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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

The Memoirs of an Eighty year Old- Episode XXIV

Episode: Basara

Hello! Welcome to Basara people. Now it’s not two but three people who have shifted here. Little V is almost a year old already. The family stayed for very less time, yet they still had a huge impact on the people.

Why? Well because even though Basara is located on the bank of river Godavari, the place had a severe drinking water problem. There were no bore wells or hand pumps and the locals had a tough time getting water.

So what did grandpa do?
“I had almost forty workers in my control. I selected the center of the village and had the workers digging a well. They worked on the repair of tracks till noon and dug a well for the rest of the day. It took us a month to complete the digging and construction of the well. I used the railway granite to get the walls constructed deep in the ground. It wasn’t easy to convince the senior, but I succeeded. They needed water and I felt they should have it.”
“The villagers were elated and thanked us with all their love. The well is still very there, I think.” grandpa explained.

Any incidents in personal life? I asked.

“Oh yes! The quarters we were allotted was built on a higher foundation. We had to climb 4-5 steeps and enter the house. The verandah had no protection and V one day fell from there. She was crawling or trying to walk and tripped from the edge of the verandah. She got a cut on her forehead; you can still see the scar. I was terrified and she bled so much!” Grandma replied and added. “Immediately we got the place surrounded by those long granite stones they use for fencing lands. The stones were placed so close to each other that no child can fall again. The others who would come after us to stay there may also have kids; we did not want to risk any child’s life.”

There weren’t many doctors back then and most of them were local village doctors with no hospitals. The treatment was mostly done in the patient’s house itself. And to have a small child bleeding from her forehead is bound to scare any mother. Luckily there was no permanent damage internally except for a scar. 

Next, the family moved to Medchal and I have a feeling that this is going to be fun. Little V is getting bigger and she must have been a naughty child. Also, baby P would be born, so the fun will be doubled. ;)


Meet you soon. Be happy, be kind..

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