Kuttan. That was how he was popularly known as. We never cared to know his official name. Since he has never been to a class room, no one ever got to know his original name. The fact was that, like any uninformed village parents of poor back ground, his were too never bothered about sending him to a school. No child would like to be confined to the four walls of a room. Those days, the children made to sit on the hard floor of the class rooms. A serious looking adult, wielding a cane stick in one hand and a book in the other was a discomforting scene to any child. This adult was called teacher. Kuttan in our view was a lucky guy because no one forced him to wake up in the morning, get ready, take a slate and walk to the school. Even the vitamin rich lunch served in the school in the noon temped kuttan and his parents
He roamed about in our locality like a free bird. He had an envious distinction of being free from all those hardships in school. But there was a kid always attached to him. He carried the child as if a kangaroo carried its baby. He ran with us carrying the baby. The baby sat perfectly on his hip. He played hide and seek with us. He played "Thief and Police" with us. Whatever he did, the baby was an essential part. The baby had running nose. At any given time we could see two tusk like thing protruded out of the two holes of the baby's nose. Kuttan tried to clean it every time he spotted these "tusks". We children never liked this baby because he was a spoil sport. Whenever Kuttan tried to put the baby on the ground, she screamed at her lungs' full capacity. The image of a little boy running with other young children carrying a little child is still fresh in my mind.
Kuttan took his duty of looking after the baby so sincerely. It was his younger sister. His mother eked out a living by doing petty jobs. His grand mother too helped get some more paltry income. Where was his father? We wondered, but never bothered to find out. The life progressed as is usual in a village life. As time passed bye, the baby grew a little. By that time, Kuttan's mom gifted him a little brother. Dileep was his name. Everything was the rewind of what we have been seeing so far. The same running nose. The same Kuttan with the same half trousers that is fixed on the hip by tying the front part of the trousers. For an average rustic child, keeping the knicker in its position was a hard task as its repeated use would have taken away the buttons long time back.
Dileep ran with us, mounted on Kuttan's hip for another few months. We believed it was only a few months, but it could be more than a year. The third one had arrived! Dinesh. And then after a few more months, Satheesh. Kuttan brought each one of them with the same enthusiasm and sincerity. He never complained. He ran home carrying the child when we all heard a call from him home- "eda Kuttaaaaa...."
Remembering Kuttan, one incident can never be forgotten. It was routine to enact im-promtu drama when we go out to play. One day Nanu, as usual, used his limited imagination to create a small drama. In one scene, Nanu's character asks Kuttan's character : " Where is Kittu?". Pat came the reply from Kuttan : "Kittu ippa anga poye ollu"!! That was how he delivered the dialogue. It was not in the script. The translation of this dialogue that he delivered in typical Cherthala slang is Kittu has just left! This is the dialogue that was 'hallmarked" in the memories of our beloved friend Kuttan
As the time passed by, everyone grew up. Stepped into adolescence and then deeply ensconced in finding a way forward in life. Kuttan's many friends failed to clear the first big hurdle- the 10th examinations. Nothing affected Kuttan. By that time Deepa, Dileep, Dinesh and Satheesh became big enough to walk independently. Like their eldest brother, they followed the same path that their beloved brother walked. The beaten bath, we should say. He has not become an achiever, if achievement means S class sedan, a posh villa in the outskirts of a city, a job that fetches a fat remuneration and a nuclear family that does not care for the outside world. Yes,he was a miserable failure when we use this yardstick to measure success.
Kuttan is the victim of his parents' indifference. It is quiet disturbing to think that his parents, rather than thinking of his welfare, were more concentrated on bringing in more members to their family. As the population increased in the family, the resources had to be divided among all the members. This brought down the overall progress of that family. Kuttan still walks on the earth, without a good job and earnings. His standard of living could have been improved if his parents thought of school. The story could have been entirely different if his parents stopped at the birth of Deepa
Look at the other side. There, children are born with silver spoons in their mouth. Those who could afford, take their pregnant wives to USA to give birth to an American citizen. The care and comfort the well to do parents shower on their children is a matter for envy. They send their children to the best school in the locality. The children live a worry less life. The affectionate papa uses his credit cards to make the child's life a bed of roses. Still, there are so many parents in this world where parents just ignore how their children grow up. It is not ignorance but the lack of time to look after their children's interest. They have lot to worry about like bank balance, promotions and increments. In the quest for professional achievements, they may hardly get time for their children. But, their children never become a Kuttan because, the power of money buys them a medical or engineering seat anywhere in the world.
By the way, I should mention an incident that may not necessarily link to what has been written above. One day while watching the Mahabharat TV serial, my 11 years old son asked me when will Ravanan appear! There is where our life has reached now. Never mind, I shall push him to the maximum to get A+ in his examinations. Even if he does not get it, I will ensure that he joins a premier professional college and become successful in his life. What business Ravanan has got in these scheme of things?
