அக்கா

Translated from the original Tamil short story akkā (அக்கா) from the 1964 collection of short stories titled akkā (அக்கா) by A. Muttulingam. The original collection is available at noolaham.org. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact ez.iniyavan@gmail.com.

We always run around bare chested. I like to be bare chested; I love being shirtless. Kidṇaṉ is like that, too; But Kidṇaṉ is handsome, fair-skinned. Because his mother is also exceptionally fair-skinned. My mother, too, is really fair-skinned; it is my father who is dark; black like the charcoal we brush our teeth with.

On Saturdays ammā will give us a thorough ‘head bath,’ washing our hair. Ammā is totally clueless. She would put this much oil on our heads. My eyes would sting. Akkā on the other hand would put oil little by little, without stinging my eyes.

Rāsā hangs on to me tenaciously like a leech, if I ask him to stand apart, he doesn’t listen. He has to have a head bath today as well. He hates head baths. He only likes to play with catapults. His aim is excellent. I am not too bad either; Akkā said if appā saw me playing with a catapult, he would skin me alive.

Appā is clueless, too; every morning, after shaving himself with a brand new razor blade, he casts it away. I collect all those razor blades; If I give them to Vignā, he will exchange them for new stamps. He has a ton of new stamps. America, England, London, he has stamps from all those places. Vignā’s appā has a car, a biiig car; he says he can drive a car; he is like that; lies through his nose.

How can one drive without a license?

Akkā called out to me to come for a head bath. “Later,” I said; she just grabbed me by the belt and dragged me to the bath. I didn’t cry at all. I love my akkā.

Akkā put soapnut powder on my head to wash my hair. I fixed my gaze upon her. She is very pretty and fair. Her eyes were big and round. I kept staring at them. She asked me why I stared at her. I was embarrassed. I screamed that soapnut powder got into my eyes. I was just lying. Akkā hurried to fetch water from the well to pour over my head. The water was icy cold. I jumped up and down and made a big fuss.

Ammā rarely applies talcum powder on me. Or maybe just a teeny bit. Akkā daubed generous amounts of talcum powder all over the place, even on my head. The scent was delightful. I laughed. Akikā leaned down to plant a kiss on my cheek.

… Kidṇaṉ came over to call me out to play. “I am not coming, go away,” I said. He didn’t budge. “Get lost,” I shouted and came inside the house. Kidṇaṉ is like that. He never listens when I tell him to leave.

Kidṇaṉ’s akkā, too, stopped by to visit my akkā. She never leaves either. Both of them would giggle to no end. I don’t care.

My akkā put on Kidṇaṉ’s akkā’s jewelry. She took out ammā’s sāris from the wardrobe and tried them on, looking at herself in the mirror. I asked why, and she responded, “because.”

Akkā is always like this when Kidṇaṉ’s akkā visits; she wouldn’t talk to me. I will go to the kitchen and nag my grand aunt.

My grand aunt was in the kitchen preparing snacks. She gave me thiii…s much snacks to eat. I will not tell this to my ammā. I like my grand aunt. She tells me everything. Apparently someone is coming on a prospective bride visit to check out if my akkā is a suitable bride. All these snacks are for them, it seems.

Grand aunt is sweet, but I don’t like it when she kisses me on my cheek. Her mouth reeks of onions. Akkā kisses gently, her cheeks feel like silk. But Appā’s face is coarse with stubble that tickles me. Coarse, like the cement step on which we sharpen our slate pencils at school.

I am not fond of my Appā except on Fridays because he takes me to the temple on Fridays and buys me lots of peanuts…

… today Akkā dressed me up in new clothes. She said she would break my legs if I played in the dust.

That was all a lie. She rarely hits me; only gently.

Akkā, akkā, aren’t you a darling, get me some snacks from grand aunt, I begged. Akkā said, not now but wait until after the guests leave. I asked who was visiting. Akkā blushed.

Akkā was wearing a brand new sāri. She is very pretty. I hugged her and kissed her on her neck. “Chee, you shouldn’t kiss like that,” she said.

