Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Seated Left to Right : Dad (David), Mr Jagdish Iyer, Mr Kittu, Mr UKS Menon, Mr Krishnan and the rest of them, I have no idea!
There were a total of 9 siblings, that would have been only 7 of us, had my father gone off prematurely. My father was attacked with changkuls and machete when he was overseeing the drainage in the estates. The 3 Malays who attacked my dad were pissed off with the white manager. They let loose their fury on my dad. The worst cut was on my dad’s upper arm which required 25 stitches, his face required 10 stitches, he fought them off and made his way to the estate, where people who saw him aided, him.
All of us rushed to the estate hospital, a big crowd was gathered there. I was around 5 years old, knew shit about what was happening, my mum was virtually hysterically, Mr UKS Menon, who was the most senior dresser was attending to my dad, he was laid on a table covered with linoleum.
There was blood everywhere, I took a sneak peek, as no one was allowed in. The space around my dad was covered, I saw Mr Kittu busy dabbing at my dad’s wounds. After that I was spotted as a trespasser and evicted. My favourite uncle K Vartharaju managed to go in, which proved to be a disaster, he fainted on seeing the blood. Resources were diverted to attend to him.
My mother was crying holding her two youngest kids, my sister and my brother, the no 6 and 7 in the family. My eldest brother and the rest of my elder sisters were there too, I was just a runt, did not know what was happening. I just cannot imagine what would have befallen us, if indeed my dad had left us. As he was the sole bread winner taking care of us and my mum’s siblings, there were 4 of them. My 3 uncles and my one aunty. All of them were there too.
The perpetrators were arrested, when asked why they did it, they said they saw a pig, that was their defense. They got a miserable 3 years’ jail for attempting to murder my dad. It was rich indeed, as the wife of one of them use to drop by my house to ask for rice, whenever she ran out of rice and had to wait until her husband’s pay day.
Gunny sacks of rice
Also took money and milk whenever they ran out of sundries. My mum never did turn them down. In my house we would never run out of rice, as every month my dad bought two gunny sacks of rice. I guess the Japanese occupation of Malaya and the starvation around them was a poignant memory.
My father recovered thanks to all who helped him recover. Yes, there were two additions to my family, a sister and my youngest brother.
