This is going to be hard but I'll try.
I had lived in that house from Oct. 1933 to May '44. (My recent visit of 2006)
The rooms were all still there and the room in front of which they placed a chair for me to sit for a cup of tea is the one I am going to talk about.
This is a large room where there were a lot of big suitecases and trunks stored. It leads to the stairs to go up where we had another large room used by the family as sleeping quarters. I will not talk about other rooms or places though there are a lot of things I could recall about every door and place in our old house, my very first home.
Most of the children born were kept in this room downstairs for the health and well-being of the new baby and new mother. I am sure I must have opened my eyes into this world in that room (All were home deliveries by the experienced hands of a midwife whose name I remember as "Rukmani Bai"). With my back to the door to this room I was looking at the "kitchen". where I used to go summoned by my older sister who would offer me something to eat when my mother would not offer me anything other than the "okra" (Bhindi) cooked for everybody else.
"God has made all these vegetables for us to eat why dont you eat?, my mother was harsh with me on such occasions. Strange as it may sound now that is one of my favorite veget. dish.
My older sisters were not the only ones who "mothered" me. It is a long story but I have to tell briefly, here before going further.
Between Feb. and May of '44, I was left alone in the house along with my older brother, his wife and kids (Just a couple of years younger than me was his oldest daughter and I played with my niece and nephew). Let me call him "caretaker" a person who was given my charge by my mother so that I was properly fed and looked after during these months. He took real good care of me no doubt. He will see to it I ate well, went to school in time and got back from playgrounds in time etc. He would make sure I get a proper bath (I was 10 years old and insisted I can take my bath but he would give me bath anyway. He would come to the playgrounds if I got late and get hold of my ear to punish for not coming back in time.
Make no mistake, he loved me very much indeed. He would then also make sure I drink milk after I got back but he was apprehensive in case other children or my sister-in-law would see that I was being given milk (while other children were not). So he would ask me to come into that room and in one corner give me the"katora" (a small bowl, we had not yet started the use of glasses, I guess) half full of milk cold and containing some "malai" (not my liking at all) He would put some sugar and with his forefinger dissolve it (teaspoons were not available and moreover the finger is handy and readily available to do the job) and would offer me lovingly. I did not care for that milk much (I still dont) but had to gulp it down to make him happy. He was only trying to make sure I will appear "healthy" when I get to my mother after 4 months. Did my mother give him instructions how to look after me? I was to find later that it was totally his philosophy of love especially for all the children of his "Bhabi" (that is how he addressed my mother. May Allah bless his soul and award him (Kakkaji, that is how we all addressed him) Paradise.
It is remarkable how much I could remember of my first 10 years of life in that home but I'll stop here I guess.
I had lived in that house from Oct. 1933 to May '44. (My recent visit of 2006)
The rooms were all still there and the room in front of which they placed a chair for me to sit for a cup of tea is the one I am going to talk about.
This is a large room where there were a lot of big suitecases and trunks stored. It leads to the stairs to go up where we had another large room used by the family as sleeping quarters. I will not talk about other rooms or places though there are a lot of things I could recall about every door and place in our old house, my very first home.
Most of the children born were kept in this room downstairs for the health and well-being of the new baby and new mother. I am sure I must have opened my eyes into this world in that room (All were home deliveries by the experienced hands of a midwife whose name I remember as "Rukmani Bai"). With my back to the door to this room I was looking at the "kitchen". where I used to go summoned by my older sister who would offer me something to eat when my mother would not offer me anything other than the "okra" (Bhindi) cooked for everybody else.
"God has made all these vegetables for us to eat why dont you eat?, my mother was harsh with me on such occasions. Strange as it may sound now that is one of my favorite veget. dish.
My older sisters were not the only ones who "mothered" me. It is a long story but I have to tell briefly, here before going further.
