THE IVORY
COMB.
(Translation of Ananda Rao Patnaik’s Telugu
Story ‘Kommu Duvvena’
by
S.V.Rama Rao)
***
On the black tar macadam road, the white
car was rushing ahead. Even sitting in
Air Conditioner car tuned with Lofez music
from the stereo, Randy Ankalam
(nickname for Rama Krishna) was vexed due
to horrible condition of the Indian Hi-ways. He thought about the four lane and
six lane hi-ways in America India
The car reached Srikakulam. Rande’s throat
became clutched. The chauffer stopped the
car near a big shop. He went into the shop
and returned instantly. Mineral water bottle was available, but it was not cool
due to power failure. Rande thought “shit” within himself. It was the tenth
time he felt so. “Let it be” he said indignantly. The car picked up speed.
At 1.00’clock postmeridian time, the car
reached Omarville a small hamlet. It appeared like a maiden clad in
embellishing light green colored Sari (a garment worn by Indian woman). The
cuckoo lurking behind tree branches whistled signifying its presence. Long
after many days Rande heard Cuckoo’s voice. Crow was seen instead of cuckoo. A
mango tree short in stature but chubby in its growth was seen fully flowered.
Once grand old man Somulu told that if the mango flowers are rubbed with both
palms it works wonders in the event of Snake bites. Somulu was the peon in the
school belling the gong. He forcibly suppressed his desires of rubbing the
mango-flowers, though he came there in VVIP status
Crowds of people thronged over there in
cues. Some married women came in front with
camphor waves. They applied vermillion mark
on Rande’s fore head. The vermillion powder dropped on his white shirt. The
scene appeared like the still clouds beneath the clear sky. He controlled his
twits by pressing his teeth. All clasped with their hands. Two young girls clad
in skirts and falls presenting bouquets greeted him with salutations
He saw in the news paper that during his
visit to Hyderabad Bill Clinton lifted the girls,
who presented to him bouquets, with his
arms and kissed them. Though he wanted to do so, he abandoned the idea,
apprehending his dress would be spoiled. Then the media will play the same news
item and replicate Bill Clinton. The two girls appeared like grown up colts. Having
been fed up seeing bald hairs, he was fascinated seeing the wealth of their
-2-
bushy hairs. He disliked the modern girls’
palms painted with reddish brown paste of Henna leaves (Lawsonia inermis of the
loosestrife family)-Recently the TV channels, finding no credible news, are telecasting,
as a matter of routine, incidents relating to the elopement of the daughters of
cine stars, the demise of old parents, marrying for the third time for mirth
and revelry, and the abusive activities of cine actors.
Rande thought that he should not become the
fuel for such kind of sacrificial fire.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was over. The
photographer took snaps from different angles. Rande exhibited different poses
with smiling face. He has to preserve the enlarged photos in his house. He
entered the health camp there. Baskets of fruits and sweets packets were
brought from the car. Those were distributed among the patients. Again photos
were taken. The patients’ eyes glittered expecting that he might also
distribute Dollar bills.
Under the canopy of the shed specially
built, the meeting was started. Amarvilli was the birth place of his mother
where she grew up. Rande declared that he had adopted that village. There were
no limits to the happiness of the people there. They thought that this village
would change its shape like New York Los Angeles
The car started. The villagers asked him to
take food before he was about to leave. Rande was bewildered. Can he live after
taking food, inhaling the air and drinking water of that place? His body quivered.
He delicately declined the request. The innocent people thought that, that day
being “Magha Saptami” the dignitary would not eat food until he viewed Lord Sun
in Arasavilli Sun Temple
“Sir! Please drink green coconut water” one
of the villagers entreated Rande.
Before he accorded consent, they gave a
green coconut after chopping and piercing it with a sharp knife. The coconut
water was cool and sweet. His fatigue disappeared. He wanted to drink water of
another coconut, but some how Rande suppressed his desire.
