198. Flowers for KK (Short Story No.12 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: Flowers for KK (Short Story No.12 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

If you are a jealous young woman like myself, you would only want the guy solely to yourself. All hands off deck! Even in the thresholds of marriage, it will be only you and your man, like it or not. But what if circumstances turned the tables on you, and he is forced to marry another? Would you accept it?

In this cleverly woven story of sororate marriages in the Jaffna Tamil society, Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam depicts the sorrows of the first wife and the reality of marriages to the husband getting married to the sister in the same family he takes the bride from.

Mr. Kanagaretnam, nicknamed King Kana (hence the abbreviation KK), is married to Acca, the elder sister of the family. Alas, they have been childless for many years and this frustrates and angers KK because it is considered a shame to the family. At this point, KK brings up the issue of sororate marriages to Acca and announces that he'd marry Thangechi (the younger sister) in order to welcome a heir into the family.

Due to the lack of a child, KK treats Acca pretty disrespectfully and orders her around. Even if she tied a saree a little above her ankles, she is asked to retie it again. The way she applies talcum powder on her face or ties her hair bun is duly chastised by KK. 

When KK puts forward the plan of marrying Thangechi, he even brings both Acca and Thangechi to one of his formal functions. Indirectly, he is already showing off that if he can't have a child with his first wife he can always marry another. Thangechi can't seem to understand the bitterness of Acca towards her for pulling the rug off from under her feet.

Can you guess what happens to Acca and Thangechi when Thangechi gets married to KK? Does Thangechi conceive as thought of by KK or does Acca  conceive to fill in the need of a heir? Does Acca's love remain for KK and Thangechi or does KK treat Acca better than Thangechi? All these questions I'm going to shoot it back to you fellow readers.

For more mind dazzling stories on the Jaffna Tamil society, Malaysia's rich history or just plain good reading, Marriage and Mutton Curry should definitely be on your TBR list. 

197. Dodol for The Doctor (Short Story No.11 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: Dodol for The Doctor (Short Story No.11 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

Malaysians are ever familiar with the gummy sweet delicacy of dodol, glutinous rice flour cooked to a thick goo that is flavored with pandanus leaves and sometimes even durian. Nothing can be better than a short story woven around this delicacy as composed by Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam. 

In the past two reviews, readers would have been exposed to the ups and downs in the life of Rasamah, her husband Kandasamy as well as her friend Chelvi and Chelvi's husband, Chellapah. 

Rasamah is burning to share with her friend Chelvi some good news of hers. She awaits Chelvi to make some dodol with her while she spills the beans on the good news. They also discuss on their husbands pending retirements and what it would be like to suddenly have them around 24/7. Then slowly Rasamah tells Chelvi the good news.

Kamala, Rasamah's daughter, has received a marriage proposal from a doctor named Dr. Selladurai. Dr. Selladurai was smitten by Kamala's violin recital and immediately requested for a hosroscope match to be seen. Little did Rasamah know that Chelvi, upon hearing this good news, has something up her sleeves. 

The very next day, Chelvi visits Dr. Selladurai on the pretext of herself having chest pain. In that span of time, Chelvi mentions about her daughter to the doctor and even shows him a picture of her. Chelvi also hands him a package of, you guessed it, dodol. Who do you think made this dodol and why do you think Chelvi had to meet Dr. Selladurai after Rasamah broke the good news to her?

Rasamah caught wind of the news from another friend of hers but without a moment's doubt she still communicates with Chelvi. Chelvi and Rasamah make a trip to the Kandaswamy temple in Scott Road to pray for blessings. The turn of events after that is what all you readers should look out for. 

A short story that relates strong friendship and betrayal to that exact same friendship, this short story left me in utter shock. If you want to know why I'm in such a situation after reading this short story, I highly recommend this book for your reading pleasure.

196. Marriage and Mutton Curry (Short Story No.10 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: Marriage and Mutton Curry (Short Story No.10 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

If you have read the previous review of The Barefoot Man from Malaya, then it would be easier to have this short story to fall in place. A continuation from that, this short story carved out by the prosaic Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam, is very touching and paints the relationship of a typical Tamil couple, even a Jaffna Tamil couple.

Rasamah rethinks of her marriage to Kandasamy, the way he unconventionally proposed to her and the way she married him in a heartbeat. But now after marriage and stepping Malaya, she regrets silently of her marriage to him as her heart is full of unfulfilled ambitions and dreams.

Staying in the government quarters, she is forced to seek solace in a neighbor of hers, Chelvi, a total village bumpkin and uneducated unlike Rasamah who has proper education. She becomes firm friends with Chelvi and shares with her the ups and downs, dreams and aspirations she has.

