A Grandson's Story

[chevy]

all ready posted under the contest thread... i still wanted it posted in a thread seperately ...

so there it goes..

[chevy]

A Grandson’s Story

Even today at the age of 42, my childhood days are still fresh in my mind.
My father was an x-ray analyst in a chemical factory, which was located far away from the town. As I was the eldest son, my parents wanted me to be educated in a reputed school for which they decided to send me to the town. Being a good student ,the thought of good education delighted me ,but the thought of leaving behind my dear parents and siblings made me upset . What worried me more, was that my parents were going to put me in an English medium school .
Till class 5, I had been educated in Tamil , a sudden change would definitely affect my academic performance .By the time ,I could even ponder over this thought, I was put into the English school in the town .
My maternal grandmother lived in the town and I was to be brought up in her house till the end of my education. My grandmother, a widow even before I was born, was weak and I was expected not to trouble her. Since the day I had been put under her custody ,my childhood was quite uneventful but was charged with emotions ,the determination to achieve my ambitions and overcome challenges.
My first day at the English school depressed me. My parents came to drop me on the first day. They left me in school and I found my way to the class 5 building .I stood by the entrance to my class till the teacher noticed me. "Come in", he called .I didn’t understand him and the class roared with laughter .He translated the same in Tamil . The whole day I sat listening to the foreign language perceiving nothing what the teacher taught . My first few days were miserable .For many years I remained unproductive and valueless in my class and unsuccessful in academics .My persistent moans and pleadings to my parents to put me back in my old school, all ended in futility. For a good student, it is quite intolerable to do unsatisfactorily in school.
Life without my parents and my sisters was delinquent of exuberant charm and merriness. The town, new school, and life with my grandmother was much different .My new school exposed me as a weak student and I was determined to corroborate the contradiction.
Since this time, the rest of my childhood days were immersed in studies and hard work .The company of grandmother was filled with motherly affection but the communication between us was not much.
My grandmother would ask me everyday if I was studying well. Before every examination I would take her blessings in the customary way by paying obeisance and after I returned she would ask me how I had done the paper .Every morning she would grind rice on the traditional stone to make idli batter with which she would make fresh idlis for me. There was no grinder or mixer then. Anything that had to be ground or crushed had to be done so on a heavy , flat slab of stone . Till a few days before her death , she did this . For her age, it was noteworthy to do such tedious and tiresome work.
Our relationship was not in words or deeds , I was always into my studies and she would carry on with her mundane life . She was never there to help me in studies or even chat with me once in a while .Perhaps ,I assumed , she thought I had to concentrate in my work and the fact that she did not help me in my studies was simply because she couldn’t .
Sometimes I would stay awake late in the night to study for some forthcoming test assuming that she had gone to sleep .Surprisingly she would be sitting in the veranda with some book of ancient Tamil scriptures ,reading .Upon asking why she hadn’t yet gone to bed , she would say , ‘ Just incase you are sleepy and you want something to drink or eat’ . I had told several times to not to bother about me , but never had she gone by my request . ‘ I cannot help you in your studies , at least let me do this ’, She would say.
I continued to live with my grandmother even after schools and colleges came up in the place were my parents lived .By this time ,I had conquered the language of English and could now speak fluently and write easily without much effort . I registered myself in a local college for a Bachelor of Commerce degree which was affiliated to a state level university .To write the final exams I had to go to the examination center which was in another town. Just a few days before the finals , my grandmother became sick with mild fever . I left my town a day before the exams . The fever still persisted .I left the town fearing I would never see her again .
I did my exams brilliantly , or at least I thought I did . Immediately after finishing the exams ,I packed and traveled back to my town . My parents and my sisters and some of my other relatives were all present in the house. In the midst of all the people, my grandmother was lying on a mattress. Everyone wore a grave and poignant expression .
She was breathing her last few hours .On seeing me , my sister ran to tell her that I had come . With a slight gesture, my grandmother summoned me to her side .I went, sat next to her and took her hand in mine .Her eyes were opened only slightly. She said in a coarse and weak voice ,‘I knew you had come even before she told me . I had been waiting and struggling to carry on breathing only to see you .’ She closed her eyes and lay holding my hand . I didn’t know what to say .I didn’t know how to react. There was a silent communion amongst all our family members which we did not want to break with words .The whole house was prospering in deafening silence .Her head dropped slightly and we knew she was dead .
After the funeral , I was at home waiting for the results and learning some poignant and touching facts . A few days before her death my grandmother had been in very poor health ,much weaker than when I had left .A local doctor had told the family members that her pulse was slowly but steadily decreasing and that she would die soon .This fact was hidden from me so that it would not disturb me emotionally during the final exams .Five days before I came she was bedridden and couldn’t talk much .All she would ask is when I would arrive . She had raised me since I was about ten years .I was as good as one of her own children .Most of the time her eyes were closed and she lay breathing softly and probably waiting for me .My sister told me that in her last days she spoke little ,that too, only about me and about my arrival .When I came, she had opened her eyes and spoken for the first time in two days .She was probably waiting to see me desperately before she died .She probably wanted to see ‘her’ grandson .
I felt slightly guilty. She had been holding on to the sharp edge of life all for me ?The doctor was convinced her death was not very far .She had been struggling to stay alive just to see me, when she could have peacefully died in her sleep. I had always liked my grandmother though I hadn’t expressed it often.
There was still a lot of time for the results to be announced .I whiled away time in memories of her. Could a person actually hold on to life with the strength of mind to see their much loved ones? Even when death was lurking deeper into bodies, could they clutch onto their souls to keep them alive for a few days? It sounded too profound to me .I decided not to ponder over this thought too much .
A few months later , the results were announced .I had secured first rank in the university . The atmosphere in my house was as ebullient and joyous as on Diwali . In the midst of all the ecstasy and delight, I wondered how it would been if my grandmother was still alive . She would have died with the satisfaction that she had raised me well. I envisioned the innocent expression of happiness and a profound smile on her face filled with sheer joy and contentment.
Later on I did CA and passed with an all India rank .Even today I think of my childhood , my mind is filled with memories of my grandmother .Even today I wish she was alive .I wish she had seen my success and cherished it in her deepest reminiscences .