While on his way back, Rande had sniffed
the flavour of green-gram-cakes being fried
in Kaka’s hotel. During his childhood his
maternal uncle used to give those cakes there.
After giving him belly full of cakes, his
uncle used to take him into his arms and was kissing and he was feeling
obstruction in his throat, his uncle was giving water in nickel metal tumblers
to drink.
Recollecting the song of Sri Sri, his mind
became agitated. ”We have to reach before the closure of the Bank” ordered
Rande to the driver. He did not respond but the treeing wheel indicated
response to his commend. The car was running just like the black rock snake
devouring the road. Within a short time, the car stopped in front of the Bank
Rama Krishna had taken a locker in the
joint account of his father and himself.
-3-
When his parents-in-law visited America
That bundle of Dollar currency notes was
the one given by him to his father. He remembers well about the hand kerchief
with which the note-bundle was wrapped. Why did not father spend the money?
Would it not equate with the ivory comb? The green notes contained the photo of
former President Lincoln of America
Ankalam Appa Rao was an ideal teacher of
the village. All his pupils rose to high positions. In such a case, how will
not his only son would not be like his father.
Ramakrishna studied Engineering.
Immediately thereafter he got a job. Then there was a queue of the parents of
prospective brides. Police Commissioner Kanaka Rao cleared the queue by dint of
his power and pelf and succeeded to get Ramakrishna as his son-in-law.
A very high corporate job, the two storied
building given by his in-laws and the beautiful wife did not satisfy him in
life. His desire to reach the top square of “Vaikunta Pali” (the gambling chess
board) by climbing the ladders provided there on, has turned into holocaust for
him. Though his father provided him food, clothing and education, he was
fretful towards his father.
He was looking at his parents like corpses
to be carried on biers
Like the Hindi cinema apparels – Pyjama and
Lalchi- when asked to wear, this old teacher was used to wear a Dhoti and torn
Banian. Ramakrishna was annoyed towards his father.
Due to brain drain many of the Doctors and
Engineersar5e drifting towards America California India
“Sir the time is over. We have to close the
strong room” respectfully told the Bank Officer. The Bank expected Rama Krishna
to open a Fixed Deposit.
-4-
Rama Krishna took out the articles from the
Locker and put those in his briefcase and started in his car. His thoughts re-
rolled back into the past.
The telephone buzzed. While hearing from
other side, his eye brows raised up and down with astonishment. Within five
minutes he was in Police Station. After talking with the Inspector he brought
his father home.
Appa Rao master used to go for strides in
the morning. But on that day the Police on patrolling duty found Appa Rao
putting his hand in a drain in front of a big hole and pulling something. They
caught him but he didn’t say about despite repeated questioning.
The Inspector’s words stunned Rama
Krishna. Rama Krishna doesn’t talk to
his father unless required. He told this incident to his mother and Rama Krishna
was astonished hearing her words. The incident of previous day, Rama Krishna
recollected.
The two California
Master took out a comb from his pocket and
brushed his hairs. Even in that ripe age, Master’s hair was thick and black.
The comb was not penetrating. His hair
style was just like the thick forest wealth of Nallamalla mountains. But Rama
Kirshna has thin hair growth. Master tells jocularly to his wife that Rama
Krishna resembles his maternal uncle.
Rama Krishna observed that his mother
exhibited indignation with cock nose.
But in his family in America
“Dear Boy! Comb your hair a little Dad”
Rama Krishna remained silent after hearing
his father’s words. The father combs his hair with the comb. Though there were many
Jessore made combs in his house, Appa Rao master brushes his hairs only with
the Ivory comb. When the father combed his hairs in front of friends, Rama
Krishna got offended and protested with his left hand. The comb fell into the
drain.
In the wee hours of the morning, his father
went to the drain to retrieve the comb and the Police saw him there. Was that
comb so great? Rama Krishna took out the
comb from his brief case. Such combs are only manufactured in Parlakhemidi of
Odisha. The combs are manufactured with animal horns and elephant tusks.
