I last saw my mother four years ago, in July of 2017. In her house, she hung an outdated calendar with a picture of a lovely young woman. On telling me that she kept the calendar because the girl on it reminded her of me, I threw it out and sent her a canvas print … Continue reading If You See my Mother, Please Show her This Picture
Tag: comfort
A Moment Inside Coronavirus Grief: Guilt, Courage, and Hope
The nurse caught Coronavirus at work. She got a false-negative test result the first time and celebrated that she did not need to think of death and dying. But when the cold worsened, she got tested again and self-isolated as a precaution. It was, however, too late. Her mother died a week later, was posthumously … Continue reading A Moment Inside Coronavirus Grief: Guilt, Courage, and Hope
Air-hugs? Yeah, you gave a few today
“Air huuuug!” said a friend walking gleefully towards my 5-year-old at the start of social distancing rules. “No!” he said emphatically. “The government said no hugs because of the virus!”. We looked at each other wondering where he had learnt that from. He had found the virus at school the previous day. It was ‘just … Continue reading Air-hugs? Yeah, you gave a few today
a view from two hills
Villagers around a water-hole sunk into a dried-out river bed A villager in the city, I was born and raised at the foot of Kutha Hill, right where the stony creek and the river meet. The rocky river- bank oozes grey powdery salt, a lot like dried-out tears for the cattle to lick. This salt … Continue reading a view from two hills