Naani loved jumping in the puddles. However, today she was in no mood. She avoided them and stepped onto the pavement. She took the longest route yet  her house seemed to have appeared sooner.

Jayamma who was waiting for her rushed to her.

"Did you find him?"

"No, Ammamma. I looked for him in every street" Naani exaggerated. Jayamma was getting restless.

"Did you ask anyone if they have seen him?"

"I did. I asked Venkanna from who we bought the bananas. He said taata took the 5.30 bus to the town."

"He did?"

Naani nodded her head. Jayamma knew it. She knew it all along. She knew her efforts would be futile.  Her eyes filled with tears. Naani went inside quietly to change her wet clothes.

That night Naani lied down on the folding cot under the open sky and waited for Jayamma to come to her. The unusual activity made her tired and counting the stars; Naani slept off. It was past midnight when she felt a small chill and looked for the blanket that normally rested at her feet. She didn't find one. She didn't find her ammamma too next to her. She woke up to go and get the blanket. Jayamma was sleeping alone inside. Naani went and snuggled her.

Naani woke up late the next morning. It was second Saturday which meant two holidays and more playing with Sumathi. But today did not feel like a holiday. Ammamma was quieter than usual. Today she did not even have breakfast. Naani felt sad. In a small voice, she called “Ammamma”.

“Ummm..” There was a moan kind of whisper from Jayamma.

“Will taata come tonight?"

"No”, answered ammamma almost to herself. It was as though ammamma knew that taata wouldn't come home that night.

“Ammamma when will he return?", she asked dread filling her insides. She no longer felt like having breakfast.

Jayamma replied, "Monday Morning"

"How do you know?"

"You will see for yourself"

 Naani nodded and tried to understand.

****************************************************

Finally, it was Monday morning. Naani was brushing her teeth in their backyard when she heard the clank of the gate. Happily she ran. Her taata was right there. Ammamma was right all along!

"Taata is here!". She shouted, her mouth still full of toothpaste. But something was not right. His clothes were untidy.  Not just untidy, he looked shabby and dirty.

"Taata, where were you?" Little did she realize that he was half deaf. He smiled at her and went inside. Naani was surprised that Jayamma didn't say anything to him. She did not even look happy to see taata back.

She ran and tugged at her sari. "Ammamma, taata is home". Jayamma was silent. "Ammamma, taata is home".

"I  know, said Jayamma silently”.

"You were looking for him on Friday. He is home now".

"I know".

Naani didn't know what else to say. The silence was awkward. She slowly went and picked her books to write. She watched her taata brush, shave and go to the bathroom. Naani saw Jayamma rummaging through his dirty clothes. She went from pocket to pocket, only to find it empty. He came out with a towel wrapped around and switched on the iron.

Jayamma lifted the dirty dhoti with a stick and dangled it in front of him. "What is this?" Naani couldn't help laughing at her ammamma's sarcasm. Her taata yanked it away in a jerk. Naani felt scared.

Wearing a clean white dhoti, he walked out. Out of the same iron gate where she had been hanging for the past three days waiting for taata to return in big long strides. On the soft muddy roads hardening after the rain.

Jayamma slumped onto the floor and leaned against the gas cylinder in the corner of the kitchen. Naani ran inside. She knew her ammamma was about to cry. She was scared when elders cried. She wanted to hug her ammamma, tightly. Something drew her back. She stood there, silently. Jayamma held her last pair of gold bangles with her fingers loosely as if she was going to drop them any moment.

The house was filled with silence and it made Naani awkward. The same awkward silence Naani felt half an hour back. She bent her head pretending not having seen anything. But deep inside, she wanted to run. Somewhere where there was no silence. Where her taata didn't disappear on the Friday before second Saturdays, and she didn't have to run to the bus stand to fetch him, where her taata didn't come back with dirty dhoti and a stench on Monday mornings. Where ammamma didn't have to stare at the crumpled bills from the Kirana (Grocery) store and the current office with trembling hands, where ammamma would be wearing her last pair of bangles and not holding them between her fingers. Naani wished her taata never went to the clubs and spend his entire salary playing cards.

