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| Palla with Linet |
He was a late-arrival! On 18th July 1969 as my mom had delivered a baby boy, there was a mood of celebration at home. But mom was not at ease...there was someone still there within...kicking and struggling to find a way out into the world! The mid-wife gave up citing ‘complication’, so dad brought the Doctor from the nearby health centre and at 5.00 PM, PAUL, the twin brother of Peter announced his arrival with a cry of pain! Pain, because in the process of being ‘pulled out’, he suffered a fracture on his right hand.
Unfortunate he was from the start: to be the younger of the twins, born with fractured right hand- which was again fractured as our notorious naughty Baptist dattu ran over it and to make it worse one day 'Karbas', his favourite bull too hurt his hand badly, he was deprived of school to work in the field (he could attend only upto class-V), once his eye almost gone as the end of the umbrella poked into..and finally when our dad died he had to say ‘yes’ to Baptist dattu’s ideas when he himself had better ones!
But Paul who is better known as PALLA, was sharp, shrewd and what I would call- ‘worldly-wise’. Though he lacked formal education, yet he was a wise manipulator and an intelligent manager of home-affairs. He is a ‘fighter’: depriving me of mother’s milk (as the twins were born within 18 months of my birth), fighting for milk- if not of mom, even of Coses aunty or Chimbri or Lokakka..., his deep resounding male voice when given full volume- putting the enemies in the neighbourhood to a sense of fright...!
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| Pritam, Primal and Mitchelle(from left) |
He is a fearless farmer: at the division of the property, he opted to build the house just in front of the dilapidated and condemned Hindu temple against the advice of many men of superstition, not afraid of the ghosts or spirits believed to be haunting the vicinity, hunting the wild-bores and chasing away the notorious rogue monkeys, fishing at a time when any man of prudence would opt to sleep under the warm blanket, felling the trees and selling the timber in ‘black market’- ready to face the forest-force squad and penalty thereof...!
10th May 1 (997: is a bitter-sweet day in Palla’s life- Our mom was overjoyed at the triple occasion of my First Holy Eucharist as a Priest, Peter marrying Hilda, Paul marrying Linet. The whole village and the neighbourhood were invited for the reception held in our field. Paul as an efficient manager had planned in consultation with Baptist dattu, all the arrangements: the reception, band party, the food, drinks and so on... Our Palla danced too with Linet that day. Yes, he was in the seventh heaven that night I believe... The next day as usual he got up early and went to the cowshed to greet the buffaloes, cows and bulls. He was shocked to see them all lying and not responding and demanding the feed! Something had badly gone wrong. He knew at once. He was inconsolable as 4 of the buffaloes dead and the rest were badly gone ill. It was a food-poison case. He loved them as his own kids...they were no more... So whenever I remind him of the wedding, he remembers and rues over the loss of his kids in the cowshed!
He has moved on from then. Hard work has yielded fruits. His business in dairy, dealings in river sand and clandestine sale of timber has yielded dividends. The house is bustling with love and laughter as three of his kids: Pritam (class-viii), Mitchelle (Class-vi) and Primal (class-ii) have been energising his aging mind and body! What’s more- Mom is too pleased to be with him receiving his tender and affectionate care after she suffered a stroke almost three years ago.
When it comes to Yakshagaana, Bull-race (popularly known as 'kamabala'), the village-melas, Palla is foremost to set out. He was a proud owner of racing buffaloes once upon a time. It is recalled even today, when his buffaloes won the medal- he drank a full bottle of beer and ordered the waiter in Tulu- 'onji plate cha bokka onji glass bajil korle' (bring a plate of tea and a glass of beaten-rice). ...Hats off to Palla. The villagers are reminded of Lt. Mr. Marian D'Silva, our dad in his personality- intelligent, efficient manager, business acumen, worldly-wise, jovial and at the same time serious to the core when it comes to accomplishing the task at hand! That’s the greatest complement any son may get. And we your brothers and sisters are proud of you.
He has moved on from then. Hard work has yielded fruits. His business in dairy, dealings in river sand and clandestine sale of timber has yielded dividends. The house is bustling with love and laughter as three of his kids: Pritam (class-viii), Mitchelle (Class-vi) and Primal (class-ii) have been energising his aging mind and body! What’s more- Mom is too pleased to be with him receiving his tender and affectionate care after she suffered a stroke almost three years ago. 
We Will Miss You... So we Wish You: ‘Farewell’
the love and guidance of their elders and friends.
