Bicycle Ride along the Hilly Kochi and Meeting People of my History

I got this blue & silver BSA bicycle somewhere around 2002. I think it had a name - i-bike. Now the name has been smudged, and I am not able to fully make out the name on the bike. Its original shape resembles the one given in the picture. Our young neighbour and friend Jeffrin at Rajagiri wanted to get rid of his bike and he approached me asking if I would take it.  I was not very keen. The one I was using was a much better version with very good shock absorber and gear suited for the undulated terrain of Kalamassery.  But somehow it got into bad repair, and our young kitchen assistant was keen to get that if I were to dispose it off. I had bought it in 1997 for about Rs. 2500.00. He agreed to give me Rs. 1000.00 in instalments and I let him have it. And then, there comes the request from Jeffrin.  With some reluctance I purchased it for Rs. 1000.00. I don't think we had any haggling on that. Apparently, he needed some money and in those days, even Rs. 1000.00 was not a small amount - especially for a student; and even for a religious like me.

Since then, this lady's cycle, with no gears (single speed), with a peculiar handlebar and braking system had been my companion bicycle. When I got transferred to Thevara, I took that along. After shifting my stuff by car, I came back another day to pick up the cycle and rode it to Thevara. In Thevara, I discovered a discarded race bicycle when we cleaned up the store - that was in 2010. I got it repaired, and my good bicycle friend Denny got a gear system fixed onto it.  It was done by Murugan and it cost about Rs. 3000.00. I learnt to ride that and I could go at a fairly good speed, and with hands off the handle.  It was fun. We had a trip to Munnar - since I had no day to spare, this bicycle was taken to Munnar by car, and I travelled during the night and reached Munnar early morning.  Then Dr Shaji, Denny, Anand and I rode the bikes to Kochi - around 140 kms.  That was fun. There was a reconnaissance vehicle - I don't know who drove that. Anyway, my good friend Thomas was there till Nellimattam on that. 

I was content to celebrate my 50th birthday solemnly (in 2014, as usual, privately) riding that bike from somewhere near Thiruvalla to Pampa altogether 90 kilometres on the hills - though I would have loved to do a para-jump like the venerable Sr George Bush.  Our trio - Dennis, Dr Shaji and me, managed to maintain a position between 40 and 50, among the 110 odd participants, most of them regular bikers, much younger and equipped with much better bikes. Later, with the same bike, I joined a brevet of 200 kms (altogether 222 kms) from Kaloor to Athirappally and back in 13 hours. (Now that bike is found discarded at SH Monastery parking lot. Apparently nobody is game for that old bike). 

It was this Denny, who had also completed 600 kms and 1200 kms randonneues, who met with an accident near his home in Kalamassery and was almost incapacitated in the past 8 years. Now he is halfway back to normalcy - can speak, understand, walk wobbly, and remember many things though some of the items of the past - people & events -  have been totally deleted.  Thank God, he is alive and is struggling back to normalcy - the support of his wife and 3 lovely kids, and of his maternal uncle, Dr Shaji a bio-chemistry scientist, industrialist and bicycle enthusiast had been commendable in all this. 

Today, they were here - at my request, Dr Shaji brought Denny and 2 of his kids (Rajagiri students) and we spent some time talking, and praying.  When I blessed Denny, he too blessed me, and made a sign of the cross on me. 

A Ride on Kochi Hills 

After almost 3 months, I was using my BSA bicycle - it is kept unlocked at the Provincial House, but hardly anyone uses it. If at all someone wants to use a bicycle, there are better bicycles there. I had inflated its tyres last time I had come, had corrected its pedal riding all the way up to Aluva (8 kms) to get that done. On arrival from UP, I found the bike neglected, tyres deflated. I inflated it, and even after 3 days, they are intact. The rim of the wheels and the frame are gradually gathering rust. The humble silver-coated machine is getting almost near its silver jubilee. 

Yesterday, I took it out for a ride along the hilly terrains of Kochi - to our Prior General's house at Chavara Hills, Kakkanadu.  Just about 10 kms away.  Could visit our Fr General and get my daily workout done. I didn't attempt to scale all the steep inclines riding, as my crumbling knees could not afford it. However, in less than 30 mts I was there.  Met the general and enquired after his khushaal. He enquired if I had to 'share something' - that is very natural. Hardly anyone comes to make a courtesy call. Always having an agenda - an axe to grind - maintaining the relationship is not generally an agenda.  At times, people are surprised - 'why did you come?' 'just like that'.  'Oh come on! What is it about?'   'Nothing.  Just to say hello'.  