Kandasamy is portrayed as the typical Tamil husband. Wondering how these husbands behave? After marriage, the romance just evaporates, wives are just seen as those who clean, wash and cook and look after the household. Wives are treated with a certain distance and are only given extra treatment at certain times of the year like Deepavali. 

Rasamah's daring ambition to break the norms of a Tamil Jaffna girl by teaching sets Kandasamy into a frenzy and he vehemently pushes the idea away. To him, if his wife worked, it only meant he was incapable of providing for the family. Yeah, the same issue as in any orthodox family. Rasamah feels dejected by Kandasamy's disapproval of her doing something for herself.

One day, when Kandasamy informs Rasamah of good news that he is about to get promoted. However, he mentioned that it was to be a secret as some office politics were going around and that he was to be promoted instead of his seniors. Rasamah's couldn't contain her joy and spilled the beans to Chelvi, her best friend and neighbor. 

Does everyone have the capacity to keep a secret? Maybe not. Chelvi in turn relates this to her drunkard of her husband who jumps at any chance of toppling Kandasamy in office to take his place. 

The turn of events in the story after this is for you to find out and for me to keep a lid on. To know what happens to Rasamah, Kandasamy and Chelvi, read Marriage and Mutton Curry by one of Malaysia's top authors. A guaranteed good read, it will set your lips into a smile or perhaps a teardrop to stray down your cheeks with its touching moments in each short story. 

195. The Barefoot Man from Malaya (Short Story No.9 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: The Barefoot Man from Malaya (Short Story No.9 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

Every woman dreams of a man sweeping her off her feet. In certain cultures, till today it only remains a dream. A stark example of this is the Jaffna Tamil society or the whole Tamil society for that matter. Till today the notion of marriage with an outsider is still unwelcome in most families. Marriages in the family among cousins is still practiced and are fixed since birth. 

In this short story written by the affable Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam, readers will come across a character, Rasamah, who defies all tradition to marry Kandasamy, a man not of her family and who didn't proceed with the usual channel of asking for the bride's hand.

Kandasamy, who works as a government clerk in Malaya has come back to his hometown in Karai Nagar, Ceylon. After much personal research about Rasamah, he just walks up to Rasamah's house and asks her directly for her hand in marriage. This shocks Rasamah to bits as she never expected this to ever happen. She was brought up in the tradition of marrying into the family, never outsiders and also not to speak matters of the heart to an unknown man.

However, Kandasamy is adamant in marrying her and bringing her back to Malaya where he assures her of a secured and comfortable life. He even tells Rasamah that he doesn't want any dowry from her. Dowry being a very debatable issue currently, this story portrays lightly what dowry means and its importance in marriage.

Before Kandasamy leaves for his home after the abrupt proposal, Rasamah gives him three kolukattais (sweet dumplings). When he is home, he gives the package to his mother who is impressed by Rasamah's cooking ability and immediately approves of her. Without fail, Kandasamy keeps asking Rasamah for her hand.

Alas, as with all Tamil mothers, Rasamah's mother clearly disapproves of the proposal of Kandasamy as he breaks all tradition. She considers him to be a scoundrel for not asking for Rasamah's hand through her. She also disapproves of Kandasamy taking Rasamah to Malaya. 

With all the hullabaloo of going back and forth, do you think Rasamah and Kandasamy crossed the marriage threshold successfully? In this romantic story of marriage and true love, you will have an insight into how marriages and proposals take place in the Jaffna Tamil society.

For more interesting short stories from Marriage and Mutton Curry, I suggest you head over to the nearest bookstore and get your hands on a copy today. 

194. His Mother's Joy (Short Story No. 8 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: His Mother's Joy (Short Story No.8 from Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

Of all the gifts that life has to offer, a loving mother is the greatest of them all. A mother's sacrifice has no limits and she is the proudest of everyone when it comes to a child's achievement. I know that for a fact as my mother has been the backbone of steel for myself in anything that I pursue.

But what happens when a Jaffna Tamil mother becomes too proud of her Malaysian Civil Service Officer son? a string of hilarity ensues in this short story written by the prosaic Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam.

Mrs Kandiah is so proud of her son who has just become a Malaysian Civil Service Officer. In her joy, she gives thanks to Lord Ganesha before bringing over kolukattai (rice flour dumplings) oozing with palm sugar syrup to Mrs Chong, her neighbor. Its a customary practice among the Tamil community to share sweet morsels among close friends and family if good news was bestowed. 

As with all mothers, Mrs Kandiah brags of her son being in a much higher rank than his Office Assistant father. She expresses her sacrifice of sitting with her son since kindergarten right through school, going through every line of his homework. 

