Ravi

The poet who complemented my dreams, Ravi Naicker, my Durban-Indian friend

Now I pass the chalk to those after me to continue

With the noble profession for all what is left of it …

(Quoted from Swan Song in Wellington Rings a Bell).

Ravi, Ramachandran Sivagnam Naicker is an English teacher by profession, who reflected on his teaching life with sincerity, and a poet by heart with a sense of humour in his voice. He wrote those lines that I quoted above. It truthfully reflects his passion as a teacher and his portrays his poetic heart.

I met Ravi 1992 when he was working and staying in Umtata. I was a beginner teacher at Mamohau High School. One of my well-wishers/friends, Mr Bhanu Shekhar surprisingly appeared in my house one day, and said he is taking me to Umtata to find a job for me! South Africa by then was not a fully independent country, but started the journey for her independence.

I had an adventurous trip from Maseru to Mohales’Hoek and to Telle-Bridge border post until we reached our destiny to Umtata. Bhanu simply took me to a guy, without discussing anything, I was very fragile. It was dark, cold and I am with a stranger, except that he looks Indian. However, Ravi welcomed me without fully knowing what I am. After the preliminary introduction, Bhanu left the two of us only to return the next day! I completely gave up and was subjected to Ravi’s mercy but Bhanu ignored that perspective. Obviously he is a kind hearted person. He cooked a decent supper (Rice and Sardine fish, I still remember!), talked lot of stories and listened to mine too. That was indeed the beginning of a long-lasting relationship between two people from two continents. His ancestors migrated to Durban as coolies (sugar cane labourers) and then made their home there. I came recently from Kenya, and was still struggling to live a standard life in Lesotho as a teacher. During those period, many Malayalee teachers found Lesotho as a transit to migrate to South Africa for green pasture. As Indian passport holders, we were not allowed to get visa to South Africa during those apartheid era, however we could apply for visa from Lesotho. This opportunity was explored by many, and were successful to pursue their life in South Africa.

When Mr. Bhanu took me to Umtata, his intention was to find a teaching post for me. This did not materialize for some reasons, no regret at all. Coming back to my narrative, Ravi became my instant friend, with our families bonded to each other afterwards. Around 1995, Ravi took a transfer to Umzinto, his ancestral home. Once in a while, we drive to Umzinto, and stayed with Ravi’s family. They valued our visits, his mother could share her life with us, and younger brother Vis, who is fond of gardening could prepare the stem cuttings for me to take it back to Lesotho. We also enjoyed purchasing the Indian spices from the nearest grocery shops, and we return home with our car loaded with gifts and Indian stuffs. Among the family members, I was very close to his younger sister, Viva Naicker (deceased). That is another story.

Ravi is close to me in many ways, he could freely joke and at the same time, utter words that a teacher might not use in usual circumstances. I listen to these utterances with my bulged eyes in surprise, shouting; Ravi, is that you? He kept close cordial friendship with many of his acquaintance. During our visits to Umzinto, he and his family took us to places and to their relatives. We were treated specially. I suppose that is because we were true Indians!!!

What is Ravi to me? A question that does not need an answer because even after so many years, Orange River and Maliba Matsu had continued flowing to the Atlantic Ocean bringing changes in the lives of the human beings on the banks of these rivers in Lesotho and in South Africa, a lot happened to our family too, but our responsibility as friends remained for ever. We complemented to each other in terms of pursuing our dreams on writing. I pursued my academic line, and he, on his literature. I use the facts, and he narrates his fantasies. I played around within a circle of reality and he flew freely with his imaginative wings, but his words were close to reality of South Africa, contrasting mine. I envied him, but liked his company. I quote a sample of his thoughts below:

Standing by the window at night, Peering into food stores, The craving overwhelming The pangs of hunger, He wishes for the leftovers, But the bins are trapped inside. Destitute, lost in the neon Lights of the desolate street!!

Though I am more directive and emotional when expressing my thoughts, I elaborate and divert at times, but Ravi is specific, brief and engaged in enhancing metaphors that catches the imagination of a reader. Unlike his sister, Viva and me, he is mostly a dreamer and attention seeker, and could cook stories to prove his views. Our family meetings were the most memorable and precious moments for me, and our long drive to Umzinto (where he lives now) were relaxing days for my family and we enjoyed those days whole heartedly.

Thank you Ravi for being my friend, we shared our dreams that we painted life on it with friendship that cannot fade away. I used to tease him that he is a Durban Indian, while I am The Indian (a proud Indian for that matter!). That will make him angry, because he believes that he has a gene of Indian culture, life and thinking in his blue veins, however I disagreed for fun. See these lines that he wrote:

The Ganga moving forward as the snow-capped mountains

Melt unconditionally as a Mother lactates for her child …

I was wrong. He indeed enjoyed his recent trip to North India, and that trip reminded him how Indian he is. He used the brilliant metaphors in his narratives to instill the true emotions. That is Ravi, when writing, but when talking he is fun. He reluctantly opens his heart to me, but at times, I had to squeeze his thoughts. Our chatting moments boosted his spirit, I suppose. We understand each other.

Thank you Ravi for inspiring me. I started jotting down my thoughts because I saw you doing that successfully. For almost 30 years, I was busy with my career, my study and building my family, not easy at all, I could confide in him. He listened to my cries, pains and advised me accordingly. Thank you Ravi for being patient to me, my wilderness and to my thoughts. You mean a lot to me. You are family.