When flood waters stormed into houses at his father’s native place at Kadamakkudy, Sangeeth Mathew sent out an open invitation to its residents to feel free to come and stay at his home as long as it took them to return to normal life.
And they did come in droves to his home with a poultry farmer amongst them tagging along his 300-odd ducks as well, which have since been left on a vacant plot opposite the house at Sheddupady in Varappuzha. Cyril, the poultry farmer, is now looking to sell the ducks off before returning home.
Initially, there were around 30-35 people in the house many of whom have since then returned after the flood water receded. The rest, still staying back, leave for cleaning their homes during the day and return in the evening. “Far from being an inconvenience, I consider this as an opportunity to help people and feel happy about it,” said Mr. Mathew, who works in an IT company at Infopark. Interestingly, he was in Germany in connection with a project when the flood happened and he asked his wife to relay the invitation to the affected. Since his brother, Santhosh, whose house was also flooded had stocked some rice and vegetables, they didn’t initially have any shortage. But then, the stock dried up and they had to rely on a nearby camp for food for a few nights.
Such tales of compassion and love played out across the State as people left their hearts and homes open for their brethren in distress.
Looking from the relative comfort of his ninth floor apartment near UC College at Aluva, Anilkumar could see the water level rising ominously, endangering houses in the low lying areas in the neighbourhood. Losing no time, he rang up 55-year-old Gracy in the neighbourhood requesting her not to hesitate to knock at his door any time. Shortly thereafter, she was at his doorsteps as the rampaging Periyar flooded her home.
“Our water supply was still intact and the generator could still be used sparingly to overcome the trouble caused by power outage. So, I was only doing what any human being is supposed do for fellow beings in trouble and not some extremely generous act,” said Anilkumar.
Sugathan, a resident of Muppathadam, which was one of the worst affected areas in the flood, also feels like having done the normal thing in hosting two families from the neighbourhood. Later, when his daughter took him and his wife to her home after the water rose alarmingly, Mr. Sugathan took the neighbours along.
When her ground floor apartment at East Kadungalloor was submerged, leaving her stranded in the floor above with her one-year-old son, with little help forthcoming, Ambily was bitter towards the whole world. But that perception about the world proved short-lived after being rescued three days later when she found her friend waiting to take her home.
While the tragedy devastated thousands of lives, it also served as a reminder that despite all the failings, humanity and compassion are far from being extinguished.
