KANNUR : V Prakashan, 60, used to be a happy-go-lucky man. Working as a bus cleaner for about 25 years, he was content with whatever little joys that life offered. Things, however, turned topsy-turvy when renal ailment struck him eight years ago.
Unable to continue work, Prakashan was left in dire straits as treatment costs ballooned. The family had no source of financial support. His wife Kalyani works as a supervisor at a farm in Ottathai. Their son, Sajin, is a final year degree student and their daughter Sajini lives separately with her husband.
Prakasha would not give up on life. He decided to fight back with a talent that had been confined to his memory for long – painting. Some of Prakashan’s friends knew about his artistic skills. They gave him the opportunity to paint portraits on the windshields of buses. His artworks using fabric paint became a hit, and more work started trickling in.
Today, Prakashan works on about 140 buses on a regular basis. “Usually, they ask me to change the portraits once every two weeks,” he says. “The themes vary. Some ask for images of gods and goddesses. During the World Cup, I painted a lot of Messis, Ronaldos and Neymars. Now, Santa Claus is in.”
The main challenge, he adds, is time. “I get only 10 to 15 minutes between two trips to draw a picture,” he says. “Some of them give me Rs 100 for a picture. If their day’s business is good, it would go up to Rs 200. They are all trying to help a former colleague.”
Prakashan is grateful that he has a work that he enjoys doing. “More than anything, the feeling of being cared for by friends from the past is great. Without their support, it would have been difficult,” he adds.
“I have to undergo dialysis thrice a week. On such days, I would not work as I have to rest at least for four hours. Fortunately, now I receive free dialysis at CH Centre, Pariyaram.”
Despite the setback, Prakashan is not bitter about life. “Such things happen to some people and, unfortunately, I am one of them. In fact, there are more unfortunate people in this world,” he says. “I have been able to take life forward, little by little.”