We were three children, in our family. I was the last and I had two elder sisters. Though we did help our parents, by going to the shop for getting things, or to the ration for getting rice ,wheat and sugar, we hardly did any work in the house.
My mother did all the work, through out the day. On Sundays she had to cook something specials for us, which meant more work for her.
Those days, there was no fridge, gas, grinder, washing machine, mixer or TV. All work was manual. Then, there were the unannounced relatives, whose duration of stay was at least a month. This was the lot of women those days.
My mother was taken for granted. She did all the work, but as we grew, we started washing our own clothes.
But for all women who are lone figures in the kitchen, there would be the unexpressed longing, “ will not a day come when someone else at least will partake a share of the daily grind? “
The feeling should have been in my mother, but it did not find expression, till that particular day.
It was my summer holiday. I was lazing in the house, doing nothing but hanging around with friends and became an expert in wasting time.
My sister’s wedding was around the corner and mother had gone out to make some purchases. She returned home at 3 PM drained by the very humid and warm day. She dumped the shopping bags on the table and sat tiredly on the sofa in the hall.
I do not know why I did that. But I went into the kitchen and made tea for the two of us. While she was sitting in the hall with her eyes closed, I put her hot cup of tea on the table and said, “ Mamma have it. “
My mother’s filled with tears, and she said, “finally it has occurred to someone that I am also a human being. “
She thanked me, drank the tea with relish, and she said this was one gesture she would always remember.
Parents will give only clues. They might not be explicit. As children we have to catch the clues and pitch into more responsibilities.
Do not take parents for granted. As they grow older, we have to grow up.
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