-5-
Rama Krishna felt warm when he touched his
father’s hand holding the comb. It is difficult for a school teacher to provide
education to his son in engineering course. The teacher with great difficulty
sent his son for study tour with his friends to Kerala. On his return Rama
Krishna saw his mother wearing a turmeric thread in her neck in place of the
sacred Mangala Sutram (Gold discs tied to yellow thread or necklace fastened to
indicate marriage)..
Rama Krishna’s body quivered when
lachrymatory drops rolled on his cheeks. Will the feelings of compassion
disappear from the heartless butcher like Rama Krishna? Since the driver didn’t
notice him, Rama Krishna managed to sit aright, while the car wheels were
rotating at high speed.
Finally the efforts of Rama Krishna gave
fruits. He got a job in America
child. His in-laws went to the States for 6
months. He arranged Pass
Ports
his parents. But the school teacher did not
agree to travel to continents across oceans.
Rama Krishna’s neighbours in America America
It was inevitable for Rama Krishna to come
to his birth place, after the demise of his mother. After the obsequies, he planned
return trip to USA India
know about his father’s welfare
There is America India America
Excepting that this has enriched him much
more but he is feeling mentally poor like the
people born poor. He has the feeling that
all the Telugu people in America
-6-
“Sir we have arrived at the Hotel” told the
driver humbly.
“Oh! So early we reached Vizag (short name
for Visakhapatnam beach of Bay of Bengal
The sun has set. The whole city is covered
with black veil. The stars in the blue sky were twinkling like glazing powder
dust sprinkled. The fourth day moon was dull. On full moon night (Purnima) and the full dark nights the
Sea becomes rough due to high tidal waves. But on this fourth day of lunar
fortnight the sea appears calm on this day. The anchored ships were swinging.
Sitting in the Air conditioned room, Rama Krishna
was drinking Scotch whisky He brought ‘Royal Salute’ from the States. In India
The teacher’s hand writing was just like
the pearls. It did not contain about his daily chores. The pages were filled up writing important
events .Rama Krishna felt curious reading page
after page.
After gulping a large peg of whisky, Rama
Krishna pulled the bowl containing Cashew nuts. It was 3’O clock in the night.
The long hand is galloping to catch the small hand.
The small needle was looking askance while
trying to stop the villain like long hand.
The small hand is looking at this type of atrocity
with eyes wide open towards the numbers in the clock.
The bottle and the bowl are empty. His head
also became empty. Reading
That was Andhra-Odisha border. The road was
full of pot holes. The car stopped. He ate some cakes in a road side thatched
stall. Drank some water with a steel tumbler and saw some flowers on the road
side and brought some fragrance with him.
-7-
The driver became curious. What a
difference between yesterday’s master and today’s Sahib? After a few moments,
the car reached Parlakhmundi. It stopped in front of a tiled house. A portion
of the house was in dilapidated condition.
According to the details mentioned in his
father’s diary he was to reside in his own village, as neighbour of Ranjit
Maharana in Palace street
On the verandah of this house, dolls are
sold. They are made of horns. Dolls of cranes; monkeys; elephants; fishes and
females with water pots on heads are placed in glass almirahs. Poor man was
thinking that somebody had come to purchase the dolls.
“Is it the house of Ranjit Maharana”
questioned Rama Krishna.
“Yes Sir. This is that house. Please come
in.” Maharana was unable bear his
pleasure when he saw a big car coming to such a small house to purchase dolls.
He thought that his name was famous in that town.
“Is my father stay here?”
Maharana became thunderstruck. “Your father
means..?”
“Appa Rao Master” replied Rama Krishna calmly.
“He is here. Come” he called “Dad Dad”.