Between Feb. and May of '44, I was left alone in the house along with my older brother, his wife and kids (Just a couple of years younger than me was his oldest daughter and I played with my niece and nephew). Let me call him "caretaker" a person who was given my charge by my mother so that I was properly fed and looked after during these months. He took real good care of me no doubt. He will see to it I ate well, went to school in time and got back from playgrounds in time etc. He would make sure I get a proper bath (I was 10 years old and insisted I can take my bath but he would give me bath anyway. He would come to the playgrounds if I got late and get hold of my ear to punish for not coming back in time.
Make no mistake, he loved me very much indeed. He would then also make sure I drink milk after I got back but he was apprehensive in case other children or my sister-in-law would see that I was being given milk (while other children were not). So he would ask me to come into that room and in one corner give me the"katora" (a small bowl, we had not yet started the use of glasses, I guess) half full of milk cold and containing some "malai" (not my liking at all) He would put some sugar and with his forefinger dissolve it (teaspoons were not available and moreover the finger is handy and readily available to do the job) and would offer me lovingly. I did not care for that milk much (I still dont) but had to gulp it down to make him happy. He was only trying to make sure I will appear "healthy" when I get to my mother after 4 months. Did my mother give him instructions how to look after me? I was to find later that it was totally his philosophy of love especially for all the children of his "Bhabi" (that is how he addressed my mother. May Allah bless his soul and award him (Kakkaji, that is how we all addressed him) Paradise.
It is remarkable how much I could remember of my first 10 years of life in that home but I'll stop here I guess.
5 comments:
it IS remarkable how clear your long term memory is mashallah. i have to say, i don't think i remember that much about the house on stokes court... some, but not too much!
but the same thing happened to me with bhindi! when ammi used to make me eat it when i was little, i hated it, and once even threw up. now it is one of my favorites!
but already musa won't eat his green vegetables. and i can't really "tell" him to do it yet. we'll see inshallah...
Ah Kakkaji. I still remember how he put mehndi on my hand (and Imrana's). We were newly arrived from England, and hated the "mud" so we washed it off and he was upset with us, and put it back on. We kept it, muttering rebelliously. I guess he was shocked we were so un-desi.
My dearest Wahaj Uncle,
I just learned via an email from Ayesha that you have a blog. You have proven once again that you are one of the most inspiring, loving, thought-provoking, and coolest Uncles I know! InshAllah may Allah bless you with continued wisdom and wit!
abercrombie and fitch, ugg boots, mont blanc pens, rolex watches, hollister, insanity workout, soccer jerseys, jimmy choo shoes, mcm handbags, ferragamo shoes, chi flat iron, herve leger, uggs on sale, celine handbags, north face outlet, nike huarache, ugg outlet, ugg soldes, birkin bag, new balance outlet, lululemon outlet, p90x workout, wedding dresses, asics shoes, roshe run, canada goose outlet, longchamp, ugg, valentino shoes, vans outlet, marc jacobs outlet, bottega veneta, north face jackets, canada goose outlet, nfl jerseys, ghd, canada goose, mac cosmetics, babyliss pro, instyler ionic styler, uggs outlet, canada goose outlet, giuseppe zanotti, beats headphones, soccer shoes, nike trainers, reebok shoes
hollister clothing, air max, wedding dress, baseball bats, vans, pandora uk, ralph lauren, moncler, moncler outlet, juicy couture outlet, supra shoes, ray ban, swarovski jewelry, toms outlet, canada goose pas cher, timberland shoes, converse shoes, ugg, hollister canada, links of london uk, moncler, karen millen, moncler, hollister, nike air max, montre femme, canada goose uk, canada goose, uggs canada, converse, oakley, moncler, moncler, pandora jewelry, louis vuitton canada, coach outlet, pandora charms, juicy couture outlet, gucci, replica watches, moncler, parajumpers outlet, lancel, swarovski uk, iphone 6 case, louboutin, thomas sabo uk, canada goose
Post a Comment