Venkta

I have spent most of my life in Kadidal. My grandpa was having some Arecanut plantation and paddy field. Everyday morning by 9.00am he used to go to his Arecanut plantation and come back by 12.30pm. Then he will have bath, lunch, afternoon sleep. In evening he used to do work in garden, planting new plants in his garden, plucking weeds etc. Today when I compare our life with the life which my grandparents lived, I really feel why we are struggling so much!

Yearly twice a man named Vekta used to come. He was a snake-charmer and he used to catch snakes by playing his squeaky pipe. People who believe in science say that it is not possible to catch a snake like that as snakes don't have ears. People used to say that Venkta cheats. We used to enjoy his work. We used to follow him wherever he used to go, even tough Ajja used to scold us. I have seen him catching snakes and he used to remove the poisonous teeth of snake in front of us. Yellow color liquid used to come out. I just can't believe that he cheated us. Wonderful thing was he could make out the direction in which snakes are there by playing his pipe.

There is a woman called Paddi and her house is nearby to my grandpa's house. One day some one from Paddi's house came and said that king cobra has come to paddi's house. These snake charmers live in a place called Basavani at a distance of some 8km from Kadidal. They asked our vehicle to get snake charmers. My brother Vasuki and my cousin Abi went to Basavani. By the time they reached Basavani it was 9.00pm. They found the house and knocked at door. One snake charmer opened the door and guess what! He was completely drunk, not in a position to even talk properly. Vasuki and Abi tried to find some other charmer. But same situation every where. Finally as they were not having any other option they explained the situation to these people. As soon as they said King cobra, charmers asked 2000rs. No other option was there. So Abi and Vasuki agreed for that. They asked Abi and Vasuki to wait for some time. These two boys were waiting in jeep when one woman came and begged Abi and Vasuki not to take her husband(She was the wife of one snake charmer) as he is not in position to catch King cobra. Suddenly her husband came and he slapped her and she went crying. These two boys were standing there in full confusion.

Then that snake charmer explained that "his wife is a big idiot. She can't understand outside world. She doesn't know her limitations. She doesn't know that women should not interfere in these things. Blablablabla". Really she was a Idiot. She was trying to save this person who can't even understand that she was doing it to save him. Anyways these people came to Paddi's house. It was aroungd 11.00pm.

But one thing I have to appreciate. Even tough they were completely drunk, very easily they caught that king cobra. They were having a big pipe. On one side of a pipe they tied one bag. Other side they took near to that snake. Snake moved from that end of pipe and as soon as it got into the bag, they tied the bag. Abi and Vasuki came back. Then there in Paddi's house bargaining started. These Snake charmers asked for 2000rs. Paddi and her family members started arguing that they will give just 200rs. After some time as it was already late they stopped arguments and went to sleep. They thought of deciding it next morning.

Funniest thing was that next morning Paddi gave 50rs to them. These snake charmers were not remembering anything of last night as they were drunk. They thought that they might have asked 50rs. They took 50rs without any argument and went.