Maharana became jubilant feeling that Lord Krishna had visited his boy friend
Kuchela. Rama Krishna was stepping up the verandah. his fore head struck a rafter of the low roof
causing a contusion. The elders told to bow down while growing taller and
taller. Bowing like that he went inside the house. The master was sleeping on a
cot. Master saw Rama Krishna. Master’s eye became dark. He saw Rama Krishna by
putting his palm above the eyes. The darkness disappeared. That scene was like
a Yogi liberated from sins in the lap of sun rays. “Daddy I have come for
ever”. There is something unknown to Maharana’s children who were witnessing
the scene. They thought that a person resembling their father came to their
house and if their father wears a suite and boots, then he will be like the
visiting guest.
During one summer when Appa Rao master came
to his village with his wife, he met his old friend Chinna Maharana. He had a
large family. She delivered then a male child. That baby needed a female
support. Master’s wife adopted that child.
Chinna Maharana is a good craftsman. He
carves out dolls from buffalo horns for sale.
His hand was so miraculous that the hearing
the sounds of his chisel, the horns used to turn into rare artifacts. Those
were exported to foreign countries and kept in big hotels.
-8-
While giving adoption of Ramakrishna Chinna
Maharana gave some dolls and an ivory comb and expressed his desire to comb the
hairs of his little son every day so that he will have the feeling that he
himself was combing him, because he cannot go to the town often. His friend’s
desire was not so big. The master assured to keep up his request. .
Some unseen dust on the head may conceal.
But lice and dandruff spread over the hairs like the stems of lotus only the
comb cleans all these insects and provides beautiful hair style to the head.
The comb, made from ivory, was firm, strong
and reeked of quality. Even after all these years the teeth were present in
full, and showed no sign of wear. For Ramakrishna, the comb held special
significance, as he believed it helped to purge him of his shortcomings. He
felt as if using the comb cleansed him of his pride and vanity, instilling in
him a sense of humility and gratitude. To this day, nobody knows of his having
read his father’s diary.
Having decided to come back to his homeland, Ramakrishna opened a
software company in Vizag and has named it ‘Sundaram’, after his mother.
Ramakrishna’s little daughter is intensely fond of her grandpa and is almost
always to be found by the old man’s side. She is affectionately called Chinna.
The town of Amarville US
Situated on the beach road in Vizag is a store, ‘The Comb’. It has its
name written prominently on a large signboard which also has a picture of an
ivory-comb painted on it. In the store, various artifacts made of horn and
ivory are on sale. Tourists find the store very attractive, as rarely anywhere
else does anyone come across such beautiful and unique works of art, made
entirely from horn and ivory. The store also has orders coming in from abroad.
Ranjit Moharana is the proud owner of the store.
Ramakrishna is paying back his gratitude towards his father by taking
very good care of him during his hour of need. His father is now a happy man.
The comb, made from ivory, was firm, strong and reeked of quality. Even
after all these years the teeth were present in full, and showed no sign of
wear. For Ramakrishna, the comb held special significance, as he believed it
helped to purge him of his shortcomings. He felt as if using the comb cleansed
him of his pride and vanity, instilling in him a sense of humility and
gratitude. To this day, nobody knows of his having read his father’s diary.
Having decided to come back to his homeland, Ramakrishna opened a
software company in Vizag and has named it ‘Sundaram’, after his mother.
Ramakrishna’s little daughter is intensely fond of her grandpa and is almost
always to be found by the old man’s side. She is affectionately called Chinna.
The town of Amarville US
Situated on the beach road in Vizag is a store, ‘The Comb’. It has its
name written prominently on a large signboard which also has a picture of an
ivory-comb painted on it. In the store, various artifacts made of horn and
ivory are on sale. Tourists find the store very attractive, as rarely anywhere
else does anyone come across such beautiful and unique works of art, made
entirely from horn and ivory. The store also has orders coming in from abroad.
Ranjit Moharana is the proud owner of the store.
Ramakrishna is paying back his gratitude towards his father by taking
very good care of him during his hour of need. His father is now a happy man.
IVORY COMB STORY
No comments:
Post a Comment