Our onam was at my cousin's place and I was at my wits' end as to what I'd carry for the two elderly moms. The senior of the two, all of 97 yrs and bedridden, responds to communication though her speech takes time to decipher and a nurse looks after her requirements.
The junior mom, aged 79, had recently spent a few days at a nearby hospital as her sugar levels had gone haywire and it took a while before her doctor had brought it back to normalcy. The scar of an angioplasty done on her left foot has healed - well almost, as the wound is being tended even now.
I could get over the impasse with a bit of prodding from Lekha and knocked on the door of their house by a half past 12. The junior mom was thrilled with the diet rusks and her query as to how I knew that she'd wanted to have it, did indeed give me a nice feeling. I really felt happy that I'd got her something right for the occasion! Or was she sportingly playing up to my ego?
A shawl - a hand loom spun stuff with 'zari' - was draped around the elder mom's shoulders as she was gently propped up and there was a round of photo opportunity to capture the special moment. She'd uttered something that was not quite coherent but we knew that she was happy, for, she'd grabbed my hand and held it, sporting a lovely smile all the while. I do not remember as to how long I'd stood there in that pose but a harsh reminder that the lunch was getting late, from my cousin, brought me back from my euphoria. As I left her, she'd floated into the realm of sleep quite oblivious of the happenings around.
I'd like to believe that her favourable reaction was spontaneous as she'd liked my gift!
Tailpiece.
I was able to get over the melancholy of not spending time with my mom on this special day. She's anyway in much better company - that of my sister's!
The junior mom, aged 79, had recently spent a few days at a nearby hospital as her sugar levels had gone haywire and it took a while before her doctor had brought it back to normalcy. The scar of an angioplasty done on her left foot has healed - well almost, as the wound is being tended even now.
I could get over the impasse with a bit of prodding from Lekha and knocked on the door of their house by a half past 12. The junior mom was thrilled with the diet rusks and her query as to how I knew that she'd wanted to have it, did indeed give me a nice feeling. I really felt happy that I'd got her something right for the occasion! Or was she sportingly playing up to my ego?
A shawl - a hand loom spun stuff with 'zari' - was draped around the elder mom's shoulders as she was gently propped up and there was a round of photo opportunity to capture the special moment. She'd uttered something that was not quite coherent but we knew that she was happy, for, she'd grabbed my hand and held it, sporting a lovely smile all the while. I do not remember as to how long I'd stood there in that pose but a harsh reminder that the lunch was getting late, from my cousin, brought me back from my euphoria. As I left her, she'd floated into the realm of sleep quite oblivious of the happenings around.
I'd like to believe that her favourable reaction was spontaneous as she'd liked my gift!
Tailpiece.
I was able to get over the melancholy of not spending time with my mom on this special day. She's anyway in much better company - that of my sister's!
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