Translated from the Tamil by Padma Amarnaath
The sun began to rise. It slowly ripened, warming the east with its heat. Velu and Chellaiah worked hard, pressing down their ploughs.
“Anna1 Velanna2, I heard that Rengasamy Pillai’s farm, Arasappa Konar’s farm, and Karuppana Pillai’s farm are all either for lease or sale,” said Chellaiah.
“Oh, is that so? Their entire fields were cultivated by Mookkan Mama3 and Karuppan Chittappa4, weren’t they?” replied Velu.
“Yes, indeed. But what big yield do you think the family had for the past two seasons? Even if sold for less, at least our kith and kin will work honestly in those fields and support their families; what do you say? But ensure no outsiders from other villages get involved in this process” said Chellaiah.
“Okay, what you say seems right. But do you think it’s in our control?” replied Velu.
The ploughs dug into the dry sand, sent dust flying. Cranes, black drongos, crows, and yellow-billed babblers followed, pecking at the worms exposed by the ploughing. The sun’s heat intensified, making the bulls labor harder as they dragged the plough. Chellaiah moved to the southern corner and turned his plough.
“Chellaiah, that’s enough for now. Let our bulls rest a bit. Bring them along,” Velu instructed.
“Okay, Anna.” They tied the bulls and settled them beneath a tree. Water flowed freely in the canal nearby.
Karuppan was dozing off cutting and bundling banana leaves in Arasappa Konar’s farm. Ayyi arrived with anklets jingling, carrying porridge and gravy in a palm basket on her head. Just then, Velu and Chellaiah came to visit Arasappa Konar.
“Annae Karuppannae?”
“Yes, what brings you two here?”
“Konnar instructed us to cut the plantains. We assumed he’d be in the field, is he not here?” asked Velu.
“Yes, all the banana trees have borne fruit. He was discussing about cutting them. Which gang is coming to harvest?”.
“The Mayilaye gang from our village,” replied Velu.
“Oh, is Mayilaye coming? That should be interesting. From the east to the irrigation tank in the west, if this troublemaker goes with that bitchy woman, their antics will become the talk of the village,” remarked Karuppan pointing at Chellaiah. Both Chellaiah and Velu giggled at this comment.
“Dear, drink your porridge now,” Ayyi urged.
Karuppu’s hands got stained and were dark from the banana stem juice. He had stacked twenty piles of leaf bundles, and the plantain trees were heavy with flowers and fruit.
The Mayilaye gang arrived with large bamboo baskets. Mayilaye waded through the deep canal and reached the other side of the farm. She had draped a saree without wearing a blouse. Her saree clung to her body as she walked out of the canal.80
“Hey Karuppu machan5, where are you? We’ve come to cut the plantains!” Mayilaye called out.
Her voice echoed across the fields. “Mayilaye, come to the northern side of the fields,” Karuppu shouted.
“Come on, you co-wives, they’re calling us from the northern side. Whenever we enter Konar’s fields, he’ll make us work hard. We have leftover work at Ayyankudumban’s farm, too. Hurry up, ladies,” Mayilaye said as she hurried off.
Karuppu continued cutting the plantain stems while Velu and Chellaiah arranged them in rows. Karuppu had cut almost a hundred stems.
“Chellaiah, someone needs to help with bringing down the plantains,” said Karuppu.
“I’ll go with them, Anna,” Chellaiah offered.
Mayilaye’s gang chatted about village gossip as they worked, and raw plantains were eventually placed on the field’s pathway. Chellaiah and Marulaye silently hid themselves in the fields. Mayilaye split the raw plantains and grouped them equally.
In a while, Chellaiah and Marulaye came up with plant stains. Chellaiah walked nonchalantly. They loaded the plantains onto carts, hitched to bullocks, and began moving.
On the slope near the irrigation canal, the cart and bullocks struggled. The cart tipped over, spilling half of the plantains onto the ground.
People gathered to help push the cart up the slope. Mayilaye’s gang quickly gathered the damaged plantains, filled their baskets, and left. The cart continued along the palm tree route, with the bulls pulling tiredly. Velu walked in front of the cart, and Chellaiah walked behind, traveling all along the Kettadai kulam route from Maadakkulam gathering to Simmakkal Periyavar Pettai6 .
