A TRIBUTE TO MY GRANDFATHER ON HIS CENTENARY
By
Dr.Ethel Suman*
October 4th 2010 marks the birth centenary of my beloved grandfather late Rev. Egbert Plato Fernandez, my Eddi Ajjayya. Among the 13 grandchildren of my Ajjayya and Ajjamma I think the younger cousins of mine would not have experienced the joy of being with Ajjayya. So I think it is worthwhile to share the wonderful experience I had with Ajjayya.
A towering personality with an assertive voice, Ajjayya was also a pillar of strength to the entire family. All of us depended on him for his moral support. He was discipline personified. Every vacation would be spent at their place earlier at the Mulki CSI Girls’ Baording Home Bungalow and in the later years it was “Rose Villa” at Neere Bailur.
My mother Vathsala is the eldest of my grandparents’ five children. Ajjayya was always there to help my parents during any situation. Come summer and October vacation, Ajjayya was promptly there to take us to Mulki. The Mulki Bungalow was a loving place where my Ajjamma would make all the delicacies and the place would usually be filled with us bubbling with activities. My cousins Prashanth and Ramona plus the four of us were always full of various activities. But one room was the most revered place and that was my Ajjayya’s room with his office table and lamp where he used to sit in the wee hours of the morning preparing notes for his sermon and reading the bible. In the evenings he used to enter the details of the expenditure and workers’ wages in his diary. His diary always contained all our marks too.
Ajjayya had a loyal servant Gulabiakka who used to promptly keep his clothes neatly in his metal trunk and keep his things ready before his bath. My Ajjamma was Ajjayya’s strength. She was always there to help him in all his work. Ajjaayya fondly called her Appi and she was well known to everyone as Appiakka. His pastor’s cloak was always pressed and washed by Ajjamma alone.
Their house was always open to guests and every vacation the inmates of the boarding home who were settled in different places used to come down to spend their vacation. My grandparents loved all of us equally. So other than the four of us plus Prashanth, Ramona, Vicky Neetha, Naina,Soni, Sabithakka, Sheel, Monica, Vinaya, Santhosh we also used to have Elsie aunty with her children Dinkar, Lavina, Wilma, Preethi aunty and her children, Pushpa aunty’s children Sapna, Sahana, Sowmya with their cousin Zareen and Nora aunty’s sons Danny and Kiran (who used to tell us a lot of interesting stories of ghosts and teach us to perform magic games!).
Ajjayya’s birthday was always a great celebration with many of his orphanage children being present even after his retirement. Likewise, May 11th being Ajjayya and Ajjamma’s anniversary, was also a day of feasting for all of us.
We were always careful to never misbehave in front of Ajjayya. Every morning Ajjayya used to go to Munder for agricultural work as he was a good agriculturist as well. Ramona, Chetha and myself (the so called E3 sisters) would paint our fingers but we used to see to it that the colour was washed before Ajjayya arrived in the evening! Similarly Ranjan, Naveen and Prashanth (the SPN brothers) would venture into adventurous activities but used to be quietly seated when Ajjayya used to return in the evening from Munder. There were lot of mango trees in the compound and we really had a wonderful time. The sandpit at the orphanage had swings and seesaw and we used to play a lot with the children of the orphanage. Occassionally Ajjayya used to give all of us a treat of icecandy. He was strict but loved the orphanage children very much and he was their loved “Ayya”
When Ajjayya retired it was time for all of us to shift to Bailur and then it was a really amazing experience of shifting things animals, poultry and all of us in the lorry to Bailur. It was a great sight!
In Bailur Ajjayya spent about 8 years and those days were even more wonderful. Ajjayya always wanted us to work hard and be good in all kinds of work. In the mornings during summer, we had to assist him in plucking cashews. In the evenings we had to help him to water the garden and specially water the coconut trees one after another by making small bunds. After the work was done all of us used to hire bicycles and go cycling in the open fields. He always wanted the girls to learn cooking from Ajjamma and he used to give us some work or the other. He valued time and did not tolerate laziness. The word “lazy” never existed in his dictionary. I remember the time when he told my sister Chethan and our cousin Prashanth to assist the worker Paulanna in painting one of the tenant’s houses. As wages he gave us money to hire the bicycles from the nearby shop. We really had fun and went cycling for a picnic to a nearby place called Yerlapadi. Ajjayya also gave us money to buy “Golisoda”!
