Did I tell you I was am a lazy blogger?? So lazy that I didn’t even get to the end of the post from Write Tribe for the prompts!!! It’s only last night when I saw Vidya’s post that I got to know there was a Saturday Prompt.
Anyways, coming to the prompt, I love the Saturday Prompt – cz it’s about grannies!!!! Now I have not seen either my maternal grandparents or the ones on my dad’s side. My fauther’s aunt has been staying with us and ever since I was a little child I am extremely attached to her. She is the most active 97 year that I have seen!! She still read’s newspapers, washes her own clothes, goes up and down the three storied house. Can you imagine doing that at 97??? She is one of those persons who speak Bangal so fluently. If you are a Bengali you will know that Bangla and Bangal language difference! And it’s kind of cute. I too can speak fluently in Bangal because of years of conversations with her.
Now I have a special name for her. In Bengali your ‘Chachi’ or ‘Kaki’ is called ‘Kakima’ and she is everyone’s Kakima… but when I was little I couldn’t pronounce Kakima and whatever sounded every time I called her was Kauma… and that has remained till date. I have grown up calling her that! I grew up under her nose and she is – still is – extremely possessive about me. It’s so much fun to have such an amazing lady around in your formative years.
Anyways so coming to the prompt, here is my 100 word story on what my granny said.
What ‘Kauma’ Says?
“Are you oiling your hair? Are you tying your hair at night? What did you eat? Didn’t you eat fish? When are you coming back to Kolkata?”
“I will come and meet you soon, I will come in December”
“Are you oiling your hair?”
“Yes yes I am, now tell me how are you doing?”
“Here everything is fine, you are sounding different, did you catch a cold?”
“Yeah slight… here weather is like that”
“Go have the ‘kalmegh & chirotar jol’… you remember how I fed you that when you were little? It will keep you good from inside.”
———————————-
This is merely not fiction, this could be an excerpt from any of our conversation, as kids all of us were terrified of this medicine like water that she used to feed us. This Kalmegh & Chirota are some plant parts which she used to boil in water and make us have that early in the morning. It’s like some ayurvedic medicine that boosts immunity. It tasted like the bitterest of bitter thing that you can have – completely gross. We used to hate it but sometimes when I think back, she definitely helped my immunity and I had a life free of any disease apart from some common cough and cold! So I should thank the kalmegh & chirota and also my Kauma for having the patience to run after us till the end of the terrace to put that thing down the throat!!
11 comments
Loved reading about your memories of conversations with your grandmother. That concoction did sound awful alright. I don't blame you kids for dreading it.
http://cattitudeandgratitude.blogspot.ca/2014/08/twenty-five-years-already.html
Enjoyed reading about your memories…Grandmothers are really special…And they love us so much, don't they?
yeah it was awful but it finally was beneficial
Thanks Naba. They truly love us with their heart, some times more than your parents 🙂
Thanks for sharing about your Kaki. Loved the entire post Tina 🙂 Now, it makes me want to meet her 🙂 Best wishes!
Oh my goodness, what a lovely story/remembrance, Tina!
this was sweet..grannys are that way. Glad you got to live with your kakima!
Your Kauma is an amazing lady. Even at 97 she is so active. and as all grandmas, she recommends auyurved medicines.
Your Kauma deserves respect for being super active and strong at 97. I wonder whether I'll reach this age!!
Such an amazing lady and super strong at 97. I wonder whether I'll reach this age like ur Kauma:)
At 97 she must be an epitome of wisdom . It must be that- i- have- seen-it-all-stage-of-life, where all you have is love and that too in abundance to give away. Nice take on the prompt.