Three decades ago, when she was born, her grandmother (paternal) cried and mourned for 4 days. Nobody from the family came to see both mother and daughter. Newborn girl’s father was far away in a different city. The hospital expense that he sent, never reached his wife.
Both mother and daughter were left alone in the hospital without any food or water. Yes it was a government hospital with very fewer facilities in a small town. Can you imagine a woman who had just delivered a baby going hungry for days? She couldn’t walk properly but still managed to come home with her newborn baby in a rickshaw. The rickshaw guy was kind enough than her in-laws who made him wait for money for a long time…
Nobody spoke to mother daughter, nobody ever tried to pick up the newborn even when she was crying. Mother didn’t get any rest and started doing household chores while holding her newborn daughter in arms. She kept her baby near, be it while washing clothes or cooking food. Everyone in the house made fun of her and told her you are spoiling your baby.
One evening, the mother was working in kitchen and she thought she heard her baby cry. She went in the room where she had put down her asleep daughter. To her shock she couldn’t find her there. The grandmother and her friend were sitting on the heavy quilt, that they had spread on the bed themselves. When the mother enquired about the baby, they said they don’t know. The mother was outraged and she told them the baby was on the bed and she asked them to move immediately. They didn’t budge from their place saying look elsewhere.
It is true that seemingly meek mothers become tigress when their offspring is in danger. She gathered all her strength and pushed the two women aside and moved the quilt. Her daughter was struggling for breath and colorless. She picked her up immediately and took her in open air. Later grandmother came and said she didn’t see the girl sleeping on bed and was laughing over her action. No remorse, no apology. How could they not see a baby sleeping on bed? How could they not hear the cries?
This happened with me and my mother. I don’t have a single memory of my grandparents(paternal) or paternal relatives (siblings of my father) showering their affections on either me or my sister. Believe me, I’m not dying for their love, but who were they to decide our fate? Thanks to my mother’s efforts, I’m alive and living my life happily.
The sad thing is still they think education ruined us. They still want to torture my mother. But they have forgotten one thing,” She is not alone.”
I was quick enough to act but I hate you for that and many other reasons. You wouldn’t even allow me to give your 3-year-old some fruit but you give my 1-year-old all junk food without checking with me. You taunt me for not taking munchkin to a movie theater. I have no issues with you taking your child to cinema, but our decision is not to take munchkin to movies till certain age and later we would pick out only age appropriate movies. It is our family’s choice. Why the hell do you think you have a say in this matter. We put munchkin to bed around 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, because she gets sleepy and cranky afterwards. Due to this we schedule our outside chores in day time and we selectively attend functions/parties in evenings which are important. I don’t like to bring a screaming or fit throwing child to a function. Those who are close to us, respects our choice and we plan our get-together around wake timings of our children. Why do you think you have a say as to we are too “Americanized” in your way, as we let our children sleep when they are tired. You do whatever suits your family, but please don’t make such remarks when we happen to cross our paths in some gatherings. You see, it gets very hard for me to control myself from saying harsh things. You leave no stone unturned in proving me a bad mother as per your expectations. Haven’t you heard lady that people/families are different. You ask me why we don’t spend much time together ? The reason is very simple, spending even 5 minutes with you is emotionally taxing on me. I cannot take more than 5 minutes with you.
