PATTIAMMA VANDACHA ? HAS THE GRANDMOTHER COME? PATTIAMMAAAA VANDACHA? Is a usual question asked among the ladies in my colony, after the children are off to school and after the husbands are sent to office. Last year when I came here to this new quarter, in Sulur, which was allotted to my husband, I was indeed bubbling with enthusiasm, seeing the number of trees…mango ,neem etc around our new quarter. Within a few days itself, I was unhappy as the trees, though gave good breeze, oxygen, cool shade, mangoes etc , it also had increased my work by leaps and bounds. Every morning I was welcomed by a small carpet of yellow neem leaves in the veranda and garage. One morning as I opened the door I saw a very old lady, totally bent over, around 80 plus , entering into the colony, hands tied behind as she walked like a question mark, jerking her neck to and fro …JINCKETY…… JINCKETY….JINK….JINKKKKK….. I, without her noticing me, closed the door thinking her to be a mad lady, as she looked like one, so shabbily dressed, she wore a green saree in a haphazard way, a purple blouse totally loose, a mismatched one indeed, had another cloth tied around her waist and a scarf on her head. From the window I noticed that she walked straight into the colony as though she knew the place so well. I discussed the matter of my work with my neighbour and she said, “Don’t worry. One lady is there, she will come to you, she had been out for some days and has come back now. She will see your door opened and she will come to you herself.” Oh! That news was a great relief for me. After an hour or so I heard a very peculiar sound outside my house. I was scared. I peeped out of my window, the sound was repeated,” Ammmooo! Ammmooo!” I was relieved when I caught sight of my neighbour. I slowly opened the door . “ Didn’t I say about a lady….. see pattiamma has come to meet you.” WHAT A SIGHT! I WAS SHOCKED AND SPEECHLESS I pitied old age, if this is what old age is about! “Didn’t I say she will come to meet you? She is the one who will do the cleaning.” “WHAAATTTT? SHEEEEEEEE? OLD LADY? NO NO NO I can’t make her do this. No, not at all. I prefer doing it myself.” She was the same lady I saw this morning. Poor soul! “You just see her do, she does it well”. Said my experienced neighbour. Seeing me shake my head and probably by studying my expressions she could guess that I didn’t want her to do my work. She immediately said in her local Tamil accent, “ What do you think about me? Do you think I can’t work, you ask all of them I do my work perfectly, you first see my work and then decide.” Saying this she took her permanent tool, the broom , lying under the tree as an experienced craftsman started doing her work, to impress the interview board or the new employer. Then my neighbour said, “She does this for food. You give her something to eat and that will do.’’ I really sympathized with her and told my neighbour, that, I could afford to give her food even without her working for me. She smiled and then said, ”Just try.” I called out, “Pattiamma, come I will give you something to eat, come sit here.” She threw her tool down angrily and said, “I don’t want food without doing any work.” My neighbour smiled and said, “That is her policy.” OH MY ! I WONDERED HOW I WISH SOME WHO IDLED AWAY THEIR TIME HAD THIS FEELING. SO MUCH OF SELF RESPECT, SO FULL OF DIGNITY, EVEN AT THIS AGE , EVEN IN THIS STATE….. I MUST RESPECT HER VIEWS, I THOUGHT, AND AGREED TO ALL WHAT MY NEIGHBOUR SUGGESTED TO BE GIVEN … TEA, WATER, FOOD, AND SOME MONEY ONCE IN A WHILE … After almost an hour, I heard the familiar voice, “AMMMMMOOOO”. I rushed out and saw how skillful she was. Spic and span it looked. She had even picked all the unwanted grass, weeds and stones. And trying to straighten herself she proudly said praising herself, “Pathacha? Epidi irku? (See, how does it look?). Though unwillingly ,keeping her age in mind I had to agree to allow her to start her new job. I smiled and appreciated