A Song of Silence

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. Mother Teresa

 It was almost afternoon, my eyes searched for her since the morning I reached Tiruvalla. There she stood clad in a traditional mundu and a blouse with a piece of cloth called vaishti on her shoulder. She still looked the same, a few wrinkles crisscrossed her beautiful face. She stood near the washing stone, her gentle smile and her raised eyebrows were sure signs to enquire about our wellbeing.  On moving closer I saw her lost weight, and sunken eyes that spoke volumes. Her stomach moved in and out as fast as the puffing engine, her nostrils flared to swallow the air in and throw it out at an alarming rate.  Kalyani has been working for more than thirty years for my in laws as a maid, but is specialised in washing clothes.

I met her for the first time after my marriage when she was young, fair and very beautiful, but the most striking gesture was her smile covering her well set teeth. She could wash clothes better than anyone else. Early morning every one of us had to line our clothes in separate buckets near the washing area in the yard. She would come and soak these and go to the neighbouring house to wash some more clothes. The houses are far off, at least half a kilometer away. She would rush back, the scorching sun would turn her face pink, but she never minded it, she would brief my mother in law who sat on the porch with the news around. She would be given black coffee called ‘Katan kapi’ and breakfast of ten idlis or dosas. She would eat a little, but would drown the food with the black coffee. Then she would unroll a small packet kept securely in the rolls of her mundu around the waist and chew bettlenut, perhaps these things kept her agile and active as she needed to be on the go. She would always smile at the kids calling them lovingly. She had married Moni a labourer who also visited us to clean the huge field lying behind the house. He helped in picking the coconuts and stacking the dried leaves and wood in the work area, adjacent to the kitchen useful for heating water.

This visit  I met her daughter in law Seani who was helping my mother in law with the household chores. She is dark with a glowing healthy skin, gleaming eyes, and wore chunks of gold. She sometimes brought  her young daughter who was a student and was around twelve years old. Kalyani belonged to Vengal in Tiruvalla. I happened to see the beautiful place while driving, it is filled with open grounds and greenery.

Kalyani had completed her tenth from the local government school yet took up washing clothes as an occupation. She is blessed with five daughters and a son, Babu. Kalyani as a young girl was a bright student yet was saddled to Moni. I had asked her what made her marry Moni, to which she replied that it was a mutual exchange match where Moni’s sister married her brother.

 She began a life of difficulties with Moni at Vengal. I remember Moni calling her out lovingly as he threw a few of the coconuts and the dried leaves atop the coconut tree asking her to tie it up for home. He was frail and thin, with pan stained teeth, but Kalyani looked up to him for support and help. Kalayani's love for him was above the pan stained teeth as he was considerate and understood her feelings. Their life of  hardships was overcome through their togetherness.

Her favourite  place of work was at a Christian home in Kovoor. The family made her feel at home and treated her with warmth. She was able to marry her daughters off because of the job at Kovoor that has been a part of her for the past thirty five years. Once Kalyani was severely sick and was admitted at the Kottyam Medical hospital attached to the Medical College.  Kalyani felt that was her closing stage, but she recovered miraculously and her expenditure was borne by the family at Kovoor who believed in Charity as a measure in acquiring God’s mercy.

With time she found the people for whom she worked had grown old just as she had. One of the days, the bonding as a maid had undeniably turned her into a family member, when the lady of the house suffered from a stroke. She looked up to Kalyani for help and Kalyani turned into a nursing help for her. Now in her busy schedule, she included the time for the lady. She remembered the lady’s timely help when she fell sick and could not think of any other way of repaying the debt.She would come back home for short periods and manage the work at our home. 

A few years back Moni was detected with a cancer, in spite of the treatment and care, he succumbed to the disease. Kalyani was dejected for many days. Then life came back to normalcy as she had responsibilities in life, the lady at Kovoor who looked forward to her help. Her life was above her own, it was for the service or maybe love for people. It reminded me of  Mother Tersa’s saying:

“Charity and love are the same -- with charity you give love, so don't just give money but reach out your hand instead.”  ― Mother Teresa