How can someone build an architectural piece of work, a long standing one with stones alone?
This is what I asked when I first learnt about Groynes. These Groynes commonly misspelt as Groins by my friend Sama, are the saviours of many coastal villages. I've lived a part of my childhood near one such Groyne close to my village. It was completely done out of huge rocks which started an indefinite path towards the land on the other end across the ocean. Whenever we could get a vacation off, we climbed a nearby mountain which gave a bigger, clearer view of the Groyne. But, my love for Groynes started when Sama's uncle, a pilot told those famous tales from his flight rides.
He would often remark that the groynes which were laid would look like an outstretched finger when we look at it from a particular altitude. He would also remark that similar groynes are present along the coastline on either side of my village. 6 groynes along the coastline around our village were there according to Sama's Pilot uncle. I tried to imagine if I had a hand with 6 fingers so that I would get a map with these groyne lines and would also align my hands on those groyne-lines.
Years passed by. I got educated, got settled in a job, married, raised a girl at the age of 5.
But I had never got a chance to view the groyne as described by Sama's pilot uncle. Sama and I had parted, he started his business in our area, and I came to the city. One evening, as my daughter was polishing her finger nails with polish, the glistening red colour reminded me of the groyne. More than the thought of seeing those 6 fingers together,the thought of how would the nail of such an outstretched finger look like drove me to the scene.
I set out alone on the trip to my village. It was a cloudy evening, with not much of humidity, and the weather was just fine. I reached the place where we lived. No one seemed to remember either Sama or his uncle. There it laid, my favourite outstretched finger, the alleged pathway to the other side, with only a few discarded motor boats at its earthly knuckles.
I started walking on those huge rocks, passing through one hurdle at a time. It was almost 7:00 pm, when I reached the nail. What a sight it was! It was the first time ever, that I wasn't getting my feet wet, but was able to hear the waves at a shorter distance. Hypnotized by the situation, I sat down and started listening to music. I've heard people say that,kids, elephants and the Sea are the only three things which will never leave you bored.The heart never feels contented when the eyes watch them. I was re-living the third one, recollecting all the great things in my life.
It was then suddenly, without any warning, that it happened.
I was shaken by this thunderous noise of an approaching tidal wave, I opened my eyes to see a huge mass of water hurling itself at me. What was it? Tsunami?
I didn't remember feeling tremors of an earthquake. Before I could react I was wet.My reaction to flee the place, let me into trouble. I slipped down the gap between the rocks. My hand lost contact with my mobile, and it fell on a nearby rock. That was my wife's present and my only source of contacts with the outside world. As I reached further to retrieve it with my hands, another wave stuck me and this time I was caught midway between two massive rocks,almost sandwiched between two large stones. With only the head above on the surface of the path, I glared at the sky and it told me the reason.
That was a full moon day, and the tides were at their own selves, acting on their will. Those laws of attraction which I had read had turned against me. The mother was calling her child in the sky and was stretching her hands. Now, I realized the reason for those abandoned boats on the shore. With one hand firmly between two massive rocks, I tried shouting for help, but it went in vain. My voice was over-shadowed by what felt like the wave's background score to my sorry state of affairs.
Necessity is the mother of Invention, they say, but I could not invent any new trick to get myself out of the hole I had got myself into. Any movement of my legs threatened me of further trouble. I analysed the situation on hand. "What are my assests?" "How can I send a light signal across?" These questions kept hitting the grey cells of my brain.
Rubbing of stones to produce light was ruled out due to the wetness.
Shouting was the only way, but that could soon lead to sore throat.
Even Tom Hanks had some space to walk around, make a torch to light fire in "CAST AWAY".
I didn't have a piece of usable debris with me. I continued shouting at the top of my voice trying to win the sound of the waves. Big out cry, little out come.
I felt something moving beneath my legs. Was it a snake? a crab? It didn't size up to more than a few inches, was slimy to my feet and was ticking as though it were a bomb. The ticking stopped. There was more of it now. I was sure that it wasn't a snake or a crab, but was it something i should be alarmed of? Was it a leech? Do leeches survive here? The confusion seemed eternal. I didn't have an idea of what time it was.
Out of the blues, I saw a small piece of light, almost as small as a firefly. Was I hallucinating? If not, how do fireflies move up and down continuously? Was it some other sea-creature, I need to be afraid of?
Was this piece of light, the much wanted help or the much feared evil?
Now, as the firefly moved higher, I could figure out a silhouette. He was sporting a rugged look, an oar on one hand, the light on the other hand and was pacing as though he was running for life.
As he covered 3/4th of the path,he sat on one of those rocks, spread out a net, never minding the perilous position. I kept shouting, waving my free hand at him. Fortunately for me, the waves receded for a moment, and he heard my voice, came near me, noticed my outstretched fingers.
"என்ன அண்ணா இந்தப் பக்கம்?(what brother, what are you doing here"?), he asked
"தூக்கி விடு "(Lift me up).He tried his best to lift me up, couldn't do so.
He ran all the way back to the shore, and after a few minutes, I could see torches moving closer to me. This boy over ran them came to me, but before I could react, he snatched the ring from my fingers and ran back.
As I was trying to get back from his sudden attack, those men came near me, lifted me up, retrieved my phone, and I was rescued within minutes. The crow bars they brought with them made way for me and I, wet from the waves thanked them and gave a few hundred rupee notes. This boy, surprisingly hadn't vanished from the place and was waiting till the men went away. Slowly, he came close to me and returned the ring.
"அண்ணா, திருட்டு பசங்க அவங்க!! (Brother, they are thieves),"பணம் இருக்கும்னு சொன்னேன் , அதான் வந்தாங்க !!" (They came only for money)
"நீங்க பணம் குடுக்கலைன்னா, அடிச்சு வாங்கியிருப்பாங்க!!"(If you hadn't given money, they would have beaten you up and seized money")
"அதான் இதை எடுத்தேன் "(That's why I snatched it).
I was heartened, patted the boy and gave him some money, but he refused and continued with his work. I asked him why he was fishing out there in the night.
"இப்போ புடிச்சாதான் உண்டு, இல்லன்னா அவங்க விட மாட்டாங்க"(I can only catch these now, if not they wouldn't permit me)
"மீன் இப்போ, அலை அடிச்சு கரைக்கு வரும், இங்க இருந்து சுளுவா புடிக்கலாம்"(Fish will come to shore now, can get them easily).
I said ,"பரவ இல்ல, இன்னிக்கு மட்டும் வேண்டம், நான் அந்த பணம் தரேன், வா போலாம்".(It's ok. I'll give the money. Let's go). After much deliberation, he came with me, invited me to his home to see his ill father. I gave him some money and left his home after a few minutes.
On the way back, an irony stuck me.
How was I saved?
Was it because of the poor boy, who risked his life in the night to catch fish in order to make both ends meet?
Was it because of those goons, who might have stolen my money in the night?
Was it because of the social differences in today's world, which made thieves out of normal men, which made them roam around in the nights looking for money?
Is it not the same social difference which has made rich people enjoy the world with all the money in their banks, eventually causing the difference grow bigger and bigger?
I am still in search of an answer.
Let me know if you get one.
If you would like to view those 6 outstretched fingers, visit the following link:
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=13.1736401&lon=80.3129768&z=15&l=0&m=a&v=2