her work. She kept an old mineral water empty bottle and asked for water. Pat came her second order, “Tea kuddu.” (GIVE TEA.) Her work was done and now it was my turn. I went inside and came back with a big mug of tea, seven idlies and some sambar and coconut chutney….and also gave her a fifty rupee note. She was very happy. She blessed me and said that I had a bigggggg hand, which means a hand that gives. She sat there, chatted for some time and said that she had to leave, as lot of work was pending as she had to go to other houses too. The next week she came to my house again, and said that she would collect the garbage from my house ….quite unwillingly….respecting her views …I agreed again. She did all this just not to be a burden on her sons and grandsons. Each time she came she would narrate a story of hers and I would give the poor soul an ear . Once she said, it was too cold and I very happily gave my blanket to her and I was astonished she worked extra that day, though, I told her not to do, her reply was, “I DON’T WANT ANYTHING FOR NOTHING.” It took me some time to understand her . “She prefers black tea .” Said my neighbour one day. Water, food and black tea…. was all what she wanted from us, for the work she did . I started giving a small amount monthly and once in a while a ten or a twenty rupee note…apart from the regular food . She did her work on rotation so that she got food everyday from the residents of the colony. The whole day this poor soul would clean the lawns and surroundings and collect neem seeds, empty bottles from the garbage, cardboard boxes, and twigs and keep it under a neem tree behind our house. This place was her resting place. She would pile her wealth there and when she would have enough (JUNK - for us, and for her MONEY) her grandson would come and take all away. Then next day again she would start from scratch and store for her grandson’s next trip. A RAGPICKER AND A SWEEPER AT THIS AGE ………! She would sit near the garbage bin and collect her wealth .. so eagerly ,so carefully she would untie the dirty filthy bundle….just as a small child would open the wrapper of a melting chocolate.. and pile it neatly under her favourite spot…the neem tree. Every evening as the office goers come back into the colony she goes out with a small pile of twigs in her hand tied to a bundle . Her movement was always the same. JINCKETY… JINCKETY….JING… JING…She would move with her head to and fro with her hands tied behind. Once I asked her ,”Why do you do this at this age? Why don’t you sit at home?” Pat came her reply, “If I sit at home will I get this honour?” WHAT A POSITIVE THOUGHT! “One meal with you, one meal with Kalyani, one meal with Jayanti. Rasam rice from Kanti, Puri from sandya, idli dosa chappati ,payasam , I get everything from you all….food… clothes…everything… This colony is my life. I will come here everyday.” After saying this she jerked her head and drops of tears came down her wrinkled face as a stream comes down searching its path on a stony slope. Adjusting her scarf on her head she said, “I DON’T WANT TO BE A BURDEN ON MY GRANDCHILDREN.” Stressing the same again she said, “ONE MUST NEVER BE A BURDEN ON OTHERS. WHATEVER POSSIBLE… ONE MUST DO, ONLY THEN THERE WILL BE RESPECT.EMMM? SEE ,IF YOU CARE FOR OTHERS YOU WILL GET BACK THE SAME AND IF YOU HATE OTHERS YOUR LIFE WILL BECOME MORE MISERABLE. SO ISN‘T IT BETTER TO CARE? IT IS EASY TO CREATE PROBLEMS IN OUR LIFE, BUT LIFE BECOMES MEANINGFUL ONLY IF WE MAKE SMALL SACRIFICES, LIFE IS TOO SHORT, ….BUT…..BUT…. NOT MINE I DON’T KNOW WHY? HA HA HA.” She laughed. Then remembering the past…. probably the days when her husband was alive, she shed a few drops of tears. I noticed it but said nothing, then soon to change her mood I asked her, “Shall I take a photo of yours?” “OOOOH,” She smiled enthusiastically. I ran and brought my digital camera, by that time she removed her scarf and tidied her hair, she was so happy. “Wait, wait, let me adjust my ‘CHATTA (blouse)” She posed and posed bubbling like a small little girl. I felt happy that I could give few moments of happiness to this poor soul. I immediately showed her the pictures I took, “Pattiamma par.” (Grandma see) “Emmmemmmm nalllllllaaa irikkka, ivollo seekarama?’’