Free Amballore House by Jose Thekkumthala

Number-Six.
    Thoma was a disabled man by now, fragile and weak, and confined to a wheelchair. He used a cane to get around, and used it to walk regularly in the neighborhood to get the blood flow going, and to get badly-needed exercise.
    “Get out of your chair and get some exercise,” Number-Six demanded the old man. Thoma sat there, ignoring him, and continued his conversation with Mathettan. Number-Six did not like being ignored. He grabbed Thoma’s cane.
    Thoma was mad. No one touched his cane and he considered it rude for someone to do that—it was a sign of disrespect as far as Thoma was concerned.
    Thoma stood up, fighting his old legs which prompted him to sit down. He took few steps towards his son, until he was face-to-face with him. Thoma pushed his son, and told him, “Don’t touch my cane! Put it back.” The frail man was mad. He had resentment towards Number-Six for starving him recently. The rude act of snatching his cane added insult to injury. Thoma moved back to his wheelchair and took seat.
    Ann was helplessly watching the altercation, hoping it would not precipitate into some serious fight. But she was wrong.
    Number-Six said, “What if I don’t?” He then started swinging the cane. Thoma steered his wheelchair out of the way. But his son persisted. The cane struck Thoma. Mathettan sprang into action, and grabbed the cane from Thoma’s cruel son and retrieved it to itsusual place.
    Number-Six left the area and started attending to the usual household tasks. This time, he walked to the backyard, and headed to a coconut palm tree to pluck some coconuts for dinner. He often used to perform such a task and other needed chores to help out Ann in preparing meals. Everyone thought that that was the end of the quarrel. Mathettan continued to chat with Thoma. Ann rubbed some coconut oil on Thoma’s forehead that by now sported a small bump.
    Thoma saw Number-Six climbing the palm tree close to the outhouse in the backyard. He suddenly stood up, as if by supernatural force. The man in the wheelchair started walking inexplicably, abandoning his wheelchair behind him! He became revitalized like a resurrected Jesus and he walked as if he were a drunken corpse from nearby Saint Joseph’s Church’s cemetery, taking a hurried walk after having sneaked out of the grave! The figure Thoma cast, that of a hunchback tottering towards the outhouse, was like something taken out of a Malayalam horror movie. He continued moving towards the outhouse. While Mathettan and Ann were looking on in disbelief at seeing the disabled man walking, half thinking maybe he was headed to the outhouse, he lurched forward. The concerned Ann followed him, just in case, not sure what he was up to, prepared to catch him in case he collapsed and hurt himself.
    The asthmatic man wobbled on. Instead of entering the outhouse, he approached the said tree and looked up. By this time, Number-Six had reached the top of the tree. Wheezing uncontrollably, he shouted loudly to Number-Six: “You are a curse to my family, you son-of-a-bitch.” He tried to shout very loudly, invoking all his strength, but his voice turned very feminine at that critical moment. Number-Six looked down, not sure where the loud feminine voice was coming from, sure it was not from Ann. He then saw Thoma at the bottom of the tree, pointing his finger at him accusingly, and shouting something which he could not hear. Number-Six threw a coconut at Thoma, but missed the target.
    Then suddenly, as if seized by a demonic power, Thoma startedshaking the tree! He shook the tree like a maniac, as if possessed by some demonic power. Ann got hold of him to restrain him, but unbelievably, the fragile man threw her off him. “The man has gone crazy; the devil has entered him; help me,” Ann screamed at the top of her voice. Number-Six was watching the unbelievable drama unveiling far below him and held on to the tree for dear life.
    “Thoma, don’t do that! It is your own son on