EMS-um Penkuttiyum (EMS And The Lady)

The book "E.M.S and The Girl" published by D C books, is a collection of 9 short stories by the same author of famous book "Aadujeevitham". The Design and the naming of the book attract any Malayali (Language spoken by populace from Kerala) readers. It hardly takes 4 to 5 hours continuous reading to finish this 116 pages book.

In this book too Benyamin kept his natural humour in two short stories "Vasthu Purushan" and "Tao Manushyan(The Tao Man))". In "Vasthu Purushan" Ramesh who did not believe in any superstitions became a blind believer of it by his wife's(Geetha) influence; who believed strongly, all unfortunate happenings were due to improper Vastu(Vastu Sastram is a technology which has a set of rules to construct buildings). In the other story, "Tao Manushyan" in which, the wife was not happy with the rented house they were staying and finding faults in each and everything, just to persuade the husband to shift the house. However, husband found answers to all those from books onTao Phylosophy(Taoism).

The story "EMS-um Penkuttiyum(E.M.S and The Girl)" had a good starting. However, this does not any thing to do with E.M.S(Veteran communist leader E M S Namboodiripad, who was elected chief minister when Communist Party won the 1957 assembly elections in Kerala). Jose who was narrating an incident to his friends, while having drinks with his friends, which happened in his life in US, by accidently meeting a Lady name "Pakavoo Sayang" in his car after returning from shopping.This strange lady liked to be call "Pakavoo", who was not clear of her own origin,creating troubles to Jose who is a jobless man and supported by the mercy of his wife “Sini”. “Pakavoo Sayang”, who born and brought in US, eloped with his boy friend since she did not like the orthodox way of marriage which her parents ardently believed in. “Jose” told "Pakavoo" as if he was EMS to stop her from creating any further trouble(Jose did not want to reveal his real name). However, the end could have improved with some twist to make it more interesting.

The most I liked is story:"Kumari Devi". That was bit heart touching. “Chanku” had been looking for a maid for “Gopi Ettan” and “Geeta Auty” At last they got "Suninya Shakya Devi" as their maid. Later the story revealed that, she hailed from Nepal who had been promoted to the level of Goddess Devi under Kumari Devi Tradition at the age of 4 followed by different levels of test to confirm by Pundits( The Scholars), if she had those rare power of Goddess and when she reached 8 years and the day she had to be canonized, she deprived her post due to the blood seen on her body since she reached puberty. Later, she received the loath of all her “Kith and Kins” and choosing the life of a maid.

"Oru(Mun) Kalla Kadathu Karante Athmakada(The Autobiography of a (Old) smuggler)": The story is about "Beeranikka" who is an adorable smuggler in ancient times who used to bring perfumes and VCD and transistors from Gulf Countries. The story ends with telling, had there been a "Beeranikka" in this modern age he would not have been so adorable since those things he used to smuggled, are easily available in modern times.

"Javed Enna Mujahid (Javed:The Mujahid)" is wonderful story of a Javed who had been victimized as a terrotist and even the police released him as innocent, still the people out cast him as terrorist. This story also narrates the migration of Kashmiri Pandits.

"Gezante Kallukal(Stones of Gesan) " shows the supression Palestinians are undergoing.

" Aadis Ababa ", which also delineates the corruption and reasons of poverty in Ethiopia.

The Other story " Randu Pattalakkaar Mattoru Arabikkathayil(Two army men in another Arabic Tale) " show the fear and hope of each soldier under deputation in Iraq after the war and how they made pre-emptive attack as a way of self-protection and how many innocent has been protect by GOD!!!(As Edward Said).

Each Story starts with great interest, however, somewhere we are loosing out the ends which writer himself admitted at the end of story "Javed Enna Mujahudeen(Javed:The Mujahid)"—That is the problem of second hand stories”.