Nereyeth House

---

THE COURTYARD 

At Nereyeth house, there was a beautiful central courtyard, which has a unique history of its own. The courtyard looked beautiful with loose gravel on the ground and jasmine flower bushes all around, and the centre of attraction were four grape vines, bearing grapes, growing on a large flat trellis.

About 70-75 years ago, most all the activities of our large joint family revolved around this huge courtyard. It was bound on three sides by long open verandas, and the fourth side had a high wall and a gate. The action began in the morning. One by one, each family member came to this veranda, to brush their teeth at the only wash basin in the house. It was on a cement platform at one end of one of the verandas. The men brought their shaving kits and a small stand-up mirror to shave.  

FAMILY TIME

All the babies, starting from Rajan, Kochurani, John Chandy, Josey, John, Mathew, Vakkan, JJ and even Lonachan were given baths on this open veranda. The warm was water brought with buckets. On these verandas, toddlers played on their tricycles. Rajan’s rocking wooden horse from Chennapattana was a great favourite for all. The kids enjoyed playing with his old parambulator bought in the year 1942. Rajan’s rocking cradle was also used by many of the kids growing up in the big house.

There was an open hallway called “Eda-nazhi” connecting the “Sala” (the drawing room) to the middle of the three verandas. This was where the women spent most of their time, feeding babies, breast feeding, and putting the babies to sleep on the “metha-paya”. A couple of baby potties were also on hand to train the toddlers. 

The toddlers roamed around in their “chaddies” and there were frequent accidents! Diapers were unheard of in those days and puddles were cleaned up with a ready mop. Once, Mathachan noticed a fresh puddle on the veranda and asked who did this. Without any hesitation or embarrassment, Tom Thek owned up. “I only mully”, he said, and afterwards Mathachan nicknamed him – “I only mully”! 

Women played cards when they are free and rocked the babies to sleep. They also played some dice games, where 2-4 people can sit around boards engraved on the floor of the veranda. (Cathu Ranga, Vettium Kuthum Nera Para etc.) 

UTILITY AREAS

There was a five feet long parapet on the kitchen side of the veranda where brass “Kindi” and “Montha” with water sat majestically. There was also a solitary tap there for additional water supply. 

The utility table in this area held anything and everything from “uppu” to “karpooram”. There were two mud pots for cool drinking water, called koalas with glasses, baby food and cereals, snacks and biscuits, baby bottles in the basin, thermos flask, cups, saucers and spoons, sugar, salt, pepper, pickles, toothpick and similar items. 

On the other end of the veranda, there was another table with a bench, for the children to study and do their homework. It also doubled up as an ironing table.

All the five daughters were taught embroidery and machine stitching by professionals. The sewing machine bought for Velliammichi in 1930 is still in Rajan’s house. 

REMEMBERING VELLIAMMACHI 

On the steps of this veranda, Velliammchi combed the hair and picked lice from the hair of daughters and daughter in laws. In those days, there were no shampoos or medication and removing lice was a daily routine! Sometimes Ammini and Rosamma would pick a louse or two between their fingers and run to Appapan and he allowed them to let the louse loose on his head. He was not bald, but had very sparse hair, and they would watch its movements on his head. Soon the lice would find his head too hot and crawl and escape on to his easy chair head cushion. Then, they picked the lice from his cushion and killed them. 

During summer holidays, around 11 am in the morning, when Ammini, Rosamma, Lolamma and Appachans kids were all vacationing at the Tharavadu, Velliammachi brought buckets full of ripe mangoes to the courtyard steps. With water, knives, and plates, she would peel and cut up 20-30 mangoes in quick time and everybody sat around and relished the taste of these mangoes. 

We also looked forward to her “Nalu Mani Palaharam” with unmatched variety, including avalose unda, avalu nanachathu and mouthwatering velutha halwa and karutha halwas, ladoos, jelebi. All these were homemade, and to top it all, she served up fried malabar bananas, an all-time favourite of the family. Velliammachi was from Kuttanad, the land of ducks and karimeen and her primary passion was to cook and feed her family. These were amazing memories of her love and care.

