Monday 19 July 2010

Palani chami


He came into our life as a thin active innocent village bachelor, and still stays the same.

He is the utility man. Palani Chami

He takes up odd jobs like nailing the loose cupboard, patches up the leaking roof of the tiled home, tends the garden , trimming the branches to below electric line level of a tree and adds an occasional flowering plant he noticed on the road side to the garden he waters with my dad.

He was a tree climber and we used to get coconuts,mangoes and sapotas, from a few trees we had till we had them chopped due to ill maintenance, and water scarcity.

He is a mason and also a small time plumber, trades which he learnt from a local man, he helps to get the dishes from home and cares for my dad, he occasionally gets to take lunch for my kid at school, and cleans the vehicle, he says that the rear view mirror was loose and had it tightened, or the wheel tyre needs a change, which I notice later to have it done.

He is a part time painter and I have seen his work, at my gate, home, and work station.

All that matters is he is left to do what he wants and things get to be done, with that freedom, and attention.

There are folks who steal hearts, steal money and steal vehicles, but have u ever heard of folks stealing workers, that happened many times with this Palani Chami, that I had to get him back by restealing him from others with words of helplessness, as I am lost with out his expertise and professional care of the rural kind.

4 comments:

mo h said...

head hunters ... :)
nicely written Venkat,

venkhat said...

Thank you mok, i have added his picture this morning, i was hesitant as he had a tonsure yesterday,but he was kind enough to accept this picture to be attached.

mo h said...

Hi Venkat,
Guess what , I was about to write yestrdy to suggest include his portrait. Then seeing the brain drainers activity, thought it would look like a surefire JobSeeker Advt with Biodata, and didn't.

:)
Have a nice gardening day!

Local said...

Creativity is freedom first.

I'm glad to see you adding your own pics, gardner48. I wish you'd do it with more of your stories - though they are pictures in words.:)