As we reached the alleppey backwaters the house boat team- The engine controller,the driver and the cook came to pick us. We had to walk inside one house boat to get into ours.All the house boats were parked side by side.
As we entered the house boat the team of houseboat people became conscious that we are guests and started talking broken English to make us feel at home . My husband manged with a smile and i allowed them to speak to their heart content and then asked in Malayalam " apam ride thudangum?" There was a beautiful smile in their face and they asked "Apam malayalianaleeeeeeeeee?" Then with the welcome drink i went and saw the interiors of the house boat-The kitchen, the bed room, the office room, the bathroom and the verandhe!!!!!!!!!!Beautiful and the ride began!!!!!!!!!!
There are 1000 house boats in alleppey and the rates differ during season and off-season times. The driver told me, "After the president came to Kumarakom and went , the world knows kumarakom, but not alleppey much" I chatted with the driver the team was very happy with the owner,they continue there and the whole team members from the day they joined.We enjoyed the nature.Then at pm came the lunch, our hero of the story pushpan was the cook! Delicious is not the word that i will use for the food there was genuine love in the preparations!!!!!!!!!
I chatted with pushpan, asked about his history. He told me in one of the conversations "Madame i was a fisherman before i joined here, i used to go to the sea for catching fish before cooking ,some day i don't get any catch,but next day again happily i go to face the mysterious sea,compared to that job this job of a cook is wonderful! Compared to that job this cook designation is so easy, i just have to cook and keep the clients happy".I am paid a salary of 5000 rupees a moth, food,stay and i get money from the clients too!" He spoke about his wife his 2 daughters.On the process of his interaction i found him very positive,happy and innovative. He tried to find innovative means to keeps my son happy by teaching him cooking,fishing and telling him stories. Finally he gave me some tips for cooking too.
In the evening the boat gets market near the land of the house boat owner, after 6pm, no house boats are allowed for cruise. They said we could go for a village walk if we wanted.We bought some fish also i said night dinner all of us could have together. They pulled the cable and they looked at us if we were happy about that to watch the television. I told them lets have dinner early, they looked very happy, the reason i found out later. The dinner was served and pushpan chatted again with me. And we all parted with a goodnight.Out of my curiosity i peeped the veranda and i found the driver and the engine man was fully drunk they could not even stand properly!!!!!!!!.Now i realized why they were happy that we had to have dinner early.I asked Rajeev my husband " Will these people drive us back safely tomorrow? " He just smiled.I did not see pushpan with them!!!
I was awaken in the morning by pushpan with hot water for the shower! I asked him why he was not there with the gang for the drinks last night. He replied "Madame one of us need to be in the senses ,and mostly they give that chance to me and i prefer seeing them happy, for there is duty next day and i need to clean and get ready for the cooking next day too!!! I heard the ring tone from his phone "Apoopa nan anu"(In english it means grandfather its me) .His ring tone he had kept his grandson's tone!!!!!!!!I was feeling wonderful seeing the way pushpan loved his life,work and nature!!!!!!!!!!Attitude it does matter were ever u are. We had the breakfast and once it was time to get down i saw all the clients carrying the bags and walking towards the car.All the our bags were carried by the 3 team members of the houseboat! It was a nice houseboat journey,natural people and nature around. Alleppey i loved ur ambience and pushpan you taught me something!!!
hm
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