Our watchman at the PG house Mr Pauly was not amused that a bicycle-riding commoner had come into the glorious precincts of the CMI headquarters - parked the bicycle right in front, had entered the PG house and had gone in.  He had gone for a minute to relieve himself, and from the washroom window, he observed this uncommon entity of an old man on a bicycle riding uphill and going into the house. He somehow managed to get out of the washroom and hurried in looking for this man. How dare such a commoner come into this sanctum sanctorum thus - Perhaps, in his whole tenure, he might not have seen a CMI coming riding a bicycle, even a motorbike riding CMI would be a rare specimen for the PG house.  They expect the priests to come in a car, or in exceptional cases, perhaps come by an autorickshaw or Uber taxi, if they were dependent on public transport.  So he was not amused, but I was, Fr General put him at ease. 

Fr General wore a pleasant look and appeared in good health after his kidney transplant.  He recalled our 47-year-old association - I as a schoolboy at SH Thevara and him as a scholastic for UG programme in Chemistry at SHC Thevara. That was good. I made a tour of the campus with my batchmate and our finance secretary Rev. Paulson - the campus has grown greener, the trees have grown big.  and the building is being stretched to the boundaries to accommodate delegates for any possible meet at the general level.  The cruel ways in which the land is exploited by the users is having its impact on the campus with the eastern boundary sliced off sharply at almost 90 degrees by our neighbour to maximise profit, now crumbling down, and requiring a retention wall which could cost millions! 

To my gladness I observe a Noni tree, rather full-grown and bearing abundant fruit - I recall Prof KV Peter of Agricultural University promoting Noni products in a big way. I also see that Wisteria had grown into a great pandal with flowers and cool green shade; however, the exotic plant is said to grow very strong and widespread roots all around, likely to damage the adjacent humanly erected structures - buildings and roads. The sapling I had planted at SH has grown and started flowering, I should warn my successors of these consequences.

A Chance Meeting with Justice Cyriac Joseph

Then riding back, I notice on the way 'Justice Villa' and the name board of Justice Cyriac Joseph - once upon a time our inspiring President of KCSL.  I decide to stop over, knock and see if he was around. And I did. And the Justice came out, after an initial moment of recollection, could place me (I believe so), and received me and we had a long conversation on his experiences as a young leader and later on as Justice in different parts of the country - how the CMIs were in his life, especially Fr Austin, his tenure as Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and association with our members and institutions in those areas; again as CJ of Karnataka and the occasion of inaugurating the law school at Christ university.  I learnt that it was the golden jubilee of his wedding - August 25th, and they were looking forward to an opportune time to celebrate the same. I click a picture with him and depart. 

Yes, I do recall him as an inspirational leader. I attended many KCSL camps with him, where I had some important role as a student leader. I made some caustic remarks during the evaluation of a camp, perhaps trying ot make an impression or thinking that was being fashionable. My mentor Fr Earathara was annnoyed, and he expressed the same in as many words.  However, Adv Cyriac Joseph intervened - He said that if the youngsters feel something is amiss let us relook at them, and try to improve.  However, I was embarrassed - I don't think I had really something to say, but I still fumbled something sensible I think. He recalled many students (especially Vinson Xavier, my junior in school and a good friend) and animators associated with KCSL and said that he had been the President for a record 12 years, almost always spending money from his pocket for his various travels associated with the league. 

Vijobhavan - Priesthome and Some Palakkapilly Links

I move further and seeing the Priest Home for the aged, Vijobhavan, stop over.  This is the place where many of our beloved pastors spent their last days - I remember Frs. Malamel, Kakkattuchira...I enquire with the unfriendly appearing receptionist cum support staff there (that is what people holding any responsibility in Keralam think - they ought to be rude and brusque - it's the combination - commifeudalism - though these people are neither commi nor feudal, but that is the culture built up over the years) regarding the present inmates.  As I revealed my identity as a priest he comes forth with some details, and I notice that many are known to me. I decide to say hello to them - Fr Vayalikodath immediately recognizes me and warmly enquires after, and we connect again, sharing our WhatsApp numbers. I meet Fr  on the way and he is happy to see me. But I have no great association with him. Then I search for Fr Zacharias Paranilam and we get into a prolonged conversation which unfolds some Palakkappillil story - though that takes up time beyond my budgeted time, I still listen to eagerly. 