Ayyi collected all the plantain flowers and filled them into her bamboo basket. Karuppu helped her carry the basket on her head. The paddy fields were lush and full of ripe grains. Peacocks playfully scattered the grains.
The cart, laden with raw bananas and leaves, entered the marketplace. Velu and Chellaiah untied the cows and let them rest beneath a neem tree while workers from Muthuveerana Servai’s shop unloaded the cart.
Muthuveerana Servai, stroking his long mustache and dressed in a white cotton veshti7 and shirt, came out. “From which village has this load arrived?” he asked.
“Sir, it seems to be from Thanathavam,” was the reply.
“Oh, Thanathavam? Then Velu must have come,” Servai said.
“Yes, Sir. We have made him sit inside,” the worker confirmed.
Velu and Chellaiah were enjoying their buttermilk. “What’s the matter, Velu? It looks like you had good rainfall, given the abundance of banana leaves,” Servai remarked.
“Yes, Sir. We had good rainfall, so I stored water in the canal tank too. I use it during times of need,” Velu explained.
“You see, Velu, after the British left, the government and public service department took over all these canals. Now, who maintains them?”
“In our village, the responsibility been been given to a particular family. They have been taking care for generations now.”
“Alright, Velu. You can take ten rupees now. You can come and collect the rest the day after tomorrow,” Servai concluded.
“Okay, Sir.” Velu and Chellaiah left, offering their respects.
The cart made its way from Keezha Masi Street to Periyavar Pettai. They parked the cart and took the bulls to the Vaigai River shore. The workers unloaded the plantain stems and raw bananas, sorting them by size.
Mariyidhana Servai began the auction. “Which village do these plantains come from? They look promising.”
“They are from our Thanathavam fields,” came the reply.
“Ten paise, ten paise…,
twenty paise, twenty paise,” the auctioneer called out.
The bidding continued until it settled at “two rupees.”
After collecting the receipt and cash, they visited a sweet shop, bought a few paniyaram8, tied them in their towels, and returned. The bulls were grazing by the Vaigai banks. They fed some paniyaram to the cows and secured the cart.
“Hey, Chellaiah, are you involved with Marulaye? She’s living without a husband and is one among us.”
“Nothing like that, Annae. She just won’t let me go. What can I do? In a ruined canal, what does it matter who fishes?” Chellaiah replied.
“I’ve given my advice. It’s up to the two of you now,” Velu said.
As the cart crossed a slope, a judge’s car brushed against the cows, startling them and causing them to run in different directions. Velu fell, injuring his knee, which twisted painfully. Though he had some minor injuries, Velu was otherwise spared. Both bulls slowly made their way home.
Velu’s knee didn’t heal properly. The cart and bulls lay idle. Velu was skilled in loading carts with paddy grains and plantains; no one could match his expertise.
The cows, now untamed, became increasingly wild. People from neighboring villages came to inquire about buying them. Maintaining the cows, taking them to graze, and washing them at the lakeside had become a burden.
They paid an advance for both the cart and the bulls. “We will come tomorrow to collect them, Velu,” they said before leaving. Velu, feeling like a bird with broken wings, faced the next day with a heavy heart. When the buyers arrived, Velu was not to be found. The cows, too, had gone missing. Only the cart, that lay tipped over in a corner, remained.
Footnotes:
1.Anna – elder brother
2.Vellanna – Velu (name), Anna (elder brother)
3.Mama – maternal uncle
4.Chittapa – paternal uncle
5.Machan – dear
6.Periyavar – elderly man, pettai – area (name of an area)
7.Veshti – a traditional attire for men in south India. A long cotton cloth tied around the waist.
(Note: The above story is from the short-story collection Madurai Stories)
About the Author
Ayyanar Edadi hails from Thanatavam, a village near Madakkulam in Madurai district. He earned his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey. His literary journey began during his college years. Drawing inspiration from his agricultural roots, deep love for Tamil literature, and profound connection with nature, he crafts evocative poems, compelling short stories, and insightful essays.
About the Translator
Padma Amarnaath is an accomplished author, speaker, and translator. As a blogger, Padma shares her insights in her blog on topics such as mindfulness, women empowerment, self-love, and social responsibilities. She has translated many modern Tamil works into English.
