IDUKKI: Ask anyone in Adimaly who the best and most trusted driver in town is, and pat comes the reply: Purushothaman. The 58-year-old has a spotless record, which is why he has been the town’s preferred driver to ferry their children to the school and back for the past 37 years.
So, when time came to help him, the residents did not hesitate. When Purushothaman suffered from a liver problem eight years ago, the people raised `22 lakh for his transplant. Now, he continues to drive, as gratitude.
“Driving children to the schools and back has been one of my longest but favourite jobs,” said Purushothaman who started in 1985. Since then, he has taken students from three generations, hailing from Vellathooval, Pallivasal and Adimaly in Idukki to their schools and brought them home safely.
“I began by shuttling students from remote areas in autorickshaws and jeeps. There were hardly any good roads. Buses were introduced in the later years,” said Purushothaman, currently employed with Fathima Matha HSS in Koombampara. Despite knowing that the vehicle carrying their children would be moving through narrow, uneven roads, parents never feared for their safety as they knew ‘Purushu’ was behind the wheel.
Proud of being a bus driver: Purushothaman
The children remembered the affection he showed towards them, as did their parents. So, when he had to undergo an urgent liver transplant in September 2014, his ‘children’, those who had got jobs and those who were still studying, joined hands to help him.
“I was fortunate to get a liver thanks to the kindness of ‘Koyikkathara’ family in Vayanakam, Oachira. They decided to donate the organs of their mother, Bhasuranki, who was declared brain dead following an accident in 2014. When I struggled to meet the surgery’s expenses, the residents and the children raised the money within a short span of time and handed it over to my wife,” he said. The surgery was successful. While he was recuperating, Purushothaman thought of repaying the community.
“Since my life is the only thing I could repay them with, I decided to rejoin work and ferry children,” he said. Purushothaman returned to driving in 2015. “Seeing my children everyday is like medicine to the ailing body. I am proud of being a bus driver and am glad to serve a community that showered so much love,” he said.