Ajjayya loved us very much and in the evenings he used to sit with us and tell us to sing or dance and then used to give us a treat of pineapples or mangoes. Ajjayya’s proud possession was his bicycle and till his last he used to ride his bicycle. My brothers and cousin brothers were extra cautious about Ajjayya’s bicycle.
Ajjayya was a lover of animals and I remember how sad he was when he lost his favourite dog Bruno. Similarly he was deeply hurt when one of his cows gave birth to a deformed calf which died a few hours after birth. He always loved his work and his farm. One day a snake charmer visited the house when Ajjayya was not around. He said that he would catch all the snakes in the farm. He soon blew the instrument and many snakes arrived. We were very excited and wanted to see the snake charmer catching the snakes. The snakecharmer was about to catch them when Ajjayya arrived. He was furious. He told the snake charmer to leave the place immediately. He claimed that there were no biting snakes in his garden.
I was usually glued to my books and Ajjayya used to always worry if I would ever learn to cook or not. So he used to give me the work of grinding horsegram to feed the oxen. It was then that I learnt so many things like broom making, mat weaving, wire basket making etc. from Ajjamma.
To me Bailur meant Ajjayya and I could never imagine that Ajjayya would leave us so soon. He was very active till his last and his death was so sudden and unexpected. In October 1984 when we were about to go to Bailur to celebrate his birthday my mother accidentally burnt her feet as a result of hot water spill. So we could not go for the birthday. On the 8th of October Ajjayya arrived in the morning to see my mother who was on the bed due to the burn injury. There was no sign of tiredness or sickness on his face. All of us chatted together, had lunch and then he left to Bailur. Infact he was even glad to know that I was doing the cooking then.
At around 9p.m we got the news that he had brain haemorrhage and that he had been shifted to Manipal. We were shocked to hear this. We rushed to Manipal and Ajjayya was already in the ICU with a massive brain haemorrhage. Doctors had given up hopes but it was still unimaginable. Doctors and paramedics were visiting him to have a look at this 6 ft. tall well-built person. Ajjayya breathed his last on October 10th. His funeral took place on the 13th when all the shops of NeereBailur remained closed as a mark of respect to Ajjayya. His pet dog refused to return from the place where Ajjayya was buried.
It took all of us a lot of time to assimilate the fact that our dear Ajjayya was no more with us. To me Bailur never remained the same. There was a great void in our lives and it still exists.
Ajjayya was instrumental in moulding our personalities. We have learnt to know the importance of hard work. Hard work in the fear of God, disciplined lifestyle and the importance of treating our fellow persons with respect, the importance of respecting any sincere work and leaving behind all laziness, the joy of sharing with the less privileged are all traits that we have imbibed from him.
Years have rolled by and I too have assumed different roles of being a wife and a mother along with the task of being a career woman. But the memories of Ajjayya seem to be like a tonic giving me strength to carry forth the legacy. I am proud to be called Eddiayya’s granddaughter. I salute him for what he was and pray that our children will also continue in the path that Ajjayya has paved for us.
*(Dr.Ethel Suman is the daughter of Walter Premdas Maben and Vathsala Maben and is the fifth grandchild of Late Rev.E.P.Fernandez. She is married to Harsha Paul and is blessed with a son Haniel Suhith Paul and a daughter Helga Sudiptha. Suman, at present, is an Associate Professor of Microbiology at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India, 4thOctober, 2010).
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04-10-1910 - 10-10-1984
October 4th 2010 is the centennial of the birth of my Grandfather, the Late Rev. Egbert Plato Fernandez.
On his birth centenary it is with great joy and gratitude we thank our Creator God in and through the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving us such a Grandfather - Eddi ajja; a noble and gentle soul.
