I think I've covered the main milestones of my mom's life and our conversations shall continue and more gems, that I've missed, will find their place in due course. And without much ado, let me go through the contents of this concluding part of our conversation:-
On their nest.
This has come late in the order of chronology but the making of their nest essentially highlights their personae. Dad was convinced that their 'dream house' should be at his village, near his ancestral house, so that he could be of assistance - as and when required, to his parents - while mom wanted it to be in a city that had all the important facilities, available within arm's reach. She was persuaded to change her mind over a period of time. When she began giving her inputs about the outlook of the house that was in the process of construction, my dad's father had a tough time getting the workers, familiar with the trends, that were in vogue in the early '60s.
And by Mar '68, their dream house, 'Raj Nivas' was ready and I remember coming back from school on summer vacation that year to the spanking new house. Every piece of furniture and the positioning of the showpieces has my mom's stamp and the rest of us have followed her instructions without opposition. Even dad had quietly dumped his choice of 'Seagulls' over mom's choice of name, saying that it sounded better! Over a period of time, many of its features have been repeated in houses built in the near surroundings but what I remember of the house is that it was never short of visitors and guests!
The house straddles the Kottarakkara - Pathanapuram road which is a busy thoroughfare though it had come into being after five years of our stay there. And that's what's remaining locked these days! A rivulet, a smallish waterway that runs into the rivulet, the local market at a raised ground and the main road form its northern, eastern, southern and western boundaries, respectively. A caretaker looks after the house and the entire property surrounding it, once again accentuating upon what time does to man's priorities in the process of living life!!
On dad.
There isn't a single day that goes by without her talking about dad. And from her stories, it's abundant that he'd given her, her space without reservations. Look what she has to say about him, "He
- gave me full freedom to carry out what I'd wanted to do. Occasionally, he used to prod me
with suggestions and I always realised that he was right.
- never asked about my pay and neither had he ever asked me about how much was the balance
in my account".
She misses him and her constant refrain these days is that, "I've seen Kerala with my father, India with your father and am now with you, understanding the nuances of life during my sunset years".
In a break, for the present, I'm bringing the curtains down on the conversations with my mom. But our chats shall continue and I promise to post more nuggets as and when they come about. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane and helped me to understand her and my own self, even further!
Tailpiece.
We continue to have our fights over trivia but I must confess that it's fun to have her around with us. I make it a point to make her bed and fluff up the pillows, in the same manner that she used to do them for us when we're kids! She's the life in the house and makes friends very easily - the fish vendor, the vegetable vendor and Lekha's beautician make it a point to talk with her even in the midst of their busy schedule and calls out to her if they don't see her on her familiar seat!
On their nest.
This has come late in the order of chronology but the making of their nest essentially highlights their personae. Dad was convinced that their 'dream house' should be at his village, near his ancestral house, so that he could be of assistance - as and when required, to his parents - while mom wanted it to be in a city that had all the important facilities, available within arm's reach. She was persuaded to change her mind over a period of time. When she began giving her inputs about the outlook of the house that was in the process of construction, my dad's father had a tough time getting the workers, familiar with the trends, that were in vogue in the early '60s.
And by Mar '68, their dream house, 'Raj Nivas' was ready and I remember coming back from school on summer vacation that year to the spanking new house. Every piece of furniture and the positioning of the showpieces has my mom's stamp and the rest of us have followed her instructions without opposition. Even dad had quietly dumped his choice of 'Seagulls' over mom's choice of name, saying that it sounded better! Over a period of time, many of its features have been repeated in houses built in the near surroundings but what I remember of the house is that it was never short of visitors and guests!
The house straddles the Kottarakkara - Pathanapuram road which is a busy thoroughfare though it had come into being after five years of our stay there. And that's what's remaining locked these days! A rivulet, a smallish waterway that runs into the rivulet, the local market at a raised ground and the main road form its northern, eastern, southern and western boundaries, respectively. A caretaker looks after the house and the entire property surrounding it, once again accentuating upon what time does to man's priorities in the process of living life!!
On dad.
There isn't a single day that goes by without her talking about dad. And from her stories, it's abundant that he'd given her, her space without reservations. Look what she has to say about him, "He
- gave me full freedom to carry out what I'd wanted to do. Occasionally, he used to prod me
with suggestions and I always realised that he was right.
- never asked about my pay and neither had he ever asked me about how much was the balance
in my account".
She misses him and her constant refrain these days is that, "I've seen Kerala with my father, India with your father and am now with you, understanding the nuances of life during my sunset years".
In a break, for the present, I'm bringing the curtains down on the conversations with my mom. But our chats shall continue and I promise to post more nuggets as and when they come about. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane and helped me to understand her and my own self, even further!
Tailpiece.
We continue to have our fights over trivia but I must confess that it's fun to have her around with us. I make it a point to make her bed and fluff up the pillows, in the same manner that she used to do them for us when we're kids! She's the life in the house and makes friends very easily - the fish vendor, the vegetable vendor and Lekha's beautician make it a point to talk with her even in the midst of their busy schedule and calls out to her if they don't see her on her familiar seat!
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