P.S: A special thanks to Sridevi Datta in helping me do a wonderful job in completing my first short story. Thank you for all your time.

Stories from Life

Posted By Found In Folsom

"Naani.... Naani", Jayamma called out to her nine year old granddaughter. Pressing her palms on the cold black floor to get up, "Aaaa...coming. What Ammamma? I finished my homework already. I just went to play." replied Naani with a frustrated face for being pulled away from the serious game of Ashta Chamma she was playing with Sumathi, the neighbor kid.

"Listen. Go to the school and accompany your taata  home"

"Again?"

"Yeah..Please go fast. Stick with him only. Don't let him leave you and bring him home". Trying not to show her frustration and disappointment, Naani set to run to the school which was at the other end of the village. It was a cloudy sultry evening. As Naani ran, dust rose from her rubber slippers and her pigtails wagged. When she reached his classroom she was panting. Beads of sweat dripped from her temples.  Wiping off the sweat with her frock sleeve, she composed herself and looked around the half empty class. Taata was nowhere.

She ran to the staff room and found the junior science teacher. He always had a smile upon his face and Naani liked him. Seeing her, he wished her and enquired after her well being and how the school was going. But today Naani was in no mood to answer.  She asked if he saw her taata. "I think I have seen him going that way". Saying that, he pointed towards the Principal's room. 

Having been to the school many times, she knew almost every teacher and was familiar with every room. She headed straight to the Principal's room. There she stood still for a minute contemplating. Do I go in or not? Do I knock before going in? Good Manners say that I do.  But who cares about good manners if I don't find him on time? Biting her last nail, she parted the curtain slightly and peeped inside.  Thank god! taata was there!

She waited outside. Impatiently. Each minute felt like an eternity. Her taata came out after ten minutes. Holding his dhoti in his right hand and adjusting something in his shirt pocket with the left hand. Naani jumped to her feet on seeing him. 

He smiled at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. I came to walk home with you"

But taata knew why she had come. He knew Jayamma had sent her. Looking at her he said, "you go home. I have some work in the bazaar. I will come after some time."

She was in no mood to listen. Jayamma's words rang in her ears. "Don't listen to what he says. Just stick with him and no matter what bring him home". She was determined to not leave him. She argued. "No. I don't want to go home. You also come with me". 

Sensing the firmness of her tone, he said he was going to the bazaar. Naani decided to follow him. Her taata walked fast. He always did. It was hard for her nine year old legs to catch up the pace of her taata's. With each stride of his, she ran three steps. Her legs ached when they reached the bazaar. Nonetheless, she was proud of herself for not giving in and following him. Ammamma would be happy to see her with taata.

Naani all of nine years felt small beside her fifty year old taata. But she felt happy walking the red dusty roads with him. He with steady long strides and she with hopping beside him to catch up. There were clouds in the sky and very sultry. Finally they reached the bazaar. Her taata stopped near the bus stop.  

Taata met an acquaintance and started talking to him. Naani was getting impatient.  She could have played so many rounds of Ashta Chemma by now. But Sumathi would have gone by the time she reached home and Nagamani her step mom would also have woken.

Naani realized it futile thinking about all these things. Instead she would just drag her taata home.

Clutching his shirt sleeve, she started shouting, “Come taata! Come! Let's go. You finished talking to that man, na?"

Her taata leaned his ear toward Naani. He had been partially deaf forever she knew. She yelled into his ears. No use. The entire bazaar could hear her except her taata. Ammamma said his deafness was very convenient. He always heard what  he wanted to hear and not what everyone said. Naani’s words finally made sense to him "Let's get some bananas", he said. Naani was happy. They could go home after buying the bananas. She couldn't wait any longer! Maybe she could still play another round of Astha Chamma. She prayed that Nagamani would still be asleep when she reached home.

Her taata went to the nearest shop which sold cool drinks, candies, weekly magazines and bananas. He bought a dozen bananas and placed them in Naani's hands. He said, "Take them and go home. I will come after some time. I  have some work in the bazaar ."

Naani  was disappointed.

"No taata. I don't want to go. You also come with me."
But  taata was adamant. He promised her he would be home in an hour. Giving up Naani  headed home.