(emm nice na, so soon eh.”) “Our days it was not so it took a long time.” Then she sat and she went down the memory lane, “When I was a small girl. So small … “She showed it by adjusting her hand. “I got married and then on I started garbage picking with my husband ….. and …. and it still continues. Then she said, “Give me some soap, I will have my bath and come, then you take my photo again, I will look better.” I gave her a bathing soap, she took it happily in her hand and placed it near her nose and, her expression showed that she liked the smell. Whenever we gave her something extra to eat, pat would come her reply, “NO, YOU MUST NOT OVER EAT, THERE MUST BE SOME SPACE LEFT. IF I OVEREAT I CANNOT WORK AND IF I WON’T WORK I WILL NOT GET FOOD TO EAT…..”. And shaking her head JINCKETY ……JING she would ask me, “PURINJACHA?” (DID YOU UNDERSTAND?) Though she has not gone for any formal education, there is so much to learn from her. HER NAME IS ‘ LAKSHMI ’…. GODDESS OF WEALTH, …. QUITE CONTRARY TO HER NAME…. WEALTH WAS MILES AND MILES AWAY FROM HER …..BUT FOR ME SHE IS TWO IN ONE …. LAKSHMI…. GODDESS OF WEALTH …. PLUS ….. SARASWATI …. GODDESS OF KNOWLEDGE …… SHE HAS A WEALTH OF, LESSONS OF LIFE AND ABUNDANCE OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE …WHICH REALLY LACKED IN MANY PEOPLE …..INSPITE OF THEIR WEALTH AND DEGREES. The moment we hear the sound ‘CHRING ,…CHRING’, we ladies come out of our houses and ask , “PATTIAMMA VANDACHA?” Pattiamma is a part of most of the families in the colony, though we have no blood relation still she is so dear to all of us. We purchased a new saree for pattiamma . I gave it to her after getting the edges stitched . She was so elated and her joy dropped out of her eyes as tears. My small deed of stitching the edges gave her so much happiness that I can’t express in words here. I also gave her the snap that I had taken…..after neatly pasting it over a self made photo frame. She was shaking her head to and fro with happiness. Blessings for my family poured out of her. There are so many around us like our PATTIAMMA. Ask yourself, “This festival or this birthday or this wedding anniversary how much money did I spent on sweets, clothes, cakes ,crackers parties etc?” Also ask yourself another question, “How much did I spent to make a needy happy?” So give a thought , make a needy happy at least next festive season. There is no dearth of festive seasons in our beautiful country, there are umpteen! Well ! should you wait for an occasion ! No! The day you do something good will itself be a festive occasion for you and the person you give. And just see ,how happy you will be. Such happiness cannot be expressed in words. Do small good deeds in your own small way. DEAR ALL…..Thank you dear ones for reading this story written by me a few months back….the photos that you see here is our PATTIAMMA’S……it was written to be published to create awareness among the masses for the needy , the poor and the elderly .and also to spread the message that I learnt from her.It’s a co incidence that I got a platform to publish this work of mine in the social media…I AM INDEED THANKFUL TO THE HINDU AND BIRKBECK COLLEGE (UNIVERSITY OF LONDON) AND THE CENTRE FOR LAW POLICY AND HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES,CHENNAI FOR CONDUCTING THIS NATIONAL PHOTO COMPETITION, “THE WORKING ELDERLY.” LET US ALL JOIN OUR HANDS WITH THE ORGANISERS TO SPREAD THE WORD AND TURN THIS COMPETITION INTO A PEOPLE’S RESEARCH PROJECT . KINDLY LIKE THE PHOTOS OR SHARE IT……….THANK YOU DEAR ONES. respect.emmm/ respect.emmm
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:04:11 +0000
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