other animals. Though she contributed
substantially in the running of the family, she was not an arrogant
woman and boasted to none of her wealth. She treated the children as her
own and was a loving wife. The parents of Pandiyan were proud of their
new daughter-in-law. She had a college degree in Home Science. She
dedicated herself in social service in the town for two days a week. April 21,
2016
Pandiyan , the councilman Pandiyan
worked for an export and import company and could afford to commute to
work by car. His new wife encouraged him to stand in the election to
become the councilman for his district. The erstwhile councilman was
corrupt and forced to resign. The election cycle was due in the next few
months. With his wife’s popularity as a social worker, Pandiyan had good
chance of winning the elections. The families of Kusali and Pandiyan
participated in the election campaign and he was elected the councilman
for his ward. Special perks came with the job. Kusali and Pandiyan made
a vow to each other that they would not abuse the privileges that came
with the job. He drove to work every day and on his leisure time visited
the schools, hospitals, wards… to enquire and learn their needs. He was
a good councilman. With his contacts in the former position, he helped
develop commerce in the city.
The Hellhole of Corruption
The monthly
income of Pandiyan went down considerably. He told his wife to run the
family within his means. Contracts within his ward and the city need
approval of the mayor and councilmen. This was where the incipient
corruption crept in starting with the peons, councilmen, the mayor and
the contractors. Kickbacks from contractors to the ward councilman and
the mayor were common. A watchdog commission oversaw all the contracts.
That sacrosanct body became a victim of corruption. Pandiyan himself
could not eradicate the corruption root and all. This was where his wife
came in. She was fabulously rich with many buildings under her ownership
and control. Her now dead husband built the hospital, the airport, the
roads, the bridges…all under a transparent code of ethical conduct. He
made it big just being honest. Kusali wanted to do the same with her
money. Yes, she had a bank in her name (Kusali
Bank) which her late husband opened a few years before his death.
With this background, they did not need to engage in corrupt practices.
The police commissioner was
Kusali’s brother. Her other brother was one of the judges of the State
Supreme Court. How was he
with his wife eradicate the corruption in the city of Kusalam? The
forefathers of Kusali owned large tracts of agricultural land, which
became the city. The city bore a name after the forefathers:
Kusalam. Yes, Kusali owned half the
town. She knew she and her husband had to tread carefully the thicket of
corruption. Because of corruption, all the city’s public works cost a
third more than the fair price. The contractors with predatory profit
motive, used substandard material costing the city more in repairs… The
city did not develop fully and there were large agricultural land
belonging Kusali remaining unbuilt, vacant and unused for farming. She
built a park at her expense with fruiting trees, flowering plants…and
transferred the ownership to the city. The mayor opened the park and
named it, Kusalam Park. The city maintained the park. With this charity
and largess going to the city and the public, her name and fame grew.
She had more clout in the city than the mayor himself. She and Pandiyan
made sure that they did not step on the toes of authorities in the city.
Their conduct was above reproach. Pandiyan was no more Pandiyan but
Kusali’s husband. He did not mind and did not take it as an insult. His
effacement of ego was remarkable and accommodated a love for his wife.
Kusali’s respect for her husband was complete and undiminished from the
time she married him. She kept her maiden name to honor her forefathers. The governor
of the state was a close friend of Ms. Kusali. The prime and chief
ministers visited with her in her house, while visiting the city. Kusali
had no desire to hold an office in the city government. She was far away
from any corruption. But she was determined to eradicate it with the
help of her husband. She could not have a city of her forefathers be a
hellhole of corruption. Her presence was the sine qua non of all
governmental, social, and public events. Now that she married Pandiyan,
he invariably accompanied her for all events. There was a
train of sycophants, job seekers, influence peddlers, contractors, mere
citizens with grievances…lining up for an audience with her in her
office. Her secretary disposed many with polite and helpful words but
allowed people who needed grievance redress to visit with her. Whosoever
got no audience with her were referred to the city government department
and other facilities for resolution. The
businessmen, contractors, lobbyists…were always at the door to influence
Pandiyan, the councilman. They were invariably reprimanded and rebuffed.
Other councilmen or womaen spread a welcome mat, and benefitted from
them with goods and services. In return they received what they asked
for. The cozy relationship was detrimental to the city. April 25,
2016 The mayor hired known reformed crooks, put them on salary and spread them out in the city to keep a pulse on unethical and corrupt practices costing the city much wasted money. They gathered information and passed it on to the mayor. A businessman wanted to start a toothbrush manufacturing factory in the city. He hired an attorney to seek prime land at the lowest possible price, and get the license and the capital. The attorney went around scouting for the prime property. One belonged to Ms. Kusali and another belonged to co-op farming community. Kusali was in no mood or need for money to sell the vacant lot for any price. The farmers were raising pumpkins, gourds, and other succulent fruits. That was their only source of income and refused to sell the land for one lump sum. The attorney dangled to the commission the prospect of hiring many workers, engineers, technicians… for the factory, which would generate taxes for the city government. There was a generous offer of paid vacations to the weakest but greedy and susceptible members of the commission. The attorney was representing his client.
These clandestine meetings took place in restaurants. The mayor through his police commissioner bugged the best tables in the restaurants by previous arrangement and recorded inculpatory conversations between the few corrupt members and the attorney, whereby the commission members through their surrogates would intimidate the farmers and make them sell the land below fair price. The farmers filed a complaint against the surrogates for intimidation to sell the land to the businessman. A connection between the surrogates and the commission members were established. A commission member was arrested for receiving a bale of currency notes in his office. The second commission member was arrested for seeking and obtaining an engineering job for his son in the firm for approval of the factory. The third one voluntarily resigned from the commission post because he got wind of the ongoing inquiry on their malfeasance. The attorney and the businessman escaped prosecution. Having established the incriminating evidence against the remaining two commission members, the mayor removed them from their posts. That mayor was Kusalan, the brother of Kusali. When the arrests came, they did not even know the corrupted members were bugged. The case went to court: lawyers for the city vs. the councilors for the alleged culprits. The councilors for the malfeasants cast a net to catch the mayor Kusalan. A jury of peers dismissed the case against the Kusalam clan and the judge reprimanded them for their unethical behavior. Lucky for the miscreants, they did not go to jail. The drive against corruption was an ongoing problem in the city. Mayor Kusalan formed a new anticorruption panel, made of former judges, police commissioners and longstanding philanthropists. The corruption abated over many years. |