When Silence Speaks

.I passed through a difficult phase ,get up in the morning .rub my eyes and believe that I am alive .One astrologer friend said that I would cross ninety because I was running sukra dasa.I corrected him and said that I am running Mohan Kumar Dasa.when asked to clarify I said Mohankumar is my Doctor.With the encouragement how do I spend my time- only weaving the craft I am comfortable with.Denied troublesome physical activity I will now concentrate on activating my grey cells and enjoy myself.Life has taught us many lessons and why not share such experience?
WHEN SILENCE SPEAKS

SHORT STORY BY S.LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

Natesan,58 parked his car and entered the house whistling his favourite tune. He was in an ebullient mood having got his transfer orders from Delhi to Chennai, his home town,a preretirement concession His mother 75 and his brothers and sisters were all there .He recalled the days when they would all sit together on the floor and their mother would make rice balls and serve them with greens drumstick sambar. They used to fight if the size of the rice balls varied. Continuing his whistling he broke the news to Vimala. Natesan continued-we can keep mother with us as after all she gave birth to me when she was sixteen and it is now time to repay. We can also spend weekends with brothers and sisters as all these years we have been meeting them once a year only or in functions. Yes, Vimala replied in a feeble voice. Natesan in his exuberance did not notice his wife and holding her he started dancing. Congrats- Vimala said in a happy tone though her eyes betrayed her reservation and anxiety.

Natesan landed in Chennai with his wife and daughters and were warmly received by his brothers and sisters. Come home for lunch next week end, cooed Natesan without consulting Vimala and not cognisant of the time it takes to settle down and receive guests. Bring Amma also with you. to his third brother .Of course, was the reply from his brother and his wife with a visible tone of relief. For the brothers and sisters, Vimala was non existent at that time.

A week passed by quickly with unpacking and arranging things. The daughters left for the hostel. For the first time in years Natesan and Vimala were by themselves. That was all the more reason for Natesan to look forward to the visit of his siblings with his mother. On the other hand it was nothing but trepidation for Vimala to get things organised well and also handle her mother in law with her vicious temper.

Ambulu mami, the mother in law had given birth to ten children between the age of sixteen and forty. She had managed deprivation with sacrifice and fortitude.She was a perfectionist and was admired for her culinary skills. On the contrary she had a vicious tongue and did not mince words even with her daughters and not to speak of daughters in law .Widowed at the age of sixty one, had made her more liberal with her adverse comments and abusive language. Generally everyone was on guard while dealing with her .

It was happy days here again when the siblings met for lunch at Natesan’s house on Sunday. Childhood memories were recalled with loud shrieks and laughter. No one thought of Vimala who was sweating it out in the kitchen except a formal offer to help which was declined politely. It was the general opinion that having been in the North Vimala was not adept in dishing out south Indian fare.

Adding insult to injury Ambulu said ‘ your manni ,having been brought up in the north cooks saltless spiceless food and does not know our south Indian cooking.What to do-It is Natesans luck and you have all shared his luck with him today’ much to the discomfiture of every one assembled. After lunch every one departed immediately giving some excuse or other. Unwashed cooking utensils stared at the faceof Vimala. Noticing it,Natesan changed and started washing the vessels.Vimala almost started sobbing having never seen her husband in the kitchen.

There was no fo[low up call from any one for almost a month though they were individually invited. Natesan thought that it was time to give them another try. Once again the story repeated itself with a difference. Natesan ordered the ladies to join and clean up the kitchen before leaving. Being the eldest no one dared to question him. Vimala also joined the conversation for a while. Later on it was learnt that two ladies made a caustic remark that such luncheon appointments are an insult if they included washing vessels and cleaning up the kitchen.

Vimala was admitted in the hospital for a severe stomach infection.Barring visit to the hospital with the mandatory oranges ,no one offered to stay in the hospital. One had to look after aged mother in law, another one’s daughter was preparing for a competitive exam and another had a severe cough and with steroids was low on immunity. Natesan did not inform his daughters and roughed it up by alternating between hospital and home,


It was then, realisation struck Natesan that they were not kids anymore and everyone has built his/her own nest and relationship was governed by self interest, compulsions and jealousies. He understood for the first time that only husband and wife relationship is one of accommodation and sacrifice and will stand the test of time through thick and thin. After a long time Natesan looked looked at Vimala endearingly and she smiled in understanding. Afterall when two eyes meet with endearment where is the need for the spoken word?

 

Dear Viswa,

 

Dear Viswa,
It is nice to be back in circulation though coordination of fingers make it difficult to write or type.A friend of mine in response to my story has written that he spends more time with his friends than brothers after his mother passed away.He returned to India for good after twenty five years of FAO assignment.He is deeply disappointed with the attitude of detachment. Issueless he had to struggle all by himself when his wife underwent an uterus operation..we all enjoy childhood comraderie but at some point of time the birds fly away from the nest.
Regards

 

My blessings and good wishes on this day when you step into 82.After 80 every birthday is a new milestone marked by thanksgiving to God and celebration with the near and dear ones.In this fast moving era no one has time to spend with seniors resulting in interdependence on each other for communication,companionship and comraderie.If the husband and wife have similar aptitude and taste all the more merrier.This relationship is sacrosanct having navigated life through thick and thin.
Regards

 

Thanks.It is such warm greetings from friends that keeps me going.
Regards