Nereyeths were generally frugal eaters. Chittappan’s breakfast and dinners were very sparse, and he ate very little, for lunch also he used to say “Eniku Vayaru Bhagyam illa.”  Chittappan’s eldest brother, we called him Appapan, he was a naturopath.  He used to sleep on sand spread on his cot with a simple fiber mat over it. And his food consists of fresh warm milk as soon as the cow is milked, with pressed rice and uncooked bananas etc. He used to live in Chunagam veli Estate.

But Amachi came from Vachaparambil family, Kuttand, the land of Ducks and Karimeen, she loved cooking and feeding her family with all the good food.

She was very hard working and had the energy none of us ever had. She wakes up by 5 am every day, attends daily mass, and goes about working until the evening with a band of servants. In those days everything had to be processed at home. It is a very tedious job to process paddy into rice, rice into rice flour, hand pound chilies, turmeric etc at home. She managed it all. Apart from her brood of 11 children, she had cows, chicken, ducks, turkeys, dogs, and cats to take care of. She was a strict Disciplinarian. We had to go for mass every day, and 30 minutes evening prayers were a must, with Vanakka Masam prayers in March & May etc.

Although we were 11 children, each of us got some special attention of hers.

Chittappan bought the Alwaye estate with a house facing Periar River at Thottum Mukham, the river with its mineral properties were considered healthy and Chittappan wanted us to spend our summer holidays 2 months away from Alpy, to save us from the filaria/Munth which he contracted. Looking back his vision has saved us the 6 younger children from Appachan down wards from Munth attack.

We used to look forward to this Aluva holidays. Chittappans used to split his time between Alpy & Aluva. He was fully relaxed when he came to Aluva. There he used to enjoy playing card game, 56 with us Ammachi, Daughters & Daughter in Laws, all sit and play with him. I have some pleasant memories of our annual summer holidays. Spending long hours in the river, swimming, and bathing twice a day, Muchupa Rowing, Fishing, playing cards all day, ate lots of mangoes and jackfruits and cashew nuts. 

When we were children, starting of Christmas holidays we- the younger 5 kids – used to go to Chittappan and request various Christmas Presents. He would then ask us to make a list of what we wanted and bring it to him. We would take a couple of days to prepare a consolidated list Padakkam, Balloons, Chocolates, playing cards etc were on the list. He would take the list to the office and ask one of the nadathukaran pillay to get it for us. 

I remember once we wanted slippers or sandals. We had never worn slippers before. It was sanctioned and on a Saturday morning Kuttappan went to the Office with Chittappan, and came back with Rs 25 in his pocket, a large amount of money in those days. The 4 of us Ammini, me, Kuttappan and Lolamma jumped into the car and went to the one and only shoe shop in Alleppey - Batas.

Three of us purchased sandals but Kuttappan wanted only shoes and socks even tho, he had never worn slippers before. We had an argument over it because shoes cost double that of sandals, but he would not relent, for he had the money and so he had his way. I must say that we were the first ones to wear slippers to school in those days, apart from a couple of Anglo Indian girls.

Another interesting Katha. Three brothers Chettan, Machan, Chackochan. Employed us 3 sisters Ammini, me and Lolamma to do small errands for them at home. We were paid Rs 2 per month -as salary. Getting tea from the kitchen, bringing their shaving set to the one and only wash basin on the 3 verandahs around the courtyard, cleaning it and putting it back in their rooms etc.  I remember Machan calling out -Shamba lam- to tease and I used to go rushing to serve.

Chackochan did his Graduation from St Xaviers, Bombay, and when he came on holidays, he used to bring for us all sorts of Bombay fashionable things like long hair plaiting, ribbons, slides, cutex etc which we had not seen before. During the Christmas holidays we used to put up an entertainment of songs, action shows with curtain sliding and closing etc for the family. Whatever we learned in school was performed. Three blind mice, where are you going, my pretty maid, Remember Johnichans, Poonkavanam Manoharam etc. After the performance Chettan used to treat us with exotic sweets from Gujarati Street.

After Chettan shifted to the Collectorate House, He started Cittappans birthday. Celebration every year, on 28th Dec followed by his, on 29th and the Vattayal girls started the entertainment program roasting session, skits etc and it continued for many years and the venue started shifting from house to house every year. 

