MY GRANDMA

If only I knew that I will not be seeing my maternal grandma, who was an intimate buddy of mine, when growing up, when I returned from my working trip abroad, I would have gone to her house and met her, hugged her and kissed her for the last time. The reason for having not done that, is merely because of my anxiety to travel abroad.

Alas! within a few months of my first job, I got a letter from my Mother, giving information about my dear Grandma’s passing away. Those days, more than 35 years before, when the word ‘internet’ never existed, phones was almost a luxury, it was not possible for me to get in touch with my mother to console her, than write few lines to her, which she could read only later in the month.

I was only left with the sweet memories that I spent with my grandma, which are still afresh in my mind. My grandma a kind hearted, polite, simple and down to earth person, I can say a perfect combination of all the virtues, had become a widow soon after my Mother, her second child, was born. The two fatherless siblings and the mother were looked after by her husband’s brother, in that distant land.

Now to write about my Grandma, she was an adorable woman of medium built. Any amount of noise or talk will not irritate her. She will mingle with her grand children and try to help them out in their daily necessities, whenever they called her. Most of her time was being spent in the kitchen attending to the daily chores and the latter part of the day with the cattle of the house. She used to keep herself busy from the dawn to the sunset and after the night prayers and supper, quietly retire to her bed only to get rejuvenated for the next day. Those were the TV less days, and age of radio system with limited hours of broadcasting. Only entertainment was visiting the close relatives or entertaining them when they come home.

Reminiscing those days itself is a pleasure which I usually do, sometimes discussing with my siblings and cousins about Grandma, and they all agree those were the days my friend, which we will never find.