We had four coconut trees in our house. We always had them in abundance. Only challenge was to husk them. Initially my dad used to struggle husking them, however, soon we got to know about this new coconut husking machine! This was somewhere in 90s. Having an engineering mind from the childhood, I had a weird imagination of mechanisms in the husking machine and kept thinking about it for quite some time, till it was ordered and delivered home. It was then a broken fantasy, all of a sudden, looking at it. Just a metal stand with sharp arrow pointing upwards and a lever to split the arrow head. We had a great laugh that evening when I explained my imagination about how complicated this machine was, in my thoughts! A great memory etched in my brain for ever! Later, I had mastered using that machine and it used to be one of my favourite activities!
After around 30 to 35 years, this memory resurfaced today! Reason is another such wonderful laughter around it!
Last week, got a few un-husked coconuts from the farm. All this while we only bought coconuts, broken them using an iron rod and grated using a normal grater, that every South Indian household has. With the new farm produce, the need arises for the age old husking machine.
I ordered one from Amazon and got it delivered. I was excited to show my skill to my teenagers!! I husked one coconut, in the morning, when my elder girl was around! I showed off how it’s done! It was a busy morning on a week day. She was in a hurry and I got a very minimal reaction. I moved on!!!
Later that day, in the evening, while I was at work, my younger one had asked her what it was! Big Sister, a witty girl, had told her sibling that it was a machine used to ease constipation!!! Younger girl, having no idea what it was, just believed her sister and they both forgot about it.
Today, the need for another coconut arises, almost after a week! It’s around 9PM, when my mom-in-law reminds me about the high price of the coconuts, I thought of husking a few coconuts for her! Remembering the cold reaction last time, now I called my younger one to show off my skill! She walks in, saw me husk the coconut and runs back to her sister, whispering - “Akka, Amma is peeling the coconuts with that constipation machine”
Unaware that her sibling actually believed what she had told her last week, she burst out laughing!!! Unaware that it was a prank, younger one had a straight face, looking at her sister, what in the world just happened!
Uncontrollably laughing, my older girl, explained me what prank she had cracked with her sibling!
Another sweet memory made around this coconut husking machine!! 🫶🏻
