Around lunch time, Lekha'd got a call from Kausalya asking for clarifications to the route to our house. In her early 50s, she stays near the coastal hamlet of Ponnani, about twenty kilometers from here. I'd met her for the first time at Lekha's younger sister's place at Tirur, years back and was impressed by her alacrity at work and her ever smiling face. She'd decided to visit us on her trip to the Guruvayur temple, after what has been a long while for her and had informed Lekha about it yesterday.
It would be interesting to know about her background and let me take this opportunity to delve into it. Her husband has been ill for quite a while and he's been lately diagnosed with cancer of the prostate. Since she has been standing in as an understudy with nurses - who're her friends - for many patients, she's adept in palliative care and it has helped her tremendously in taking care of her husband!
She has three sons of which two are living near her with their families. Both of them are farm labourers and earn sufficient enough to look after their own families. The youngest - all of 35 years - is generally unwell being allergic to a host of things and needs constant nurturing. He, therefore, lives with his father and mother and doesn't have a family of his own. To add to her woes, the house on the small plot of land that she bought from its previous owner has been identified as government land and consequently, she's been on a legal tussle over it for the past five years.
And to increase her woes, a couple of years back she was diagnosed with a damaged kidney. The problem has been contained but the doctor has told her to be very careful to prevent it from further escalation. I've heard of the saying that when ill luck comes, it comes in legions. In Kausalya's case it has been apparent but the ultimate clincher is that she continues to carry that winning smile, despite her huge bundle of woes.
On arrival and after a quick lunch, she'd gone around our house and had taken it up on herself to clean up the windowsills, the cleanliness of which was not up to the mark. That sums up the essence of that gutsy lady - a powerhouse! After being at our place for a trifle over a couple of hours, she was off to the temple and further, onward to her house.
Lekha'd got a call from her, a trifle before sunset, reporting her safe arrival back at her place!
Tailpiece.
Kausalya is the example of indomitable spirit and undying optimism. Her infectious smile takes her through one crisis after the other, without ever affecting its intensity! God, please take care of her.
It would be interesting to know about her background and let me take this opportunity to delve into it. Her husband has been ill for quite a while and he's been lately diagnosed with cancer of the prostate. Since she has been standing in as an understudy with nurses - who're her friends - for many patients, she's adept in palliative care and it has helped her tremendously in taking care of her husband!
She has three sons of which two are living near her with their families. Both of them are farm labourers and earn sufficient enough to look after their own families. The youngest - all of 35 years - is generally unwell being allergic to a host of things and needs constant nurturing. He, therefore, lives with his father and mother and doesn't have a family of his own. To add to her woes, the house on the small plot of land that she bought from its previous owner has been identified as government land and consequently, she's been on a legal tussle over it for the past five years.
And to increase her woes, a couple of years back she was diagnosed with a damaged kidney. The problem has been contained but the doctor has told her to be very careful to prevent it from further escalation. I've heard of the saying that when ill luck comes, it comes in legions. In Kausalya's case it has been apparent but the ultimate clincher is that she continues to carry that winning smile, despite her huge bundle of woes.
On arrival and after a quick lunch, she'd gone around our house and had taken it up on herself to clean up the windowsills, the cleanliness of which was not up to the mark. That sums up the essence of that gutsy lady - a powerhouse! After being at our place for a trifle over a couple of hours, she was off to the temple and further, onward to her house.
Lekha'd got a call from her, a trifle before sunset, reporting her safe arrival back at her place!
Tailpiece.
Kausalya is the example of indomitable spirit and undying optimism. Her infectious smile takes her through one crisis after the other, without ever affecting its intensity! God, please take care of her.
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