TOLL GATE SIVARAMAN IYER:-

In every village, there is someone who knows all the secrets of every household! He has the knack of collecting sensitive, not so sensitive, relevant, irrelevant, trivial details with great ease and stores the same in his hard disc. He becomes important in that area as he is the walking encyclopedia. He may collect information from Barbers, Dhobis and every available source!

Toll Gate Sivaraman  Iyer was one such speciman and he had his house in the first block of Veerappapuram Street  and Mudaliappapuram Street. Therefore, he had the advantage of knowing all details of both the streets!

The lane abutting his compound was used by people from Pillaimar street to go to Canadaian canal for bathing, washing clothes etc. On account of that, nearly half of the details from that street and the adjoining Muslim street were also in his constant survey!

Sivaraman Iyer was a very non descriptive man but for his nose which would sense all sensitive news from a distance.  We used to joke that if any news was brewing he would start sweating in his nose until and unless he got full information into his system.

His routine was very simple. He would be the first one to take plunge in the Canal early morning around 5.30 AM. He would survey very discreetly and take attendance of all the Mamis who were present in the canal for bathing. He would then hurriedly go to the Pillayar temple. Go around the temple once like devout disciple, not to pay reverence to God but to collect any information in the air! Then he would sit in his reclining chair in the Thinnai (front yard of the house) and wait for his coffee and news paper. Then he would enter into his house only for lunch which should be served to him by 10.30 AM.  

Afternoon siesta and evening coffee cum snacks everything would be served to him in the reclining chair. After that when the night falls he had to make a hasty retreat to the house as by then the mosquitoes would become unbearable.

It was my father who gave him the title honorary title of TOLL GATE as he had seen him sitting in his reclining chair and sniffing around for information. My father was returning from work one day and he got down in front of Sivaraman Iyer as there was some marriage in our street and the jeep could not get inside. Sivaraman Iyer made my dad to sit in his Thinnai (front yard) and spoke to him for nearly ten minutes to elicit the weekly news from him. My father did not like his style of conversation and took leave of him abruptly.

Sivaraman Iyer was so busy with these Toll Gate activities; he forgot to take care of his own children. His daughters were past their prime of youth and were remaining spinsters when we started living in Kallidaikurichi. His eldest son was married and the youngest one was busy with all unwanted activities like smoking etc. Sivaraman Iyer who even knew the menses cycle of every woman in the street, did not get information about this son and his activities. This was a big surprise to all of us. Someone told that he was very much aware but because of the pampering he had given to his kid did not want to take any action! 

   

A few years back, I heard that Sivaraman Iyer had become quite indisposed and he was lastly known to be busy watching TV channels inside the house. I was also told that the front yard and reclining chairs were mostly empty these days!! It was very sad news for me as the Icon of Veerappapuram Street had given up his one and only avocation!!