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Scent of a Market
The flower market was a recommendation that came in by chance. This occurred when I was crammed in the stall with Banana Ammachi. The very sprightly woman looked at Riya and I saying that we easily look like sisters and she carried on to say how her daughter in law is also a Malyali. Discerning Tamil isn’t easy but she kept on asking, “Do you want jasmines?” I did not reply, but we ended up getting a set of directions. And somewhere during a late afternoon, we were trotting towards it, and Riya was certain that the flower market was going to be far more pleasant than my ‘hideous’ skirt.
Usually during Onam, I used to see pavements lined with flower markets in Kochi. I grew up hearing tales on how flowers were transported from Tamil Nadu, but this was another world. The stalls were divided by stunning velvety rose garlands, and the bounty of marigolds immediately lit up the market. It was an art to see how many were sitting in unison and stringing the ivory colored jasmines. Unlike the previous markets, there was something more calm, a few were listening to the radio. Compared to other sweltering markets, this one was cooler. While walking through, mainly due to the awning, some of the blue sheets cast different colors on to the flowers.
Passing by,I saw a stall that was filled with framed portraits, pride filled in me, these photographs encompassed the idea of bequeathing talent. For some have been in the business for over 50 years. I tucked myself into a corner watching a man making a garland, in which he said takes an average of three hours. His eyes were fixed, but he looked up, tight lipped and said, “ Wedding seasons are the hardest.”
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Follow Atheena to 06: Perhaps at Pondicherry >>
Here's the lingo guide:
Dugbe* - A market situated in Ibadan, Nigeria
Gele* - A type of head scarf commonly worn in many parts of Southern and Western Africa
Malayalam* - The native language spoken in Kerala, India
Rickshaw* - A wheel operating vehicle in India
Chappal*- Colloquial term for sandals
Bharatanatyam*- A major genre of classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala
Chechi*- Colloquial term for sister in Malayalam
Ammachi*- Colloquial term for grandmother in Malayalam
Mutta* - Colloquial term for egg in Malayalam
Run parallel, meet at intersections, skip a few lines, the line of thought has journeyed across a few latitudes and longitudes. To more miles before the big sleep. Cheers, Atheena
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