Cuckoo Achchie
Cuckoo Achchie
A boy’s struggle with his mentally ill grandmother
Denzil was a happy and adventurous boy who lived with his big family in a big house. He had a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, and two grandmothers. He loved them all, except for one: Achchie, his mother’s mother. She was a loud and crazy woman who had a mental illness. She always yelled at everyone and said strange things. She made Denzil’s life miserable.
Achchie was on the front porch, shouting at the neighbours. "I am the granddaughter of Apolonia; don't you know my pedigree?" she boasted, stretching her legs and hanging her hands over her shoulders. "Don't mess with me!" She said, trying to impress them. Denzil wondered who Apolonia was. He had learned in school that Apollo was the name of the spaceship that had landed on the moon, carrying men who walked on its surface. Was there a connection between his great-grandmother, Apolonia and Apollo? Maybe Achchie wished she could go to the moon.
A plane flew over the house, making a loud noise. Achchie looked up at the sky and shouted, "John Chrysostom, come down from the plane. Your mother is waiting for you." John Chrysostom was Achchie's son, Denzil's uncle. He lived far away and rarely visited her. He was John Christie in reality, but Achchie imagined that he was a famous and powerful person. Denzil was puzzled how his uncle could jump off the plane in mid-air. Did he have a parachute or some magic powers? Denzil couldn't help laughing, imagining the absurdity of it.
Achchie heard him laughing and turned to him. "Bernette, are you laughing at me? I will tell John Chrysostom to punish you when he gets off the plane." She said, calling him by a silly name. Bernard was Denzil's middle name, but Achchie purposely mispronounced it as "Bernette", making fun of him. She also gave his sister a silly name, Winnie, instead of her real name Rekha. She called Denzil's little brother Brigette, which sounded like a girl's name. Denzil thought it was hilarious that his brother had a feminine nickname. Achchie's missing son, John Christie, was John Chrysostom in her mind.
Denzil ignored Achchie and went back to his hiding place. He heard Achchie talking nonsense, still sitting on the porch. She rambled on about holding a lamp while someone was sleeping with someone else. Denzil had no idea what she meant. But, from her voice, Denzil sensed it was something nasty. He felt sorry for his mother, who had to deal with Achchie every day. His mother was a kind and patient woman who did everything for Achchie. She cleaned her, washed her dirty clothes, cooked for her, made her dresses, and bought her medicines for her mental condition. But instead of being thankful, Achchie used swear words at his mother, mocking her at every chance. Achchie only cared about her son, John Christie, aka John Chrysostom. He didn't care for or see her well-being, leaving his mother, Christie's sister, solely in charge of their mother.
Achchie finally got up and went to her room. She saw the figure on her bed and screamed, "A ghost is sleeping on my bed." Denzil and his sister came out of their hiding place and ran out of the room, laughing. Achchie chased them and yelled, "Bernette and Winnie are taking my bed; wait till John Chrysostom comes home; he will punish you both." Denzil and his sister ran to the garden, out of Achchie's reach.
Achchie picked up a rock from the garden and threw it at Denzil. Denzil was used to these attacks. He dodged it, and the rock landed on the sand. Denzil threw a handful of sand at Achchie, hitting her face. She wiped her eyes and saw Denzil hiding behind a palm tree. She tried to catch him, but he was too fast for her. She called him "Alien Boy" and picked up another rock. She threw it at him, but he dodged it again.
Denzil ran to the street and joined the neighbour's kids. They were playing with a ball and a bat. Achchie was now out of sight. Denzil was tired of having to live with Achchie. The expletives and brutality were too much. Most grandmothers of his friends were lovely, kind, helpful old ladies who loved to chat with Denzil. But not this one. Instead, this grandmother always found something terrible to say to Denzil. He never told his friends in school that he had a cuckoo grandmother. Denzil did not want to live with Achchie and John Christie, his cold-hearted uncle. He only wanted to live with his mother, father, sister, kid brother and Kadayamma, his other grandmother.
Kadayamma, Denzil's sane grandmother, was the polar opposite of Achchie. She was loving and took care of Denzil and his sister. She often told them stories of her childhood and taught them songs and games. She walked with Denzil to school and helped him with his homework. She made delicious food and sweets for them. She gave them hugs and kisses and made them feel loved. She was the best grandmother in the world, and Denzil wanted to protect her from Achchie.
