120 chapter
low-paid manual labor positions. Although he comes across as a very intel-
ligent person, he did not do a Pre-Degree Certifi cate (PDC) that would have
qualifi ed him for college entry. It is probably frustrating for him to work
delivering newspapers, and this experience may be compounded by his hav-
ing returned from the Gulf under emotional duress rather than as the heroic
“Gulfan” whose money and prestige make him a “man about town” (Osella and
Osella 2000b: 123) and help him “progress along a culturally idealized trajec-
tory towards mature manhood” (118).
It is probably Abdul-Rahman’s active mind, turned inward and under
distress, that contributes to the awkward character of his speech. Biju and
I were constantly tested in trying to interpret and translate his remarks.
Abdul-Rahman’s narrative style gave the impression of someone who was
thinking rapidly while trying to speak. What he said seemed to have many
meanings, and also betrayed a sense of indecisiveness, uncertainty and frus-
tration. We did not receive any response to our letter, sent seven months
after this interview, requesting a follow-up meeting. I hope Abdul-Rahman
found fulfi lling work or at least a way to get some satisfying rest and a sense
of focus.
Rajendran and His Wife: The Clerk Who Skipped Work
Kavitha and I interviewed Rajendran and his wife at a private allopathic psy-
chiatric hospital in Trivandrum where Rajendran was receiving treatment.
Rajendran is a 47-year-old, university-educated, Hindu man who works at
a bank as a senior clerk. Rajendran does not feel that anything is wrong with
him, although his wife and son brought him to this hospital out of concern
that he wasn’t sleeping or eating normally. He had also missed work and had
taken to writing strange things.
After learning how Rajendran rose from cashier to become senior clerk
over his 24-year career at the same bank, Kavitha asked him about his educa-
tional qualifi cations:
Kavitha: Until what level have you studied? Have you done “degree” [bachelor’s
degree] and all?Rajendran: Yes. After completing my “degree course,” I did not attempt the exam.
But I have a feeling that someone wrote the exam using my number because
when I wrote the exam the second time and passed, the result was “withheld.”Kavitha: I see.