DESERTED PORCH/ Story by Kadayam Balan – Translated by sengani thene

கடையம் பாலன் எழுதிய காலியான திண்ணை என்ற சிறுகதையை செங்கனிதேன் ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழி பெயர்த்துள்ளார்.

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‘’Hey, Muthusamy is coming to our village…’’
‘’He’s coming from Chennai.’’
‘’Ayyo,[ a feel of surprise with anxiety] He’s going to bring Corona with him.’’
‘’How is he coming when there’s no bus service?’’
‘’In some transport, ’’lorry’’, I guess.
‘’Yes, If he’s allowed inside the village he’ll spread corona.’’
‘’ Mmm, He should never be allowed inside the village’’
‘’Better , Let him be sent to the college for quarantine .’
‘’Hey, He is coming only after staying in that college.’’ ‘’ All the test have been taken already.’’
‘’He stayed there for only three days. But there are chances for spreading corona for another fourteen days. So we should never allow him inside the village for fourteen days .Let’s go and stop him at the outskirt of the village.’’
This discussion went only on that porch which was filled with stumps of beedi [a type of village smoke]. Some slept on that porch the previous night and they started moving by wiping their faces with their towels. All were going to the outskirt as if they were going for a battle.
‘’Sure he’ll come by a car. Hey, Cut a tree to block the road as he should have no entry.’’
‘’Within a few minutes the road was completely blocked by the trunk of a prosopis juliflora [seemai karuvelam] and boulders lifted from his own uncultivated land, to stop him .
In a few minutes Muthusamy came in a car. He thought that that arrangement was done for the safety of the village. He was surprised to know that it was done against his arrival.
‘’Annachchi [respectful way of addressing an elder], you are really close to us and you’ve done very many good things to the village. For the village sake please go away. Come back when this Corona gets completely wiped out from the face of the society.’’
‘’Hey, you all, I’ve built a very big house and I’m going to stay only inside that house . I’ll never be a problem to any one of you.’’
‘’It’s not like that Annachchi. We are almost old and we needn’t worry about ourselves but we have to think about our children. [They were speaking without seeing his face]. So…..’’
Meanwhile the news reached the police station and four of them reached the place on their motor bikes.
‘’Hey, this elderly person is going to be inside his house only, so no one will get affected. Clear the blocks. Let him go.’’
‘’You’ll support him, But, If anything happens, who‘ll speak for us. we’ll forcefully be taken to the hospital and we we’ll be treated as orphans there.’’
‘’Sir, I don’t like to go inside the village. Please arrange for me a rented house in the nearby city’’.
‘’ When you are not allowed in your own village, how will the city people give you a house to stay’’.
‘’Should I go back to the college then?’’
‘’ Ayya, [respectful form of addressing an elderly person] the government will never allow you.’’
Muthusamy stood there in confusion not knowing what to do.
‘’Hey!, Are you going to allow him in or should we file a case against you?’’. The police’s appeal changed to a warning.
All started to disperse slowly. The police escorted Muthusamy untill he reached his house.
‘’Ayya, We’ll arrange whatever you want. Please be inside your house for two weeks.’’
Muthusamy entered his house. Bits of beedies and used matchsticks littered over his porch as torsos. They were the reckless droppings of the people who slept there yesterday night.
It was his own native .The luxury of his life was the boon that he got from Chennai city. Though he started living in Chennai, he would get his peace of mind, only when he visited his village. Most often he would help his village in disguise. He had two daughters. The elder one settled in abroad. He started to live with his second daughter as-if he was her son after the demise of his better half (wife). It was ten years back, he had demolished his old house and built that big house according to the Tamil custom with a porch.
‘’Don’t extend porch. Some will make use of it day and night and it will invite us unnecessary problems.’’ His wife used to say.
‘’We extend the porch only for peoples utility and it should speak for our identification. Even if we are not here, this porch will remind them our presence’’, He put an end to his wife’s words.
According to his anticipation, this porch was mostly occupied by people both day and night as a common area but now was completely deserted. Even no one came near the house. The window in the adjacent wall was nailed by his neighbour as well. People in his street took the roundabout route in order to avoid his house. Only the Policeman purchased the essential things for him. He felt strange to see his porch without people. So he ordered for flower pots and arranged them neatly over there. He watered them regularly. The saplings started growing and some of the table rose plants started flowering extending their red soft petals. Muthusamy didn’t even realise the period of that fifteen days having moved so fast.
‘’Annachchi, fourteen days got over. Corona will never spread from you now’’.
‘’You can move and talk freely with us as usual’’.
‘’Come, Periappa [father’s elder brother], Let’s go to the field and come back.’’
‘’Annachchi, Please visit the temple hall once that you have built.’’
‘’Grandpa, Come and name my new born baby with a good name.’’
Every one tried to renew their relationship with Muthusamy.
Muthusamy started talking.
‘’Thank you very much for your kind invitation. But, What about Corona….’’
‘’No, Annachchi, Corona will not spread from you anymore .’’
‘’No, Thambi ! [a common way of addressing the younger.] I’ve got no Corona to spread to anyone. But you may have got corona to infect me. Besides, you didn’t either take the corona test or being in seclusion. So, Let me keep myself secluded.’’ The words were only from his lips not from his heart. He repeated the same statement to the persons who came to sleep in his porch that same night.
Days back, Muthusasmi’s porch was littered with stumps of used beedi and matchsticks. But now, it is scattered with dried leaves and flowers…
People in that village somehow understood the importance of social distancing due to Muthusami’s action.