There are two household hold helps when I was a kid in Allahabad that I remember vividly.
The First was Needle ayah. Yes a strange name indeed and if you can't guess its origin let me tell you - She was as skinny as a needle
I was probably 5 or so but I knew a skinny person when I saw one . She was only in her 60's ( I calculated that much later ) but as I was only 5 she looked 80 !
She was responsible for the sweeping , swabbing , tidying up , making the beds and washing the clothes as far as I remember . She also spent a lot of time talking to me and others in the house .
She never lived with us - I guess she lived somewhere close by as she arrived at the crack of dawn and was there till late in the evening .
I guess she was also good at pressing feet as that is one of the things I often saw her doing .
Then there was BOY the cook
I was about 12 when he first started working in the house .
Why he was called BOY I could never fathom because he was an old man - probably about 65 at the time - but for a 12 year old 65 is as good as 80 ! ( I was later informed that many male servants were called boy )
He wore a white turban , was clean shaven and very clean.
As we lived in the railway colony - this was way back in the 60's- he occupied an out house - behind the house . He just had just one tin trunk - guess he was a poor man like most house hold helps in those days .
Boy was an early riser like Needle Ayah. Often when I entered the kitchen early in the morning , the fire was already lit ( no gas back in those days ) , the tea was ready - often served in bed - and breakfast was on the way to the dining table .
I often sat on my haunches watching him light the fire - it was fascinating the way he placed the coal , struck the match - lit some paper and gently blew till it caught ....... soon it was ablaze .
BOY was one of those old faithful's . He worked for us for about 15 years or more and cooked some fantastic dishes .
Jhal Frezi , Vindaloo, ball curry and yellow rice, Irish stew , mulligatawny, cutlets, croquets and many more - he was a good cook . He was also a chutney and salad expert and for every meal there was a salad or a chutney.
He also went shopping for provisions , was responsible for laying the table , serving the food and washing the dishes thereafter .
BOY was a story teller too and often when I was left at home he kept me busy with stories of animals , thieves and journeys - I guess most of the were made up on the spur of the moment but they sure amused me .
Now thinking back he was probably actually older because his head shook when he talked and on a few occasions he saw me imitating him and looked annoyed !.
No clue when Needle Ayah and BOY stopped working with us - When I reminisce - they just stopped coming one day and I don't even know if I missed them .
Great days in Allahabad indeed.
The First was Needle ayah. Yes a strange name indeed and if you can't guess its origin let me tell you - She was as skinny as a needle
I was probably 5 or so but I knew a skinny person when I saw one . She was only in her 60's ( I calculated that much later ) but as I was only 5 she looked 80 !
She was responsible for the sweeping , swabbing , tidying up , making the beds and washing the clothes as far as I remember . She also spent a lot of time talking to me and others in the house .
She never lived with us - I guess she lived somewhere close by as she arrived at the crack of dawn and was there till late in the evening .
I guess she was also good at pressing feet as that is one of the things I often saw her doing .
Then there was BOY the cook
I was about 12 when he first started working in the house .
Why he was called BOY I could never fathom because he was an old man - probably about 65 at the time - but for a 12 year old 65 is as good as 80 ! ( I was later informed that many male servants were called boy )
He wore a white turban , was clean shaven and very clean.
As we lived in the railway colony - this was way back in the 60's- he occupied an out house - behind the house . He just had just one tin trunk - guess he was a poor man like most house hold helps in those days .
Boy was an early riser like Needle Ayah. Often when I entered the kitchen early in the morning , the fire was already lit ( no gas back in those days ) , the tea was ready - often served in bed - and breakfast was on the way to the dining table .
I often sat on my haunches watching him light the fire - it was fascinating the way he placed the coal , struck the match - lit some paper and gently blew till it caught ....... soon it was ablaze .
BOY was one of those old faithful's . He worked for us for about 15 years or more and cooked some fantastic dishes .
Jhal Frezi , Vindaloo, ball curry and yellow rice, Irish stew , mulligatawny, cutlets, croquets and many more - he was a good cook . He was also a chutney and salad expert and for every meal there was a salad or a chutney.
He also went shopping for provisions , was responsible for laying the table , serving the food and washing the dishes thereafter .
BOY was a story teller too and often when I was left at home he kept me busy with stories of animals , thieves and journeys - I guess most of the were made up on the spur of the moment but they sure amused me .
Now thinking back he was probably actually older because his head shook when he talked and on a few occasions he saw me imitating him and looked annoyed !.
No clue when Needle Ayah and BOY stopped working with us - When I reminisce - they just stopped coming one day and I don't even know if I missed them .
Great days in Allahabad indeed.
1 comment:
You have painted word pictures of Needle Ayah and Boy Cook in a very expressive way. And sure enough, such strange names!
Enjoyed your piece, Sir. Keep writing and yes, sharing. 😊
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