In the afternoon, Mrs Kandiah proceeds to the post office to complete a chore. Not satisfied with just sharing the news with Mrs Chong, she approaches a Malay woman who is also waiting for mail and begins her tirade of her son's achievement and position in the government sector. 

Without realizing that she was going a bit overboard, Mrs Kandiah even mentions to the unknown Malay woman that if she ever needed a hefty loan she could approach Mrs Kandiah's son for a word of recommendation. Little does Mrs Kandiah know that the Malay woman happened to be Puan Sri Salmah, wife to the Secretary General to the Treasury (who happens to be of all unfortunate circumstances, Siva's big boss).

One day as Mrs Kandiah and Siva are at the wet market, she is embarassingly confronted with Puan Sri Salmah. What do you think Puan Sri could have told Mrs Kandiah? What was Mrs Kandiah's reaction to that?

Feel like pulling out your hair in suspense? Before you go bald dear reader, grab a copy of Marriage and Mutton Curry off the shelves before it's sold out. The short stories in this book are bound to keep you entertained while learning on Malaysia's history, culture and also the Jaffna Tamil society.

193. Naming Names (Short Story No.7 in Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: Naming Names (Short Story No.7 in Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

Hi Ali, can u please tell Mr. Ali that Ali came to see him? Hello Tan, how's your Uncle Tan now? I heard Tan tell me that he was not well. Did Siva tell you that his Uncle Siva met with an accident with Mrs Siva's husband, Mr Siva? STOOOOPPPPP!!! Now which Tan is it and which Siva were you referring to?

This blathering confusion used to exist quite some time back when surnames and names were similar to one another. It also happened in the Tamil Jaffna community with the numerous Kandiahs, Kanagasabais and Kanagaratnams. Yikes! So how was this muddle-up solved? The author, the affable, Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam, has narrated in a funny short story the creative ways used to identify one name from the other.

Creativity was pretty rampant in the olden days as people had less to do and more to think about. So funny and witty ways of naming people came up. In this story, the name of Kandiah, a famous name in the Tamil Jaffna society, is put into focus for explanation.

For example, there was a Kandiah who walked with his eyes always focused on his stomach. The nickname was then given as Vaithu Valli Kandiah (Stomach Ache Kandiah). Another Kandiah likes to give people free rides, but right at the very end he asks for fares. Due to his behavior, he is nicknamed Taxi Kandiah. The list goes on and on in this story and it gets even funnier to see how the nicknames correspond with the Kandiah's behavior, appearance or certain movements.

This naming of names still exists today. There are some grannies who talk too much and are given names like Nyanya Munya meaning mumbling, and some grannies who are nicknamed after the place where they stay like Mersing Patty (Mersing Granny - Mersing being a town in Johor). With ease of identification comes humor to enlighten your day.

To me this story was really humorous and portrays the way we give nicknames to people even today. For  more humorous and self-explanatory stories on the Tamil Jaffna community and also Malaysia's rich history, do pick up a copy of Marriage and Mutton Curry to read up on. 

192. Seek and Shall Ye Find? (Short Story No.6 in Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

BOOK REVIEW: Seek and Shall Ye Find? (Short Story No.6 in Marriage and Mutton Curry) by M. Shanmughalingam

The previous reviews of the short stories in Marriage and Mutton Curry, written by the witty and humorous Dato' Dr. M. Shanmughalingam, have shown many issues and themes. From Malaysian history to the Jaffna Tamil society, the stories touched the depths of my heart in a light-hearted manner.

This story in particular made tears spring to my eyes with its theme of honesty and the courage to admit when you have mentioned a white lie. The story unravels with Santokh Singh reveling in his uncontained joy on his upcoming promotion in the Public Service Department.

In this revelation, the hierarchical situation that happens at most workplaces is portrayed, especially during mealtimes in the cafeteria. Those of a certain work position sit together during mealtimes. For example, officers only sit with their kind while secretaries sit with other secretaries. However, never fear, Santokh Singh the joker is here! He enlightens many of his colleagues with his riddles and jokes, relieving them from their work stress.

After being sent to England for a 3-month training course, Santokh is served a blow in the form of some saddening news. His promotion has been delivered to someone else in the department. Feeling frustrated with himself, he appeals to the Director General of the Public Service Department. When his appeal is squashed, his mood goes down the scale once more.

So this time, what do you think Mr. Santokh did? Well, I will reserve my comments, it's for you readers to find out. This is where I learnt that honesty is definitely the best policy. If we do end up saying a lie, we should hold our heads up equally high to admit to it. Maybe who knows, there is a rainbow right at the end of our honesty...

To know what happened to Santokh, I suggest you get Marriage and Mutton Curry off the shelf of the nearest bookstore. You wouldn't regret your choice of reading material. Happy reading, bookworms!