Moosa bids goodbye

Maramveettil Mammini Moosa passed away peacefully on Thursday, the 8^th of this month. That morning he was in his shop next to his house. He felt some discomfort in the afternoon and died half an hour later. He was 83 years old. That is estimation. It was known that he was born after the floods of ’99.

You might be wondering who this person was. Moosa was a native of my village, Olavipe. It is difficult to answer if questioned what his achievements in life were. He just lived and died, one among the many, many millions. But his life was exemplary.

Olavipe has only about 10 Muslim families. They are all inter-connected. Chekutty (see Nostalgia: Cinema, cinema) was the first to come. He joined my great grandfather (see A judgment.) as a young boy and saw five generations of our family. I remember him proudly describing to us the velvet attire (perhaps a sherwani) which he had worn for his wedding about a century ago. My great grandfather had bought this for him, from Cochin I suppose.

After his marriage Chekutty set up home in Olavipe in a plot called Kalathara. Then he brought his younger brother Kunjo and his brother in law Mammini also to our village. Moosa was Mammini’s son. Mammini died of cancer, in the 1960s.

Moosa was fair and handsome from his schooldays (primary school) till his death. Even in his later life he did not have a paunch or flab and looked as young as ever, except for the hair turning gray. Also unchanged was his smile. It was always there. I have never seen him looking worried or sad.

He was an honest, straightforward and uncomplicated man. And a gentleman to the core. One could always trust him. Moosa was Ammachi’s. Mukthiyar Kariyasthan (manager vested with General Power of Attorney) with even the power to sell her lands. That was a rare statement of trust. In our family such power of attorney was given only to the most reliable of our supervisors.

The last time I was in Olavipe I called on Moosa at his house. I was meeting him after quite some time. It was a happy occasion for both of us. We spent a long time chatting, mostly about the bygone days and people.

A cousin of mine once said that Moosa was one of the very few people who were qualified for Heaven. I suppose that is where he is now.

Well, adios, Moosa.

Also see:

A unique prayer.