‘Keys of a Lost House’ by Devasiachan Benny
My home was a traditional house made of teak. Three generations of my family lived there happily and peacefully for more than a hundred years.
When my house was demolished to give way to a concrete structure, also taken away were the place of my birth and eighteen years of colourful childhood memories.
[Dev: add a picture label describing the iron keys…..]
Whereas my wooden house was naturally temperature controlled, expensive air-conditioning cannot control the temperature of its concrete replacement. No matter how cool the dial setting, this modernisation cannot take away my feelings of burning and pain for the past.
The concrete buildings are expected to have a lifespan of forty years or less. My traditional wooden house hosted three generations and me, the upcoming fourth generation, and it could have accommodated more.
According to me, social status is earned by good deeds. It isn’t to be bought, because such things don’t last. Some people consider the traditional wooden houses embarrassing for their so-called ‘false’ social status. [What does ‘false’ mean here, Dev?]
The introduction of imitation modernisation onto what was a healthy traditional lifestyle has created a trend of demolishing majestic traditional houses in central Kerala. Pala! But when a house is brought down in a poorer rural place, that isn’t the end of the story. The beautiful, weathered, worn teak is purchased by a tourist development organisation for a very low price. Then bit by bit the house is reassembled in a resort, fetching a fortune for the corporates.
My childhood home has been put together in an alien place for people unaware of its family story.
If only these two keys, the only treasure in my childhood home’s memory chest, if only they could open the wooden doors again and take away my grief.
My voice was never heard then. I am speaking now. Who is listening?
(Copyright Devasiachan Benny, 2022)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Devasiachan/
________________________
Go to the next exObject.
________________________
Create your own exObject – here’s how.