BURIED IN A HEAP OF COCONUTS – (Memoir series – Story 30)

THE DRIVE TO DRIVE

I must say, Daddy is one lucky fellow.

Who else can score a daily, cost-free car wash that rivals a sparkling diamond, thanks to a highly motivated young chap like me?

The enthusiasm in my morning cleaning routine knows no limits, even when the car’s already spotless.

Our car practically beams with happiness after my meticulous washing and thorough interior cleaning ritual. It’s like a spa day for automobiles.

After all the buffing and scrubbing, I make sure everything under the bonnet is purring like a contented kitten. I’ve even got reverse parking down to an art form, much to Daddy’s raised eyebrow of approval.

No one’s spilled the beans to him about that one time I reversed Babuchayan’s car into the Panchayat office wall. Fortunately, my cousins are keeping their lips sealed.

It wasn’t entirely my fault. It was a pretty steep slope, you see.

I decide that my car-caretaking skills have earned me the privilege of a spin on the Fiat during school holidays.

My favourite destination? The Tata Oil Mills compound, just a short distance away, is where my buddy T. Sunil resides.

When I yell Sunil’s name, it’s like a neighbourhood alarm clock, and everyone knows the daredevil has arrived. Sunil’s sisters laugh, and Sunil blushes, but hey, I’m on a mission.

As much as I’ve improved my driving skills, Daddy refuses to let me take the wheel on our weekly Kottayam trips. I’ve got four more years to wait for that driver’s license.

The Fiat has now become our family’s trusted travel companion and we have smoother and puncture-free journeys to Kottayam.

Mummy’s not a fan of Kottayam’s wooden bridges, especially in the rainy season, so she usually stays home.

Lately, cousin Daiechayan’s been living with us in Ernakulam, hoping to learn the ropes from Daddy for his business venture.

Our Kottayam trips now comprise Daddy, Daiechayan, and me. Daiechayan insists on the front seat, which suits me fine since Daddy’s playing it safe in the rain. I get to enjoy the lush roadside views better from the back.

When it’s time to head back to Ernakulam, Pappachan Chettan’s a pro at loading the Fiat’s trunk with rice sacks, coconuts, and bushels of bananas and plantains, all cultivated on our family land.

Seeing these goods loaded takes me back to the days when we had the Standard 10 and changing punctured tyres was a family affair. I would help pull out a coconut at a time to help Daddy access the spare tyre.

Thankfully, the Fiat’s spared us such troubles.

We’re driving back to Ernakulam in light drizzle, cruising steadily since we know this road so well. And we’re just about to hit Vaikom town.

Rainwater-filled ditches line the road, and the lush greenery is breathtaking. People may grumble about the rain, but nature’s loving it.

Then out of nowhere, a boy on a bicycle appears. Daddy’s reflexes kick in, narrowly averting a collision. But the fiat starts to skid.

Daddy battles to regain control, gears shifting, and the steering feeling useless.

The brakes are jammed. And we’re skidding into oncoming traffic. And panic sets in.

Daddy’s blaring the horn like a madman, trying to alert the approaching lorry. In an instant, the large truck is upon us, and we brace for impact.

Screeching tires, honking horns, pounding hearts, and that terrifying sense of helpless chaos. Then it happens.

With a deafening bang, we collide head-on with the lorry, then get tossed back to our side of the road, landing in a ditch.

Daddy and Daiechayan are confused for a moment. They turn to the back seat, and all they see is a mountain of coconuts.

The partition between the trunk and back seat has crumbled. And I’m buried in a heap of coconuts.

Some strong men in the area heave the car out of the ditch. And we finally crawl out, dazed but alive. The Fiat’s front end is a sad sight due to the collision.

Relief washes over us as we read the name in bold letters on the lorry – Vellapally Brothers. They are construction contractors Daddy knows well. And luckily, the lorry sustained only minor damage.

Yes, Daddy is one lucky fellow.