Jayamma was talking to the house owner over the parapet wall when Naani returned. Her pounding heart stopped for a second the moment she heard clang of the iron gate. Naani walked inside with her head bent and a dozen bananas in hand. Jayamma rushed after  her.

"Where is taata?"

"He said, he will come later"

"I told you to bring him home"

"He wouldn't...."

"I told you not to listen to what he says"

"I did ammamma. He said he had to go to the bazaar . I followed him there also."

"Then.......?"

"I waited for him for so long. He kept talking to people and looking at the buses and never listened to me". Naani who was holding her tears at the brink of the eye almost burst. Jayamma was in no position to listen to anything at that moment.

"Okay. don't cry now. Go and see if you can find him and wait there till he comes home."

"Okay, ammmama. I will", said Naani obediently. This time she ran even faster. The clouds burst and it started raining. She cursed herself and the rain at the same time.  By the time she reached the bazaar, she was completely drenched. But miraculously it stopped raining.

She looked around the place where taata left her. She went to the shop. "Venkanna, did you see my taata?" Having seen her many times with the Science teacher, Venkanna recognized her immediately. 

"Yes papa. He was with you a while ago, right?"

"Ayyo... Venkanna, after that. If I go with him, why will I look for him?"

"Aaaa...right...right"

 Finally Venkanna remembered.

"Oh, I have seen him get into the 5:30 bus going to the town. Did you not go with him?"

She went to the bus stand and sat on the bench. She knew he was gone. She tried to swallow the tears and the lump in her throat. What was she going to tell ammamma? Half an hour passed by. She knew it was no use waiting any longer. She dragged her feet home.

Ammamma = Maternal Grandmother
Taata  = Grandfather
To be concluded.....

Stories from Life

Posted By Found In Folsom

Sudha had a picture perfect family. As a housewife, she never worried much about working and making a big career though her peers were very competitive and career oriented. She found pleasure in serving and taking care of her husband and two sons.

Her older son Vibhas was twelve; academically a very smart kid and had no troubles at all. The younger one Suhas was a very lively, cheerful kid. He was an average student at school, but extremely street smart. They were surprised how he would maintain the bio-data of everyone at school. Her husband would joke that even if left in a desert, he would survive.

She dreaded as his birthday was approaching. She was too tired of celebrating kids' birthdays. She said that she's not going to celebrate any more birthdays from next year. No more birthdays and friends coming home.

It feels like it just happened yesterday. The events of that last week unfolded in front of Sudha's eyes.
Thursday
Suhas didn't take his food well that day. Sudha didn't want to push him much. She thought he would eat if he was really hungry.  That day, he woke up at mid night to use the bathroom. Sudha found him holding the washing machine and standing. When she inquired what's wrong, he said, his head was spinning.
Friday.
Suhas was normal the next day and played with his friends as usual. He puked in the later part of the day. They took him to a General Physician for check-up. The doctor said it could be due to a gas problem and prescribed some medicines for it.
Saturday.
Sudha and her husband noticed the kid was getting weak physically. They noticed his facial expressions changing. Suddenly his mouth would twitch. But he would become normal again.
Sunday.
Sudha decided to take him to an emergency as she felt the kid was becoming weak. She gave him a slice of bread and a glass of milk for breakfast. While she was feeding him, he threw up yelling "Don't pull my eyes". Something was not alright. She could sense it. May be it is what they call a mother's instinct.
That was the last thing she remembered him saying. They rushed him to an emergency and the doctors did CT, MRI. They discovered two big tumors and had to perform two back to back surgeries. Even before they realized what was happening, they witnessed their precious son lose the battle of life.

Someone said, he came to this earth when his mom was 8 1/2 months pregnant. He left when he is 8 1/2 years old.

Sudha recollected yelling at him, Go, go and die whenever he troubled her. Did her words have the power to make things happen? If so, can she get her little baby back?

P.S: Based on a real incident. After this incident, I stopped cursing my kids. Though they drive me up the wall, this is like an eye-opener for me as how short and unexpected life is.

Stories from Life

Posted By Found In Folsom