Tightrope shero

Manna Abraham never waits around, she sets the ball rolling first, writes Sajini Sahadevan

At 48, Manna Abraham was looking to start over. Not one to mope around, she, as always, made the first move and then sat tight. “Trusting the process,” as she said, has worked in her favour. In 2004, starting from Tampa, Florida onboard a travelling circus, the 146-year-old Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus no less, she set out on the longest journey of her life. In the eight years that followed, living out of her new ‘home’ — a 7x12 room in the train coach furnished with a bunk bed, a study, a refrigerator, a stovetop and a lavatory, Manna toured 48 of the 50 American states.

“Don’t think it was all fun,” Manna, who is from Kerala but is based in Chennai, said via video call. For one, she had to deal with, “what were you thinking” from family in India. Protective of her happy bubble and keen to go with the flow, she chose from then on to say ‘on-location educator for an entertainment company’ to those who asked. With a bachelors in Mathematics, a masters in English Literature, and diplomas in special education, pastoral and general counselling, Manna’s varied academic qualifications were viewed with scepticism in India. But it impressed the circus management who felt she was the right fit for their motley crew.

Challenges galore

Her new workplace awaited with its own challenges. Classes were held only during show time, not on commutes. Makeshift classrooms apart, the major hurdle was that all the students sat in one class, where anywhere from grades 1 and 12, not all of them spoke English and Manna was the only teacher on the site. “This is where I learnt to adapt. The lack of resources is a lament I hear often from teachers but teaching is possible anywhere. All of our material and equipment fit into two boxes at any given time,” she added. Manna drew up individual lesson plans with plenty of projects, imparting a holistic education. For classes, what she didn’t know, she taught herself using online tools. With 28 nationalities in various departments that functioned independently, one of Manna’s projects involved students visiting each section to understand its role in the company. Another project required the children to quiz crew members from each nationality on the food, clothing and other facets of their country after which an event called ‘InFooFe’ (short for International Food Festival) was organised. Her presence was reassuring to the parents. She formed a deep bond with many of them, as she “bore witness to births, deaths and divorces”. “I have invariably played counsellor many a time,” she said. Manna remains in touch with many of the crew members and students.

Manna Abraham

A typical working day for Manna started early. Occasionally, if she had a friend in the state the circus was visiting, she got time away. Stopovers were also a time to restock her pantry with frozen parathas and spices. A trip to Mexico was the one time she was on edge. “I had no local contact there and so wrote to the Indian embassy, introducing myself. The ambassador was so excited that he hosted me for dinner twice and I got to interact with the Indian community there.”

The day started much later during inter-state commutes. Though she had set boundaries, the select crew that she befriended would hang out in her room from supper time to the wee hours of the morning because they loved Indian food. “You never knew who was next door, it could be a lion or an elephant,” Manna said. The circus was in the news for many animal abuse cases filed by PETA but Manna said the animals always got priority over human beings on the circus train. “The harsh winters froze the pipes but the managers made sure the animals got water even if we would have to bear the inconvenience for longer.”

Cathartic

Manna loved the rocking motion of the train, as did her two cats who kept her company in the room and accompanied her to India when she left. “We would spend a lot of time taking in the scenery,” she said, using the time to pen her first book Bent, Yet Unbroken, a memoir that allowed a much-needed catharsis. “The first version was such a release that by the final draft I edited all the angry bits. They seemed uncalled for in the published version.” The only sister to four brothers, Manna was her daddy’s girl. “The title of the book is from a prayer my father said as he walked from Burma to India during World War II. He gave his ship ticket to an aunt who was expecting and chose to walk with two other men. But only he made it alive. I’m his daughter, that’s what I always reminded myself.”

Looking back, Manna realises there was no reason for things to work out her way. She wonders what she was thinking, not once being cautious when the circus manager interviewed her or then flew her to Detroit to meet the GM. “Who was I going to teach? What does ‘Travelling Teacher’ mean? I had no clue.” Her first vacation to the US happened soon after 9/11, on leave from her cushy job in Kuwait, while tourists did not easily get visas. In 2002, a short visit and a random job registration to know her chances led to working with public and private schools for two years, on an H1B visa. Again, friends would tell her, it was a rarity. Summing up, Manna said, “Make the first move and if something doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to move on.”