That weekend, Denzil's father came home. He was a handsome and cheerful man who worked for the government in a remote town. He brought gifts for everyone and hugged them warmly. He helped with the housework and played with the kids. He was at the well, washing the dog, when Achchie picked on him. "Hey, you, Yakarajan, are you here to kick me out? I will show you who's the boss, Yakarajan; this property is mine." She said, pointing at the house. Denzil was angry that she called his father, Yakarajan, an insulting name, meaning a demon. Denzil's father only came home once a month, and it hurt Denzil to hear this abuse to his father. Denzil's father smiled and said, "Amma, I'm not here to kick you out. I'm here to help you. This property belongs to all of us. We are a family, and we love you." He said, trying to calm her down. Achchie scoffed and said, "Don't lie to me, Yakarajan. You are a thief and a liar. You are trying to steal my land and my money. You are trying to poison me and my son. You are trying to ruin my reputation and my dignity. You are the devil, and I will not let you win."
Achchie then took the black comb from her pocket and combed her hair. After a few minutes of this ritual, she yelled at Kadayamma, Denzil's kind grandmother, and his father's mother. "Witch, you stole my bangles. You took my necklace at night, and you are hiding it." She accused, pointing at Kadayamma. Kadayamma heard it but ignored the false accusation and the bitterness. She was a wise, peaceful woman who knew how to deal with Achchie. She said, "Achchie, I didn't steal anything from you. I have my bangles and necklace. They are in my room if you want to see them. I don't want your things" She said, trying to soothe her. Achchie sneered and said, "Don't pretend to be nice to me, witch. You are a snake and a spy. You are working with Yakarajan to destroy me and my son. You are jealous of me. You are the witch, and I will not let you win."
Denzil felt furious that Achchie was blaming his other grandmother. Denzil loved Kadayamma and not this Achchie. He ran to Kadayamma and hugged her. He said, "Kadayamma, don't listen to Achchie. She is crazy and mean. You are not a witch, you are an angel. You are not a snake, you are the best grandmother in the world, and I love you." He said, looking at her with admiration. Kadayamma smiled and hugged him back.
Denzil was fed up with living with Achchie and her constant insults. He wished he could live with his loving mother, father, sister, little brother, and his other kind grandmother, Kadayamma.
Denzil just wanted his family back and to be away from Achchie's negativity
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Epilogue
Denzil’s childhood was marked by an unfortunate and tragic circumstance that haunted him for years. His maternal grandmother had spent nearly three decades in a mental asylum until Denzil’s mother, out of compassion and familial duty, decided to bring her into their home until permanent arrangements could be made.
Despite the challenges this presented to their young family, with Denzil being just ten years old, his sister six, and his younger brother a mere toddler, his mother persevered in caring for her sick mother. Denzil’s uncle, John Christie, had promised to take responsibility for their grandmother, but he never followed through, leaving his sister to shoulder the burden alone.
It was not long before tragedy struck. One day, while Denzil’s mother was caring for her sick mother, the elderly woman struck her with a stone, causing serious head injuries that required immediate medical attention. Denzil watched as the chaos unfolded before his eyes, helpless and confused.
Only a few years root cause of Denzil’s grandmother’s mental illness was finally discovered — a thyroid deficiency. But it was too late for her, as decades of institutionalisation had already taken its toll on her mind.
Throughout it all, Denzil’s mother continued to care for her mother despite the immense pressure and strain it put on her already burdened shoulders. As a young schoolboy, Denzil himself took on the responsibility of fetching medicines for his grandmother from the hospital, eager to help his mother and make up for the neglect of his uncle.
Looking back on those difficult years, Denzil couldn’t help but feel angry and frustrated at the injustice his grandmother had suffered. If only they had access to the mental health resources available today, perhaps her suffering could have been prevented.
As a novelist, I can’t help but be struck by the tragedy of Denzil’s story. The way mental illness was stigmatised and ignored, even the lack of resources to help, is a heartbreaking reminder of how far we’ve come and how much further we must go. And yet, amid all this pain and suffering, there is a glimmer of hope — the resilience and compassion of Denzil’s mother, who never gave up on her duty to care for her mother, even when it seemed impossible. It is a testament to the power of love and family, even in the face of the most difficult circumstances.
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