Dad and vegetables

I was sorting the vegetables my husband had got around 10pm. I was exhausted and there were 2 bags of vegetables. I was mad that he got so much on the middle of week. It looked like it would last for 2+ weeks.

I was grumpy and was telling why he had to buy so much when he could have gotten it fresh every week. Dad was nearby and he said, you should be thankful for these vegetables. He said arulmani annan would say that it is grace that vegetables end up in your home. From the farm to the market and then to our home. As he walks inside the market, he sees only God's grace and goodness all around.

I perked up to see him and nodded that I agreed too. He was right. Dad continued, 'once Gospel Rathan were on a trip and got enough rice for the journey. They thought they could get some veggies on the way. But they travelled nearly 500 kms, but couldn't find a single vegetables shop or a tea shop! I asked why? Dad said those people didn't have vegetables...

Must have been a dry land I assumed. Well, so I resumed sorting and storing my veggies in the fridge, thanking God for his mercies and grace for the veggies! 

Dad's cycle story

Dad was distributing tracts on the road to passerbys. This was way back in the year 1969 or 1970. There were few who intently accepted and asked questions.

One person however lingered longer. His eyes were filled with tears. Dad took him along separately and talked about God's love and salvation. That man must have been in his thirties. He was working in a school as a part time teacher for seeing for tholil kalvi. He walked to school 7 kms one way. He had been married for 13 years and had been childless. He said his wife was the only daughter of a village head. Afraid that her daughter will be barren in this marriage, he had taken his daughter away for another marriage the previous week.  He was heartbroken. His questions were simple. Will I get my wife back. 2. Will my job get permanent? 3. I need a cycle to travel to school every day. Will God help me get it.

Dad answered, if he clung to Christ alone, he will give the desires of his heart.  Dad was led by the spirit to give his cycle to him. It was his only means. But he told him, to take the cycle and trust God to meet his needs.

The man was overwhelmed and he left with new strength. Dad met him after 15 years. He was in the same cycle. He jumped with joy and came happily to dad. He said that same week, his wife came back to him all by herself. They now had 3 children, who were all in school. That same year his job got permanent. His father in law got baptised and their villagers accepted Christ.  They had built a church with tower too!

Dads first jobs

The first job that dad worked was in... Near cbe. Peripa (his elder brother) had referred him. It  was a panchayat union school. There were no hotels in the area. Bhavani river flowed through. Dad took bath there. The food was served in panchayat leader house. During the first meeting, he asked what varnam you belong too. Dad said chennimalai mudaliyar , he lied. He saw people outside the house standing in line and drinking something in charatai(coconut shell). It was washed and turned over for drying. The next day he noticed that the same was used to serve the men outside. When dad asked who they were, the panchayat leader replied some caste people.

Dad worked 28 days in that school as headmaster. He went to the Panchaya office and asked if he can get his original certificates that he had submitted, so that he can take a photo copy. They let him have his certificates. It was a Friday. He placed a leave letter for Monday inside the register and came straight to idanyangudi!

Wishes come true

When people wanted me to marry when I was in US, I wasn't for it. I used to ask myself why...and somehow I wasn't comfortable.

I wanted someone, who will speak the same language with my parents. Someone who listens to their stories and can relate to them. Someone who can sing fmpb songs! Lol

These were in my  deep down silly desires. Too silly to be told to anyone.
But God knows the desires of your heart! After the few troublesome years, God restored and gave back double of what we had lost! I have told thay to my close friends and family..but only now penning it down. 

My hubster loves listening to my dad's stories. Infact dad tells him lot of things. Though most of it are ones I have heard earlier, dad says with great josh and my guy guy listens attentively even though he has now heard the repeated stories often!

They can talk for hours, and I have to remind and shoo them off to bed, as it's past mid night!

Thanking God from the bottom of my heart!

Dad's stories

Dad has a meeting in thirupur this pongal holidays. My husband was asking where and that's when the story unfolded.

150 years ago, 2 doctors, finished frcs in England. One was an Indian and the other a rich English. They decided to dedicate their life for the Indian poor people. They sold their wealth and bought land in India near thirupur. The speciality of the place was, no one was  paid. And only those who haven't married can work there.  They had school and hospital built. There were two separate houses for the two doctors. They wore a vetti and banian. Simplicity was their life style.   They also wrote the will, such that the only folks who satisfy above condition can stay there.

A doctor called Raja joined them..but now they are all long dead and no one to continue the service with such passion that those 2 early doctors had. It is with NMS now. They have an auditorium which is rented out for meetings. This is the story of thirupur asram.

John D Britto, came some 500 years back. He spoke the word of God and as a result, the King decided to take baptism. Brito declined as he had 5 wives. They were princess of the neighboring Kingdoms. The King sent 4 of them back. This infuriated the Kings of the neighboring Kingdoms and they decided to kill Britto. They caught him, while he gathered for baptising people and cut his hands,legs , head and nailed each part on a tree.

Those days, 2 third of what was caught by fishermen was taken in by the small Kings of the land . ( Sitarasargal)
As a result fishermen suffered a lot. Brito informed the Governor of Goa and he brought in an army. They stood along the shore and prevented the small Kings from getting the fishes. Thus many fishermen were saved. Many took baptism and their generation still are. Some may lack deep understanding of scripture.

Dad's childhood

Lilybel was blabbering in her sweet voice. Dad remarked, yazhinidhu, kural inidhu enbar, tham mazhazhai sol kelathavar'.

Dad then said he knows lot of thirukural. Though he doesn't like studying, he had infact studied lot of thirukural, that he remembers them till date! He fondly reminscended an incident when he was a kid. He never did his homework. He never had answers for the questions his Tamil teacher asked. And he was always made to stand up on the bench. So dad used to get up on the bench the moment he entered. His Tamil teacher asked why are you standing on the bench, he used to reply, I don't have any answers for I didn't study.  This happened frequently, that the master got angry and got up from his chair with raised hand to beat dad. As he stepped near, he seemed to have sprained his hand and stepped back moaning because of pain! I said this reminded me of the King on old testament who raised a hand against a prophet and was paralysed! We both laughed. Seems God had plans for him that time itself. From that time onward, the master was careful in handling dad!

We were talking about tirukural for Amy and the things they were taught in school. Dad said he never understood his essays. He used to go to theri with his bag and write the heading of essays in small papers. He would then bury them in sand. And ask God to help him select 5 essays. The 5 essays he selected would be memorised word by word and he would write it down by heart. Thankfully those 5 essays are the only ones that came in the sslc exams. He cleared the exam too? Same thing happened for his teacher training, where out of 100 essays, he nailed the 5! 

He then detailed how he went to Thisayanvilai, 2 kms from idaiyankudi give it for a Catholic School interview. The father said, he has to come again for the interview wearing pants. Dad owned only vetti. He can get a pant cloth in tirinelveli, but it was 40 kms away. And you don't get readymade pants. So it has to be stitched. That would take time. So dad didn't pursue that job. Soon he was offered a govt job in uthumalai as a headmaster, teaching 3,4,5 std! It worked well as it was a govt job!

Dad as a kid
Dad used to hide some masala items,oil in the garden( thotam) he had some favorite trees guava, mango etc. Where he used to climb and sit on a branch for hrs. He always had a catpult in one of his pocket. He used to catch squirrels, remove their skin, apply masala and roast them in fire and eat. His partner in crime was his cousin periyadurai, who also had a catpult in his pocket always!