Mothering my mom
Some of you may still have this opportunity My mom would have petted me, consoled me and tickled me as a baby and toddler. But I am unable to recall any of those tender moments. My tender moment recalls are of my maternal grandmother- her gnarled fingers combing my hair as I laid with my head on her laps listening to her singing songs and telling stories in Tamizhalam and Malayalam. A mercantile song talking about items of import from and export to Britain tracing the ship's route through Suez Canal and Gibralter Strait I learnt once again from my Periamma. She sang it with gusto at ripe age of 93 few years ago. I made up for what I could not remember in mother's last couple of months. I became her mother for few hours every day. I slept with her. She had gone frail. I took her permission and went to sleep hugging her. I was worried I would hurt her as a friend had told me 'your hands are hathodaas!". My mother said I should ensure my elbow did not dig into her. I u