ANCIENT TOOTHBRUSH

 ANCIENT TOOTHBRUSH

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

14/VII/2022

 

This is a story of an ‘Urban Brat’. Dad an ‘Angrez’ with the first name ‘Archibald Cyril’. Mom was ‘Cynthia Cinderella’. Their product born near Christmas was christened ‘Noel’. Names may sound very English but deep inside there was this true desi Indian. Dad believed in so many ‘toona-totkas’.

 

Let me narrate two from his fishing escapades. If he crossed any person with ‘blue eyes’, he would abandon the hunt that day. Cats didn’t bother him, as we had five of them at home but a man crossing his path who had ‘cat eyes’ would draw the choicest of MCs-BCs.

 

He would always ‘spit’ on the ‘bait’ he threw for his first cast. What was the logic? ‘Nazar na lage’ he used to tell us. It worked as a good omen too and he used to prove it by catching a good-sized fish in the first cast. Diehard ‘Shikaris’ had their own ways of doing things.

 

When it comes to toothpaste, let me share a funny anecdote. There used to be numerous yellow wasps (Bhoond and Bharind) around the house. We kids used to be the victims of its deadly stings. Eyes used to swell making us look like Chinese people. He would apply toothpaste at the place it stung. That smarting pain used to reduce. What was the logic? I haven’t found out till date.

 

Be that as it may, Dad had solid teeth. He could chew a bone to pulp within seconds. Those days we had very few brands of toothpastes. Colgate, Signals and Forhans. Dad would insist on the third one. We used to detest it, as it made no ‘jhaag’, but loved it because the pack carried a small rubber toy. ‘Signal’ gave out a blue and red line and we loved it.

 

‘Archie’ used to be on another level in terms of brushing teeth. The normal morning ritual aside, he would do ‘Datun’. When we went to the tube well for earthworm collection, he would pluck a Jamun branch and start munching on it. On the way to the river, there were numerous Kikkar & Babool trees. He would carve out a small branch about one ‘gith’ long (From the end of the thumb to the tip of the pinky fully stretched) with his knife in his fishing tackle box. He would munch that branch like we would on chewing gum. I totally disliked it.

 

Neem which grew abundantly was preferred. He would have one datun in his mouth while watering plants early in the morning. Neem was ‘Yuck’. Bitter like hell and unpleasant to taste. He would insist on us to try it.

 

He would keep rotating it around his mouth. That Datun used to hang like a long cigarette. He would give us one and we would just hold it, aping Pran Saab or Mona darling fame Ajit, smoking. Dad would show us that munched portion and tell us that it is now like a ‘paint brush’. Soft and flexible as can be. We used to be amazed at how he did it.

 

In Kapurthala town, just before one entered the main market, on the footpath there used to be a few Datun vendors. 10p for one and a bundle of ten for 75p. Mind you each datum could last a week. You munch it every day, cut off the munched portion and a new datun was ready for the next day.

 

Let’s whizz past those fifty years and come to the present time. Today, there are a plethora of toothpastes available off the shelf. Each claiming to have ‘namak’ and what not. Some soothe the nerves and some are ayurvedic. For us it boils down to Colgate and may be Closeup for a change.

 

I was collecting fallen neem leaves for composting, I cut a fresh branch to munch as a datun and also ate freshly sprouted tender leaves which were still reddish, yet to turn green. We do use dried neem leaves in our woollens as an insect repellent against silverfish and termites. Neem leaves are effective.

 

For old times’ sake I did the thing which I hated as a child, Datun. The branch was chewed and made into a brush, spitting out the bitter liquid it generated with the saliva. My jaws were exercised and are paining slightly now. The taste of my mouth changed from bitter to sweet, as it generated so much saliva. Breakfast tasted far better, as the mouth was perceiving all flavours correctly.

 

Nostalgia set in and I drifted. I promise to do Datun at least once a week. It will not only cleanse my teeth but purify my blood they say. Is anyone game for this ancient toothbrush? I wonder!!!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

© NOEL ELLIS