parents

They were like two identical peas in a pod.When thy started life together were as different as chalk from cheese

He was doughty and fought for his growing family. She was beautiful as an angel could be soft spoken and had infinite patience, a calm nature and was infinitely talented be it housekeeping ,training her daughters to grow up efficient polite and as accomplished as they possibly could tho it was an uphill task what with his blood coursing thro their veins.

They were there when the "birdies" left the nest to start life of their own .but the parents rushed from one part of India to another to baby sit or keep vigil at the bedsides of one offspring or the family.

There were no hitches  no later perhaps or complaints to any one.

Then at the age of eighty he was put in charge of supervising his NRI son's house building. He traveled by bus everyday to the workspot hail or sunshine long before the tardy workers put in their stint. He saved his son much money as he personally went scrutinizing every tap or wire or nail that went into that house.It did take a big toll on his frail body but he persevered till the end 

Two old people now became the caretakers and spent their twilight years planting fruit trees  and coconut palms the result of which the could only imagine.She indulged in her love for flowering plants the result of which was that her green thumb or fingers produced a riot of colours which brought  sighs of envy from neighbours.


Once an occasional child would come to soak in the love and care that came with no prompting,Cares were gently scoured away with gallons of a love that transcendent all human endeavour..



I would sometimes lay my head on her lap just to have the pain of a busy life smoothened away and then go back to get rushed and hasseled thro the rat race..In the house the built there was always an extra place for some friend or other who would drop in to taste her inspired cooking.Even at 80 the culinary skills never suffered a lapse from memory.


Finally the day of his reckoning had to come but it had never crossed our minds that he would go so fast.He entered a last notation in his diary that he was going for a checkup .He did go but his heart stopped 10 hours later.


She was now like a bird with a broken wing.,for he had been her strong mast all the years of their togetherness.They had prayed together for over 60 years for their children and all concerns that came to their knowledge.He had read to her when her eyesight failed , had done all the shopping for her including selecting her sarees which were exclusive..We could see the loneliness in her quiet eyes the pain of bereavement when she smiled  with nary a word of irritation or crankiness.


Then she left as quietly as she had lived with a beautiful smile on her still beautiful face.


They were my parents!