MY MOTHER

Three days back( Tuesday), I fell sick. I had eaten a banana the day before with my school tiffin, which is very very unusual. And since it was unusual, I vomitted twice that night. And twice, Mammam( my mother) woke up with me. Next day, she did not go to office. In the morning, we learnt that our family physician was out of station. So, Mammam saw my previous prescriptions, bought the required medicines, stayed with me all day, either giving me my medicines or feeding me occasional sips of salt-sugar water and my lunch or putting me off to sleep both in the morning and afternoon. She never misses office for petty reasons.To me,this seemed to be a very petty reason , but for her, it was a matter of great concern.Then she really did not care about what happened at office that day.
Yes, this is my mother whom I call Mammam right from the time I was one year old. There have been numerous occasions before this when I have fallen sick and on each of those occasions, she has cared only and only about ME. She has forgotten her place of work on those occasions. But this is not the only thing that makes her so special. The reasons for that will never end.
When I was in her womb, she was posted at a place very far from home. She had to climb high staircases at the railway station and then board the most crowded trains of the world. What a lot of pain it must have been! And all because of me!
During the first 9-10 years of my life, I didn't understand how lucky I was to have got a mother like her. I mean, I always knew that she was the best mother, like everyone does. But I couldn't recognize the specialities. We would get along very well with each other( we still do), she would fulfill all my demands, like my first watch, my story books and my computer. When I was in class two, Baba got transferred to Balugaon in Orissa. During that period, she suffered fractures in her ribs, legs and back in a car accident. Two months later, my grandfather suffered his second heart attack. Then I saw how much she can tolerate. Having not recovered fully herself, she had to do a lot of work during my grandfather's operation. And the mental pressure was always there. I was very small then. I couldn't help her much in the absence of Baba. But she managed everything so well. I can say with full confidence that NO ONE else could have done all that she did. Forget doing them, they would not have the guts to rise to the situation. After that, Baba came back and there were some years of happiness.
It was only when Baba got transferred to Guntur in AP in 2003 that I began to realize Mammam's special qualities. At school, I always hear my friends telling that their mothers keep on telling them to study, not to do this, not to do that... But Mammam is completely different. I always sit to study and get up at my own will. Plus, I do whatever I like. She TRUSTS me. She knows that I study, that I work hard. She knows that I never do anything wrong. Actually, before she asks me how my day went, I start pouring out all the news of the day. Her belief in me is invaluable. It has helped me a lot to become the kind of person that I am today. And needless to say, it has helped me, beyond anyone's imagination, with my studies. During the 3 years that Baba was not here, we would sometimes go for a movie and although Baba was not here, she would prepare Saturday night's dinner herself, specially for me. Not just Saturday night, I enjoyed every morsel of the food cooked by her during weekends. That's another speciality. She is such a good cook. Gradually, we became more like friends. I would keep on asking her to share all her problems with me because I felt that she was absorbing all the grief herself. And she did that for 3 years. Here again, I can say that no one could have tolerated so much. Those were tough times. She had to do everything by herself. Going to office, looking after her three children( me and my grandparents), trying to keep Bonu satisfied ( Bonu stays with us to look after me in my parents' absence) and doing all the household work. I would help her with the marketing and other small things, but she always said that the best way in which I could help her was doing my studies well.
Today, I can't imagine even a day without her. I confess that I can stay without my father as long as I can, at least, talk to him over the phone everyday. But, in my mother's case, that is IMPOSSIBLE. When she went through a surgery in 2002 because of a tumour, she had to stay at the hospital for seven days. That was the worst phase of my life. I just can't sleep withour her at night. So, Baba used to cover a side-pillow with her night-dress and keep it on the bed beside me.
In the end, I just want to say"Thank you Mammam. Without you, life would have been hell. I am the luckiest child on earth because God made me your daughter. The way I enjoy my life today is only because of you. You are great and like I have told you before, you are my role model. Love you always."