Insight into 'Malayali in London'

 ...Introduction...

Hey! I held a poll on my Instagram to see how many of you actually wanted an insight into 'Malayali in London' since there had been absolutely zero participation in the comments. But anyway, 82% of you answered yes so here it is! 

...The Insight...

Chapter-1:

… Thiruvananthapuram …

A smooth sea never made a good sailor, I was reminded of as I looked at the waves, as they rose and fell like blue satin swaying in the wind. I watch them through the leaves of the tree I am sitting on. I love climbing trees.

I catch a falling leaf as I sit on the thick branches of the banyan tree I climbed an hour ago, lost in thought. My family lives on the edge of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. I live in my Amama’s house (grandmother’s house). My father, Daniel Harvey, came to Kerala from Britain when he was twenty-five. My father didn’t have a place to live when he came to India, so he moved in with my mother, Lakshmi, when he married her. That makes me an Anglo-Indian. Half-blood. I find it amusing.

“Come down, Indrakshi! It’s time for lunch.” I hear the feeble voice of my brother, William, call through the sounds of the waves. My brother’s never been athletic, he can’t climb a tree. I like to tease him about that.

I set my foot on a branch and then jumped. I land on the soft grass and can already see my brother walking towards the house. I walk up to him, feeling the soft grass of the garden beneath my bare feet. I step onto the brick-laid pathway that leads to the veranda, to find my brother standing at the entrance. “What’s for lunch today?” I ask. He shrugs, “don’t know. Amama is making something.” “I’m guessing it’s rassam rice with some fish.”

My brother is eight years older than me, and a fresh graduate in Dermatology. He looks exactly like our father. He looks so much like a European man that he can pass for being purely British blood. William’s taller than me too. I only reach his ear.

We walk into the house in silence. It’s a traditional sort, with cream-coloured walls and wooden pillars. With a cross-hipped roof laid with reddish-brown clay tiles. We have a huge garden, and in that garden was the banyan tree I was sitting on top of. There are a lot of other plants in the garden as well, sacred figs, coconut trees and other vegetables and herbs. We never buy vegetables or fruits from the market; we grow them at home. I mean what is the use of such a huge garden if you don’t plant something in it? Amama is fond of gardening. She grows and tends to all the plants herself. She’s pretty active for her age. My mum’s brother also helps to tend to the plants.

After lunch, Amama asked us to help her tend to the plants in the garden. After about an hour of helping Amama with gardening, I went to the Thiruvananthapuram beach. Our garden looks over the beach. The beach’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset. I spend hours there, either sitting on the shore and watching the waves or playing in the water with the kids of the village. The Thiruvananthapuram beach is a tourist hot spot, it can get crowded in the peak season. I can make some extra money by guiding tourists around Thiruvananthapuram. I sit there on the shore, watching the waves. I always love the sound they make. The gushing of the wind and the gurgling of water. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore is accompanied by the scent of hot sand mixed with sunscreen and maybe even coconut. The waves always calm me down, whether it’s before an exam or after a busy day.

My phone suddenly rang. It’s Will. I usually call William by the name of Will and he calls me Akshi. I pick up the call, “Akshi, where are you?” he asks in a threatening sort of way, I smile, especially because I know he can’t see me doing that, “Where I usually am after sunset. You know me better than that, Will. I’m at the Thiruvananthapuram beach.” I can hear him sigh through the phone, he sounds frustrated as he speaks, “Come home now. Father’s calling in a family meeting.” Father calls a family meeting when he has an announcement for the whole family.

I get up and brush off the sand from my clothes. I walk home through the streets of Thiruvananthapuram and find ammavam on the veranda, ammavam is what we Malayalees call our mother’s brother, I ask him what the meeting was for, and he replies, “Don’t know. Your father got an email. He read it and told us we’re having a family meeting.” Everyone in the house finds the idea of a family meeting strange, but no one admits it to my father.

...Conclusion...

Well, that was the entire insight for now. Tell me if you want another one in the comments. I'll hold another poll on my Instagram if I don't see any participation. But that's it for now. 

BYE...

Your guide,

13 Chapters