Sunday Stories - Story 3

Story 3: 

            Mom, what magic this is!

                I haven’t even sat for a five minute by my mother's side as long as she was alive; Never seen her; never listened to the words she said; never thought a bit about her.But today I hear her voice, I think of her every minute without even realizing that she is not there; What magic this is!

                        Every year during the winter and summer holidays, Santhanam would drive with his wife Janaki, son Adi and daughter Bharathi to the village where he was born and raised. After his father's untimely death, his mother lived alone in the house and raised him with great love and care. Santhanam left to abroad for higher studies. His mother was at home all alone.

                  But in reality she never thought of herself alone. With her was a female dog named Pinky, a parrot called Sweety, a pomegranate tree in the back of the house, and a bean’s vine these all grew there as her relations. Mom takes care of her chores talking to them.

               Once her grandson Adi saw her talking and teased her, “Hi, Grandma! Whom are you talking to? Is there any one here to listen to you? ” But the mother said, "Why no one? Behold, here is Pinky; there is Sweety; there is pomegranate; here is the vine; All these are just listening. ” replied with a smile.

                    At night the story is different. Accepting loneliness as her life, the mother lies on the terrace of the house and begins to talk to the visible star in the sky. In this way, Mom spent her whole life in that house. Now she is no more. The priests came. The funeral was over. Before the priests left, they said, "Oh son, do not forget your mother. And do the rituals every year in her remembrance.”

                  He had made all the arrangements to leave for abroad tomorrow morning. But before getting in the car in the morning, Santhanam did not know what happened to him. He said,” Come on Aadi, come on Bharati, let us go and see Pinky, Sweety, vine, and tree to say goodbye to them.” Everyone looked at him in amazement.