True Story ( well almost !!)

It was a cold October and my tonsillitis was at an all time high. I was ridden to bed and my working mother had to take leave. Such was the severity.

The day started the usual way. A heated argument with my mother. Only, from my part it was all by groping and 'mmm' s because my tonsils prevented the other way of argument. My mother generally a very patient person had to resort to loud words. It was the medicine.....yes it was. The point is it pains like hell to drink or eat anything and the pain doesn't subside till I drink the medicine. I had blurted it out and spoiled her new bedspread. She said if I strained to get it past my tonsils then there would be no problem. That was the problem! And the medicine was a horrid combination of sour, bitter and all the bad tastes you can think of. She had frowned her face in implorement.

Now however she has gone down to prepare my food.A light milk based liquid.I still have my own doubts as to the supposed fate of it and the actual that is going to be.Without any luck in my attempts to sleep I have resorted to observing the room and the small activity going on outside the window beside my bed.Recently a team has started the flooring of the newly constructed house beside ours.I can unoccasionally hear the sounds of grilling , drilling, and what not.I looked out at the unusually non-existent activity. My mother had made the workers' acquaintance and I too knew a few of them. Among them a boy , probably three , had caught my attention.

Now I searched in vain for him. Just a few minutes later however just as I was beginning to doze off, I heard him. He was calling with all his eagerness to his mother.
“Amma, Amma!” he called.
I couldn’t yet see him but his voice sounded excited.Only a little while later he came out into the open and I could see him. He was still searching for his mother holding a small pup he himself had apparently caught.

Caressing the back of the dog, he ambled all through the half constructed house. He had walked all round the house atleast twice and all the while holding his pup. At first he thought his mother was playing a game of hide and seek with him. He laughed about it innocently and sometimes turned back quickly to catch his mother sneaking away. He peeped twice into all rooms and checked the basement. He reached the top and called out again “Amma “loudly.
No answer.He ran back downstairs.

He was beginning to show a little fright as he descended. He could not show his pup to his mother. He lost his smile soon after it got a little dark outside. And his pup too a, little later.

His calling for his mother had not stopped and yet it was noticeably getting feebler and accompanied at first by sniffs and a little later by tears. I felt my heart go out to him but in vain. I could not call out. I could do nothing.

He sat on a small mound of stones curled up and started crying. It was with a lot of difficulty that I watched him there. It seemed like an eternity.

It was when he just stopped crying for a bit that I took notice. I looked out of the window again and I could notice a thin woman appear in the corner and the small boy’s eyes fixed upon her. The woman had noticed him. It seemed like she was checking some change in her hand and had another packet in her other hand.

I got only a blurred vision of him running towards her and finally upon reaching her, hugging her. The woman noticed him only now. The boy was crying the loudest now and saying a few things to his mother in innocent anger.

Just then the door of my room opened and a lady with a tray laden with hot soups and soft rice appeared. She placed them on a stool beside my bed. “Amma “ I said slowly. She turned towards me suddenly and looking into my eyes asked “ Are you crying?”. She came nearer and placed her hand upon my forehead to check my fever. I kissed her on the cheek as she bent down and said in a voice permitted by my tonsils “Amma, I love you. “