[bingleguy]

Chevy

neenga seyya pora padaippu .....
whether tis So many stories in a stipulated amount of time ???????????
or
So many threads with story concepts

[chevy]

Chevy

neenga seyya pora padaippu .....
whether tis So many stories in a stipulated amount of time ???????????
or
So many threads with story concepts

i wrote the grandson's story days ago ...
spider man on 29 c .. i just finished a few mins ago. .

this is chennai after all .. i write it now and then .. .

is that all right ?

[crazy]

beautiful story

sorry chevy, u know, i had exam the whole month.........wasnt able to read ur story at once

[chevy]

beautiful story

sorry chevy, u know, i had exam the whole month.........wasnt able to read ur story at once

thanks ya .

[Querida]

hey remember that ranting email about me feeling sorry for myself that i don't have time and so on and so forth...well i gave in my last assignment and decided to stay true to my word....ok well now i hope that i always get an honest opinion from you yeh? so i'll tell you that i liked chennai better than this one....i understand the pathos...but it didn't reach me...maybe cause i can't relate....i never had such a relationship with my grandma...i saw her only twice....she did raise her grandsons...but me i was like that foreign grand daughter....oh she loved me but it was like matronly love....

maybe if this were a longer story in which the relationship was more drawn out....it seemed like a side episode.....especially the time frame is quite passe and fleeting...anyways all things to keep in mind when writing, i mean no harm to your feelings...just some pointers to keep you on your way...good luck

[chevy]

hey remember that ranting email about me feeling sorry for myself that i don't have time and so on and so forth...well i gave in my last assignment and decided to stay true to my word....ok well now i hope that i always get an honest opinion from you yeh? so i'll tell you that i liked chennai better than this one....i understand the pathos...but it didn't reach me...maybe cause i can't relate....i never had such a relationship with my grandma...i saw her only twice....she did raise her grandsons...but me i was like that foreign grand daughter....oh she loved me but it was like matronly love....

maybe if this were a longer story in which the relationship was more drawn out....it seemed like a side episode.....especially the time frame is quite passe and fleeting...anyways all things to keep in mind when writing, i mean no harm to your feelings...just some pointers to keep you on your way...good luck

i dint understand ... querida..

thanks for ur honest opinion anyway ... it wasn't a story actually .. its an anecdote. . of a real person..i wrote it from their point of view , i guess it didn't make the mark ... By the way the story isn't in Chennai ( hope u noticed that..)

i always look forward to some people's views and Querida, you are def. one of them... was thrilled to read your views.... Thanks for spending time to read my bauble ..

[Querida]

Hey Chevy

well i didn't want to hurt your feelings cause not everyone wants to hear an honest opinion..oh and i meant i liked your story about chennai (your longer one) than this one

[lovedeva_pj]

thanks for that story fanyastic