As his first grandson, I have a long and memorable association with him.
Growing up as a young boy, I was a little scared of his segundo voice and towering personality, but I admired and appreciated him very much. He was a true missionary with a definite vision. He had great respect for all the children of God, those from all backgrounds and faiths and he had deep sensitivity and caring for orphans and widows. Though going green has become a buzzword of the contemporary society, my grandpa was an advocate of it in the sixties as he demonstrated his care for animals, plants, and crops in a special way as an agriculturist and pastor. During summer holidays many of his grandchildren used to come to Mulki and during this time we learned from him and Grandma the joy of living and sharing together.
Both Ajjayya and Ajjamma used to get up early in the morning. They would consume a raw egg and drink a strong coffee (always prepared by Grandma), and after checking on the events of the day with one another, my grandma and grandpa would pray together in Tulu. Afterwards either Grandma or Grandpa would go and pray with the children at the boarding home at Mulki where they spent a substantial part of their ministry on behalf of the Basel Mission which later joined with the Church of South India. One of them would pray with the children every evening, also.
My grandfather was very much interested in the academic achievements of his grandchildren and the children of the boarding home. Grandpa and Grandma loved them as they loved their own children and grandchildren.
Grandpa used to write our marks in his diary.
He presented me with a wristwatch when I secured 4th rank in the 7th Std. District level examination.
He came to Manipal for my MBBS admissions. I had many opportunities to visit many villages with him and he taught me to respect people and to listen to them, irrespective of who they were. Throughout his life he maintained discipline, dignity, and cordiality with the community.
On this day let all the grandchildren remember him and I request that you share your moments with Ajjayya and Ajjamma with each other through the mail.
During his life, my grandfather left many wonderful imprints of his Christian witness. He tried to inspire and challenge others to practice understanding and Christian forgiveness. Many times, this was easier said than done, but all who knew him learned by watching him put his faith into action. As we celebrate the centennial of his birth may we as his circle of grandchildren, children, relatives, and friends commit ourselves to demonstrate and advocate for Christian forgiveness in a world that reacts to things with hate and anger.
May God grant us all the courage and the spirit of Grandfather's heart and mind to adopt into our lives, as baptized Christians, the forgiveness he practiced. May we be reminded that we are called to follow and imitate Jesus Christ. May we yearn for the Holy Spirit to move us and shake us so that we too may glorify our Creator God as faithful disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us celebrate Ajjayya’s birth centenary in our own way, wherever we are.
MAY HIS EXAMPLERY LIFE INSPIRE US TO BE GOOD TO ALL.
Dr. E.V. Suranjan Maben
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Dear Ranjan & Dear All,
As Madhu rightly commented.
That was a nice gesture to put ajjaya's article on his centenary.
Bringing back the good old memories, we are lucky of having been blessed with such good & loving grandparents.
We as his Grandchildren who have now become parents need to pass this to our children.
I had the opportunity of being with Ajjaya on his last birthday that was some thing I cannot forget …remember the wooden Toy elephant (that we all grand children played with at one or the other stage) well on his last Birthday it was Sabitha’s son Rohan who was little boy that day Ajjaya played with him. We had such wonderful time no one even imagined that our ajjaya who is playing with us will leave us to the heavenly abode in couple of days…….
There are those little mischiefs by during our younger days in Mulki……..specially using ajjay's torch battery and using for our silly projects and then ajjaya would be wondering how the torch battery goes low……
Ramona and me also had the previlage staying with ajjama & Ajjaya in mulki while schooling in Panambur......have lot of sweet memories of those days like the..... SPN- Brothers , E3 Sisters,....... that i could go on & on...
we pray and thank almighty for giving us such good grandparents who have kept all the familes together in bonding and love.
Our parents, Mamas, Uncle & Aunties have carried on the tradition.
Lord we pray & crave for your blessings that we all brothers, sisters & cousins carry on this trend of love ,respect and bonding and pass it on to our children.
Love
Prashanth
