Our This One Has Completely Become This!

When I was in elementary school, we used to get milk from Domappa's house near Ballalbagh circle next to present day Prasad Art Gallery. Domappa was a farmer with buffaloes and bulls, growing paddy, making parboiled rice and also selling milk for livelihood. Can't say if the milk he sold was pure but he used pure Nethravathi river water, I was sure!

One morning, it was almost 8:30am, we were getting ready for school and mother was peeking out through the big open windows on the verandah. She murmured "Where's this Doomappa's boy? Still hasn't brought milk. You boys are getting late for school, your father is getting late for office. Son, go to Doomappa's house and see what happened!"

She also gave me a milk pot made of bronze. I called my friend Mahaveer and we both walked over to Doomappa's house. We went down the buffalo dung coated steps of mud on to the traditional Mangalorean tile low roofed house with thatched roof in front, and knocked on the open door.

A woman in her fifties appeared and asked "What do you want son?" in broken Kannada mixed with Tulu. She must be Doomappa's wife.

I said "We are from Dharmasthala Heggade's compound. Mother is asking why you have not sent milk today."

She replied in Kannada "Yentha heludu magaa! Nammadu idella idaagide!"(What can I tell you son! Our this one has completely become this)

I and Mahaveer both looked at each others' faces with puzzled look, thought for a moment, nodded our heads and walked back home.

Came home and told mother "It seems their this one has completely become this!"

Mother was shocked and asked "What rubbish are you talking! Did you ask why they haven't sent milk?"

I said "I did. Either their buffalo has become pregnant or must have become aged and has completely stopped yielding milk it seems! That's what I understood."

Pic courtesy: Anuradha Mudalagiri Kamath