My Mother: Icon of Tough LOVE!

Dhuva, My dear... Wake up!

I sprung up from my bed. It's my birthday! I know the rare instances when mummy calls "my dear!" She was beaming with smile. "Many... many... Happy returns of THE day! Happy Birthday!"

"Thank YOU, mummy" I replied happily, thinking of all the good things coming my way that whole day, including, NO spanking!

She was stretching out her hand helping me to get out of bed. She looked like an angel , especially adorned with that pretty pearly smile of hers. Everything about her is so perfect, I often wondered how in the world I deserved to have such a pretty mom. She's not just pretty, but intelligent and extremely strict.

"Come on now, get your bath. There... your new dress and ballerina shoes are waiting for you!" She said pointing to the pink lace dress with lots of frills and the matching shoes with a cute little bow that I liked. "You'll have to take the chocolate box to the principal, today" she said as she was rubbing the soap on me. "Walk straight, no stooping and answer briskly if she asks you any questions." She went on and poured buckets of water. Then came the part I liked. She put her palm on my head while pouring the water and said "Choam, choam, choam" which meant good health! She wrapped the towel around me and said "let me go and get the baby powder and Eau De Cologne while you wipe your self dry."

Holding on to my towel I turned to look in the mirror. " My Goodness, who is this?" I almost screamed looking at this unfamiliar face in the mirror. A strange face with a completely shaved head looked back at me, equally surprised. I made faces, and it made faces back at me. I ran my hand over my head, it was barely prickly.

"Oh, God! I remembered crying all evening, the previous day. I had begged Mummy "Could you wait until after my birthday..., please?" "No!" She said sternly, her face turning red "I can't bear to think of you carrying a single lice on your head." She had found a lice looking to nest in my hair and that was it! "A clean shave" she ordered and I felt like a sacrificial lamb at the barber shop.

I worried how I was going to face not even just my class, but almost the whole school, because it's my birthday and I'd have to take chocolate to all the teachers, most of whom I called aunty. On top of it I would have to take chocolate to the principal too. I knew she liked me because I get hundred marks in almost all subjects and always came first in my whole grade. But, looking bald is entirely another matter! Deep in my thoughts, I hadn't even realized that mummy had already doused me with baby talc and Eau De Cologne.

I came out of the bathroom. There... mummy was standing with the most beautiful hat that I have ever seen, with lots of lace and pink roses. " Here you go..." she said adjusting the hat on my head. She took a few steps back "Perfect, that will do it!" she said with a glint in her eyes, admiring this ugly duckling!

Oh, I miss her very much!

I am my mother's daughter,

Copyright©2011VeerajaR

Haiku Garland in Devine Mercy!

To those who ask-
Where' my Smiles from...:
See my mom first!


Face, I saw first--
Beheld angelic beauty
Devine Mercy lit!


Bless her forever--
Given a great mom
In Devine Mercy!

Poetry by my mother's daughter--VeerajaR
Copyright©2011 VeerajaR. All Rights Reserved!

I miss YOU... Mummy!!!
Eternal Rest Grant Unto Her my LORD
And let the Perpetual Light Shine Upon Her!

Uduvil Women: Ahead of Their Times!

Having been raised by one, I have always admired the intellect and leadership characteristics of ladies from Uduvil.

Samuel Abraham, my grandma's cousin and author of several English language books (A.S. Kanagaratnam) had written proudly about my mother as being the first girl ever to ride a bike, in Jaffna. It was in the 1930's and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a national record. In fact, I first heard this from my best friend's Mom -- when we met for the first time and I was trying to answer her about where I was from and who's daughter -- she said "Oh, I know her from Uduvil Girls' School... very pretty and was the first girl ever to ride a bike to school."

The first thing my mom did when she started teaching was to buy her own car and drive to work. Mind you: This was in late 19-forties/early fifties. She always told me that the challenge was to reverse the car and that she avoided it as much as she could. This was a real car with stick-shift, not meant for faint-hearted ladies. In the seventies when mopeds (cute version of Scooters) showed up she wanted to get one to go for marketing, etc. Me and my brother managed to discourage her -- only because we were not so brave like her.

So it was no surprise that my mom was disappointed that I had not learned to drive even after being abroad for sometime. She would ask my husband to teach me driving and often offered to baby-sit Deepan and sent us off to practice. However, it took 10 more years before I actually muster my courage to drive on the street. But I drive now and I am sure she is very proud.

Just happened to read "women of Uduvil" in Wikipedia and amazed to see it explicitly described as "highly educated" compared to anywhere in the world!

I am my Mother's proud daughter,

VeerajaR

P.S._ Samuel Abraham, my mom's uncle is the son of former Hartley College principal Abraham (my grandma Lily Arulamma's dad--Dr. Breckenridge's brother). The Hartley College sports house "Abraham House" was named after him.

Copyright©2011 VeerajaR