Mother & Son

I came across poet Kuvempu’s lines, ” You are the light of your life, You are the guardian of your life” when I was flipping through today’s Times of India newspaper. It was serendipitous. I was at work on a blog, a tribute to a mother and a son. Our family is still grieving the loss of two people in the last month. A mother in her 90’s and son in his late 50’s. I must have met them at least once in the last two years. I was jogging my memory lane, soaking in their memories. Here are some anecdotes from the past that have touched me. There’s also a shining example of a special bond between a son and mom as well. She was my grandmother’s younger sister and her son was my cousin from another generation. First, let me share about the man who rightly so was his mom’s pet child.

I recollect the days when we used to go to his house and fly kites. It was thrilling to handle the thread and see the kite soaring. We competed with other friends in the locality to fly our kites. There were different techniques of flying and also cutting each other’s kites. It was sheer joy to see how your kite used to rise solo high up in the skies. It was also the age of Gili Danda. As Jug Suraiya would say, ” A game that required the greatest hand-eye coordination. The gilli was a small, about four-inch long, rounded piece of wood, whittled to a taper at both ends. The danda was a stout baton of wood, about a foot and a half long”. I recollect my first experience with the game thanks to him. I recollect how we used the play the game during vacations. That place was an outlet for us to see the greenery, cycle and of course masti. The memory of climbing that sapota tree in their house is still fresh in my mind. It was a very large tree and we used to go to the terrace and then climb up to pluck the chikoos (sapotas).

I must say that was the time when I came across this gentleman who was playful even though he was from another generation. We picked up a bond over some time and during my teenage days, his visit to our house was always cherished. He was noted for his naughtiness and I must share my liking for him for being that way. His specific accent made dialogues interesting and he was a joy to be around in those days. I must have travelled in his vehicle time and again and he would also take me to some good restaurants which I had never been to before. We used to watch movies together and he used to bring video cassettes to our home. I must admit that I lost touch after I left my hometown for work and we only met on occasions. My childhood memories of him will always be cherished and I am glad that he added a splash of colour to my teenage days. Even though we were from two generations, there was no gap. My inner freak has run wild with him.

I reckon his mother was one figure I would not forget for how she used to do that ” Namaskaram” in our traditional way. She will respectfully bend her head and with folded hands will make eye contact with my grandfather and then smile and come inside the house. That was a sight to watch and the warmth was graceful. She was a lady who travelled in government buses till the age of 85 all alone. She would come to our house and stay for a couple of days. All of a sudden she would decide to leave for the next destination. Her ‘ease of travelling’ day in and day out was commendable. A very disciplined person who ate very little at night and used to sleep early. Her love for sweets was well known and often she would bring home a variety of sweets. She had a very good memory and she would unravel a lot of things from the past which was music to my ears. Once we visited her house at an odd time and I still recollect how she paraded a battery of snacks from her kitchen cabinet. I was very impressed. We used to love her hospitality and she leaves a legacy for being so. I had the opportunity to visit a couple of our relative’s houses along with her and my mother. Her sheer presence used to generate enthusiasm and sometimes tension in people. She was very good at speaking her mind. She used to stay at her house with my mother for days. I liked the way she used to laugh expressively and that was with her son as well.

Two lives that touched my family to the core. My tribute to the bond between a mother and son which endured till they left for their heavenly abode that too in quick succession. Here’s a special poem to a special relationship and a special tribute to a bond.