Prapti Katuwal
Lying on my bed I was just thinking about my grandmother (Aama). All of a sudden wind started to blow into my room. All those memories of past flashed back in my eyes within a sec. And, there was a deep emotion in my heart. Promptly, I took out my diary and pen from my bag. And I started to express all those emotions in the diary.
We shifted to the city leaving our grandmother in the village. From that date till now, from our shrunk family, no one ever tried to call grandmother. Maybe they were too busy and so they forgot about their mother, the one who gave birth to them. The one who made them able to stand on their own. It has been 10 years I haven’t seen or met my grandmother. Neither my dad had ever called her nor had I received any call from my grandmother. Only, I have some beautiful memories with my Ama which I would cherish for life time.
There is always one question stuck in my mind: Why does my dad never try to call my grandmother? She may feel lonely. She may think and worry about us. She may want us to be with her.
I want to visit my grandmother, hug her and say: ‘How badly I miss u, Aama!’ But, I couldn’t due to some restrictions made by my dad. Every grandparent wants their children to be with them at old age and enjoy their rest of the life. At old age grandmother needs more love, care and affection from son, daughter and grandchildren.
But my Aama is alone at home, may be waiting someday her children will come to meet her.
I feel bad about my father. How could he expect the same thing from us when he himself has left her mother alone?
I burst into tears writing this. Indeed, my hands are shaking.
What a bizarre world this is! The one who gives birth to us, tolerates all those pain for nine months, loving selflessly beyond our imagination is neglected at last! Today, when we are young and it’s time for us to return back all those love, care and warmth to our mother. But why are we breaking our relationship with them just for the sake of money, bright future and so-called happiness! Is this what they deserve at this old age? Slowly and gradually grandmother may be feeling restless, weak and hopeless. She may be losing her eyesight. She may be losing her memory.
Grandmother, simply, the words are not enough to explain all those sacrifices you have made for your children. Yesterday, I found your old photos and observed them closely. I found that your eyes have so much resemblance with mine. I wish I could inherit more of your qualities. Hopefully, someday I will come to meet you with your sons and make them realize how helpless you were in the past years. It will be respect to all the grandmothers who make the world more gentle, more tolerant, and more safe for their children. Never doubt your importance. My salute to all those grandmothers.
Grandparents are a blessing which not everyone is lucky enough to have. We should value and respect them for all they have done for us and our parents. We should never forget the sacrifices of our grandparents. A person I would always remember is my grandmother, because she was an amazing person I have ever known.
[Prapti is a student of grade 11 at Koshi Saint James Secondary School, Itahari.]