Letter from Home -11 (Slice of Life)

[I remember those long ago days when we used to write letters to our near and dear ones regularly. Over the years there have been lot of changes in life. These are the days of the internet and we have stopped writing letters. Last year I started writing to my mother and my Doddamma (my father’s elder brother’s wife) She lives with her son and family. My cousin’s wife shows her my mails. My mother lives with my brother and my sister-in-law shows her my mails. My Doddamma is 86 and is not able to go out. My Amma and Doddamma enjoy the mails and the photos. The internet has really changed our lives, it helps us to keep some contact with our friends and relatives, if we want to😊. I am editing a few lines before posting in Slice of Life because it would be difficult to understand without knowing the details. I am also adding links to certain topics of interest.]
2-04-18
Dear Doddamma and amma,
Today morning I had been to my dentist. My tooth was aching. I got an appointment for today morning. Fortunately, nothing serious. I was happy to talk to you today morning doddamma. My neighbours too enjoy reading Taranga. I feel a little lazy to read Kannada magazines because it takes me a long time. 😊In English I do not have to read every word in the page and in Kannada I have to. So, I am listening to Kannada lectures by Bannanje Govinda acharya. I am listening to The Gita now.

On Saturday night Kuvara went to Bangalore by night bus. Now there are sleeper buses too. He went to attend the wedding reception of his friend’s daughter. The bus left at 9 and was in Bangalore by 6 on Sunday morning. He went to Vinay’s parents’ house. Gayatri wanted some bed-spreads and dresses for children. I sent the shirts and frocks that I had stitched. I also sent two pieces of one end of the coconut frond. We call it ‘haale’ in Kannada. We use it to apply oil to the iron pan on which we make dosa.

I had taken it as she had only non-sticking dosa making pan. He also took small jackfruits for Vinay’s mother and one for his cousin and one for his niece. He returned today morning.

Yesterday, my husband’s another cousin, Sudha and family had come for lunch. They had come to see their niece studying here. I had made payasam from barnyard millets. It was very tasty. I cooked it in the cooker added jaggery syrup. I ground the coconut into a fine paste and added it. Sometimes I do this instead of removing the milk from ground coconut. Then boiled it and added roasted cashew nuts on the top. After lunch Sudha plucked star apples and they all enjoyed the fruits. The tree is still flowering. Sudha’s grandson, Vihaan also wanted to pluck the fruits. He tried but found it difficult.

Today afternoon I went to Asare. It is a home for the mentally challenged. I go there thrice a week, in the afternoons. The teachers there are creative in crafts. Only some who live there can help, some have severe problems. The teachers make baskets and mementoes from newspapers. When painted we just cannot say that they are made from newspapers.

There is one small boy there, he has autism and is not able to speak. His caretaker is a young lady. She is very good to him. She is with him all the time, her two children live with her mother and sister. The caretaker was married young and could go to school only till 7th standard. She is very determined that her children should get good education. She is sending them to a private school. Her husband says they should go to a government school where there is no fees. He lives in his hometown. She has been looking after the little boy for one year. Her children are in primary school, and her son is finding it very difficult to be without his mother. She is very worried because the little boy is so dependent on her but she has to also see that her children are not neglected. She is very worried because if she leaves the job she will find it difficult to pay the school fees. So, she has to decide her next step before the school reopens in June.

Aravinda (our son) teaches German certificate course to one batch of students in his college. The classes are in the evening from 6 to 8. Usually we drop him there and go for a walk and return home. He comes back later in an auto rickshaw. Last week we went with him in the auto and walked back home crossing our children’s high school. They studied there for six years and have happy memories.

When he does not have German classes we usually go for a walk to Endpoint. It is very nice there with good breeze. The days are becoming hotter. I think it will be the same in Bombay too.

We are all fine here.
With love,
Lakshmi

Letter from Home -11 (Slice of Life)