As Told and Written by P.Arulmary
on
02.11.2000 

Translated into English by Alex.
Compiled by Jessie

I was born in a poor family. My father’s first wife had two daughters. After the death of my father’s first wife, he married my mother Gnanambal. I had five sisters and two brothers. When I was a child we migrated to a village called Mannaarkudi. Toddy shop was our family profession. Due to good profit we became wealthy with land, big house and coconut farm. My father was a hot-tempered man. But he took good care of us. He never once beat us, not even scolded us. 

We were all very obedient children. My mother was a good person. I was educated in a convent till my eighth grade. My father used to encourage me to study well and become a doctor in future. Unfortunately I had to discontinue my studies and get married at an early stage. After marriage I continued to stay at my house with my parents since I was still young. At that time my husband lived in a village called Cheri and was working in Tanjore. After a while he rented a house in Tanjore and brought his parents with him. Then he also brought me to Tanjore to stay with him. My husband also brought his five sisters and one brother to stay with us. We admitted all of them in schools and educated them. After one year we shifted to a place called Koothanallur with his brother and one sister. 

After two years his parents and his other sisters also left Tanjore to live with us in Koothanallur. Then we all lived together. At that time two of his sisters had completed their eighth grade. So we admitted both of them to a teachers training institute in Tharanggampadi. Since there was lot of debt in Tanjore, we settled the debt gradually. My father in law started working in a mosque in Koothanallur. Then all of us shifted to Mannarkudi while my husband continued to stay in Koothanallur and work. It was at this time my first daughter Kalaimani was born. For six months I stayed at my mother’s place. 

Then we shifted to Muthupettai with only his brother and one of his sisters where they continued their studies. After this we went to a place called Keevalur, here to his brother and one of his sisters accompanied us to continue to stay with us and study. After a while we went back to Koothanallur again to live alone. Here my next daughter Juliath was born in a hospital in Latchumaangkudi. Likewise in every place we went we stayed for one or one and a half years. I have forgotten some of the places. 

Finally we came back to Tanjore again. Meanwhile two of his sisters had completed their teachers training and three others were still studying. Two of them who had completed their studies got married in a simple manner. My husband did all this single handedly. All of my husband’s family again came to live with us. At this time my third daughter Alphonse was born. 

Then we got transferred to Maayavaram and started living there. Here in Maayavaram Kalaimani was in her sixth grade while Juliath was in her second grade. My husband was working as a clerk in Maayavaram. The house rent, when we were in Tanjore was Rs.15 per month. Whereas in Koothanallur it was Rs.5 per month, while in Mannarkudi it was free since we stayed in a school where my father in law worked as a peon. In Lakchumaangkudi it was Rs.4 per month, in Mayavaram it was Rs.15 per month. While in Mayavaram my first son John Britto was born. Then we shifted to a place called Valanggaimaan. Here Kalaimani, Juliath and Alphonse went to school. It was here that my second son Charles was born. When he was two years old we came back to Tanjore again. 

Here we rented a house for Rs.15 per month in Arulananda Nagar. In my neighboring house lived an old lady who used to tell me repeatedly that the place where we lived in and the adjacent land all belong to my uncle. So she advised me to ask my uncle to give me a piece of land. This she did daily. I seldom visited my relative’s houses, so I was reluctant to ask my uncle for the land. As time passed I changed my mind and went to my uncle’s place to ask for the piece of land. He enquired about me and my family roots and then called me one day and told me that I can choose anywhere in Arulananda Nagar and build the house there. Then we chose a place and built a very simple house and we moved in. From that time onward till date we live in that house. 

My eldest daughter Kalaimani was admitted in college and all the other children in school. In this house were born the other three sons James, Vincent and Alex. We educated all of them with great difficulties. Kalaimani was betrothed to Amul. Juliath became a Nun. Alphonse also got married. My eldest son Britto was doing his college and was married to Jothi who are blessed with one daughter Grenny and one son Mcwin. 

Charles completed CA and married Jeyanthy. And now is settled in Bangkok with two children Amal and Arun. James is married to Jessie and is settled in Singapore. Vincent married Jaya and is settled in Singapore. Alex is engaged to Jeya.