Grand aunt would never say that.

Letchumi didn’t come today.

I asked grand aunt why she didn’t bring Letchumi along. Grand aunt laughed and asked me if I, too, am going on a prospective bride visit.

What is this prospective bride visit?

A lot of new people showed up in a big car; I grabbed on to ammā’s sāri and hid behind her.

Ammā disentangled herself from me to welcome them and bring them into the living room. An aunt was among the visitors. I went over to akkā who scooped me up into her chair.

Akkā was wearing a lot of new jewelry. “Whose jewelry is this?” I asked. I did ask in a hushed tone, but akkā said “chee, shut up.” The visiting aunt kept staring at me.

I didn’t like that aunt. But akkā talked only to her. They talked for a while. Akkā brought out the snacks for her.

There was also an uncle who looked like Koṇamāmā from the house across the street. All the men sat around on the porch; that uncle’s father was also there. Akkā took snacks for them, too. That uncle stared at akkā. Akkā hurried inside quickly.

That uncle signaled me to come to him. I didn’t move. Appā glared at me and barked, “come!” I was scared.

Appā and that uncle’s father discussed at length. Suddenly voices were raised. Appā scolded them angrily. Ammā tried to hold him back. Akkā looked as if she was going to cry. I felt bad for her.

I took a muṟukku and bit into it. I did bite slowly but it made a cracking noise. That uncle turned to look. I was embarrassed.

… Today, the teacher didn’t show up. We were making a lot of noise. Patpan made the most noise. But the head teacher punished all of us by making us all climb on to our desks and stand there. The head teacher is tall and carries a cane. But he is clueless.

When school was out, it had started to drizzle. Kidnan and I sang “rain, rain, go away, come again another day.” It didn’t rain.

There was a sign board that read “Kokuvil Village Council.” I asked Kidṇaṉ what a village council is. He said he didn’t know and ran away. Kidṇaṉ is clueless, too.

At home, ammā was quarreling with appā. I was scared. I ran to akkā. She was sitting in the room weeping silently. I called out “akkā, akkā,” but she didn’t respond at all. Ammā shouted saying, “why did you invite people for a prospective bride visit without agreeing on the dowry?” Ammā shouted something in return.

Why do people quarrel?

… … the kerosene seller came down the lane, blowing his whistle. I ran out to see him. Koṇamāmā was also standing in the lane. He smiled at me. He is handsome.

Koṇamāmā asked if I wanted to visit his house. I nodded.

Koṇamāmā reads big big books. They were all English books. They were not good. There were no pictures in them at all!

“Aren’t there any pictures?” I asked. He laughed. He showed me a box full of new pictures he had drawn. Cows, horses, and airplanes. He even showed me pictures of me and akkā.

I asked him if I could take akkā’s picture home to show here. “Sure, if you want,” he responded; “Will you also take a letter for her?” he asked.

“Oh yes,” I said.

… … ammā peeling onions after onions without crying. I could hardly finish peeling one and tears were running down my cheeks. Appā called for me. I went near him. He hit me on my back. Ammā ran over to stop him. “You are spoiling the kid,” appā said. “What does he know? He is just a baby,” said ammā. “Will you ever again go to that uncle’s house?” growled appā. I shouted “no, no” in mortal fear. Appā left. Ammā caressed me, and even gave me snacks to eat.

In the middle of the night, Appā came over to hit me. I woke up with a start; I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. I was very scared. I groped around in the dark to find akkā. Her pillow was wet. I could only hear her weeping. I was alarmed.

I reached out to touch her. I couldn’t see her face. “Why are you crying akkā?” I asked. “Akkā, my darling, I will never go over to that uncle’s house: I will never again bring any letters from him,” I pleaded. Akkā didn’t utter a word.

Akkā was lying on her stomach. She didn’t turn. I reached out to touch her face. It was all wet.

“Akkā, are you angry with me?” I asked.

She hugged me, and kissed me on my cheek. It hurt a little.