His mother Eliswa is from Palakkappilly Koonamveedu which has almost come to nil with our generation. Her father was Scaria.  Scaria's mother was from the Vadayar Chakkunkal family. 

Ammini chechi almost as old as my eldest sister is the only daughter of that branch of Palakkappilly and she is now married to James of a Manayath family - people used to call them cross belt, as his father used to wear a traditional Kerala shawl - randam mundu - across his arms in an impressive manner) and she is having four daughters and thus there ends Koonamveedu Palakkappilly and even Kanatt branch of James. But his younger brothers - my contemporaries - Thaddeus and Simon, excellent athletes, are still there, said to be settled in Switzerland.

I have often found Fr Paranilam at some of our functions, but I did not know how exactly was his connection. His mother was the eldest of 3 daughters followed by a brother Chackochan. So the mother was bit too taxed with the care of the 3 kids in quick succession, and a way out was sought. Then came the aunt at Vyttila who was without any issues and volunteered to take care of one of them.  And she took away the eldest, and brought her up as her own daughter.  She did schooling up to IV or V grade which was too good for those times. The adoptee mother and the daughter developed a very close bond that when the father of Eliswa came to take her back when she was some 12 year old, she refused.  However, the father would have nothing to do with her refusal and took her back home by force.  Admitted her to a school at Perumanur.  On the very first day, she walked off the school to Vyttila (some 6 kilometres away - perhaps, having to cross one or two canals en route) and there was no more coercion to come back. 

After a while, the adoptee mother, who had lost her husband and having no children,  prepared a will by which her estate would belong to the adopted daughter, with a condition that she herself was taken care of by the daughter's family till her end. This was thus carried out. However, nobody bothered about the property being there at Vyttila. 

And when the normal time of marrying the daughter off came, she was married to the Paranilam family of Chalakkudy.  This was also a great family with a glorious past now towards decline - but having a lot of farming and related assets like hordes of cattle. Fr Zacharias recalls the three-storeyed ancestral home, which was later purchased by the CMIs of Sagar Province.  To cut the long story short, the new bride was not at home at this farming environment. The bridegroom, having been a meek person, decided to shift to Kochi with his bride so as to make her at home. 

At this juncture, it was recalled that the bride had a property in her name with a house and all necessary systems to support a family.  Hence it was decided that the couple to be housed at this Vyttila estate, and thus Zacharias who is originally from Chalakkudy Paranilam, came to be a native of Vyttila. 

Scaria's younger brother George was a Police Inspector, who got settled at Mala (Muttikkal Parish) from where his wife, who inherited her ancestral property hailed.  His son Thomas inherited the paternal property at Perumanur and in Vyttila and his children are George and Babu.  Thomas chettan and his wife, the then senior most members of the Palakkappillil family died recently. 

That much engaged listening, and Fr Zacharias gifted me with his jubilee book - vachana cherathukal. I received gracefully - not sure of reading it, but still aware of my bad habit of trying to do that when any book is gifted. But, lo & behold, I rushed through it in 2 days time: and I would recommend it for a reading by the faithful, and even by the clergy.

To me, it served as a useful revision of some Theology, Ecclesiology and Comparative Religion (don't know if the term is right).  Some of the articles, especially the ones on culture and implied incarnational theology are very appealing to me, and I feel the Catholic church is still a slave of the Greco-Roman world view and cannot free itself from its hegemony, and hence, I am afraid, the gospel suffers.  There could be a much deeper dialogue between Hinduism and Christianity and an understanding of Christ and his message from an Indian worldview - especially Vedantic, I feel.  (I am no authority to make any such statements; however, I had felt so).

Grateful for Life 

With the onset of osteoarthritis, I am now troubled mildly with quick movements of my feet - walking, jogging, running etc are becoming tough. The doctor advises that one should avoid activities that cause extra stress to the knees which will expedite the deterioration - squats, hiking etc. to be avoided. walking on level planes may not adversely affect the condition. And my left elbow was severely hurting on account of tennis elbow, and the right shoulder, with a recurrent, slipped shoulder (the last incidence being yesterday). So the ride made me feel happy, energised and confident  - that even at this stage, in spite of all this, I am able to do a ride of 20 kms in an undulated terrain. Deo Gracias!