Chechi was a much-pampered girl, born after 2 boys, with Cittappan’s mother’s name and he endearingly calls her Kochumariamme. She was fussy about her food, she always got special attention food etc. And after her marriage she regularly used to visit home, and some afternoons Chittappan wanted to see her, and he sent the car to fetch her.  Annamma was only 15 years old when she got married and she always says. -Enne. annu pidichu kettichu- forced into marriage.

This reminds me of watching our wedding movie. On our 50th wedding anniversary,

My 8-year-old grandson from the US asked me- Ammama, why are you looking so grumpy on your wedding day? Was it a forced marriage? or was it an arranged marriage? Well!

Appachan was very mischievous and argumentative, always teasing us youngsters. 

We go complaining to Chittappan. He hears us out, calls Appachan and we think he is going to get it. Chittappan then questions him, Appachan remains silent all through. Chittappan then pronounces his judgement. Appachan oru Mandan. Thats it. But Chittappan had a soft corner for him because he considered him the cleverest of all.  Rajan, being the youngest, was treated like a baby, and very quietly he was up to all sorts of mischief. He was also pampered by Anna Chedathy, she used to go to the market every morning to buy fish etc. She always managed to smudge her a/c by 8. Kashu everyday to buy a him Muttai. She then hides it and gives it to him when no one is watching. 

At one period of time Ammachi was looking after 3 grand children whose parents were not there. Leelamma ye Kappada ku konduvannu when she was about 1 year old. Johnichan’s parents were in Kozipara/Chittoor, and he had started schooling in Alpy.  Kunjumary also was sent to Alpy to start school. These three sometimes fought with each other, and the complaint reached Appapan. He would patiently hear them out, he won’t take anybody’s side, but pronounced the harshest punishment to the offender. He would say --Mandan-- and that is it. 

Looing back we all had a wonderful childhood.

When we think of Velliammichi, there are many words that come to mind.

But there’s ONE word that stands taller than all the rest, and that Word is LOVE.

Eleven children and Sixty plus grandchildren, her LOVE of family was boundless.

Our memory of her dates back to our annual winter holidays spent at Nereyeth House. She welcomed us with open arms, and served up the kind of cuisine that we can only dream of today:

-Palappam and stew for breakfast

-Ethakye varuthedhe and an array of pala-ahrams at tea time

-Fried fish, fish mollie and our favorite – the kuttanad style roast duck and chicken for lunch or dinner

We’ve eaten at some amazing restaurants around the world

But we don’t actually remember the TASTE of those meals

Those restaurant chefs could buy any ingredient they wished, except the one ingredient that was not available for sale in a grocery shop. 

Velliamichi’s secret ingredient was LOVE, and that’s made her cooking so memorable.

They say that behind every successful man Is a Woman of Substance!

I’d like to think of Velliamchi as an equal partner with Appapen, 

in building the family business that we’re all celebrating here this weekend.

When the history of Indian business post-Independence is written, 

it will be recorded that the foundations were laid by a few pioneers, who built India’s well-known family businesses. 

When the historians get to Kerala, I hope they discover the genius of NC John, who created multiple companies in diverse industries, that export goods to countries all over the world. This is Apapen’s LEGACY, 75 Years and counting. 

However, for all his success, the word that springs to mind that describes Appapen best is HUMILITY.  When I visited the NCJ office showrooms, I came across an old book of the minutes of the first board of directors meeting of the NC John Company. What I found remarkable was that the list of directors included Mr. NC John’s sons and others, but NOT Mr. NC John himself

Appapen was clearly a visionary leader, but unlike many of India’s well-known company founders who chose to shine the light on themselves, he chose to shine the light on his family as the trustees of his business. NCJ is one of the few family-run companies of this size in India that have remained united through multiple generations over 75 years. This is in fact the lasting legacy of Velliamichi and Appapen.  Their core values of LOVE and HUMILITY are the reason for our family unity and NCJ’s success over the past 75 years

Here’s wishing it continued for the next 75!

Tom Thekkethala