Remembering Madurai - Compound house

Today I live in one bed room house, which has a hall, bedroom, kitchen, dining hall, restroom, balcony etc., in a liesure manner. When I think back, when I was in school days...

We were a middle class family, living in a small house, which had one room and one kitchen. That belonged to a "compound house". The compound house has five such small "houses". we lived in one of them, which is in the end of the compound.

These kind of houses are of totally different kind. No privacy would be there. Whatever you do, neighbour knows. Even if we don't tell, the neighbour will ask about it. Any guests come, whole street and compound people will know.

I guess my parents might have given Rs.100 to Rs.250 as rent on those days!

When we get inside the home, the first small "space", not room - is the kitchen, where some cooking happens on the floor. we used to have food, by sitting on the floor, just near the stove. If we have made it to gas stove, then we are richest. If you had a kerosene stove, you are richer. if you have the mud stove, which burns with the woods, then you are OK and slightly poor.

Need to explain another space in the small house. This is used as a living room, study room, also bed room and everything is done here. We were three boys, no sisters and my father and mother. In fact, in that small space we had a cot as well. One of us sleep on the cot and all others will sleep on the floor with our legs under the cot!!

In fact, there was ONE common restroom for all the 5 houses(spaces) out there!

We are living a luxurious life today!! All this luxury is all given by my mother and father, by their lot of hard work and sweat! They have worked hard to give us good and quality education and quality food and knowledge!

thank you amma and appa!! I will owe you a lot anytime in my life! Naan ungallukku romba kadamappatturukkaen...

To be continued...