“What
happened, my dear?” I looked up at my mother’s face. I was shivering. “I …I saw a bad dream” I stammered. Mother
switched off the light and lied down close to me, the 17 year old. “Didn’t you say your prayer?” mother asked. Yes,
I had forgotten. Mother had taught it to me when I was young. Then I used to
believe that bad dreams come only when mother wasn’t close to me.
Gradually
my fear faded away. I recalled what happened that day. I was woken up by mother
in the morning. There was hardly ten minutes for my school-bus to arrive. All
my siblings who had woke up earlier left soon. I was furious and yelled at
mother. Disappointed, I returned to bed quietly crying thinking that mother
cared only for my siblings. But, minutes later mother came to me saying that
she has arranged a taxi. I dressed up grumpily. While leaving, mother followed
me till the gate with my youngest sister in one arm and my lunchbox in her
other hand, but I refused to take it and snapped at her.
In school, when my friend asked, “why didn’t
you bring your mother’s puri?” I could only stare speechless at the sandwich I
had bought from the school canteen. My mother’s was the tastiest food, it was
flavored with love. The whole morning she had spent cooking. Her affection for
her seven children had cast away her sleep. She had realized that I was
sleeping only after she finished cooking. I was filled with regret.
When
I returned from school she was at the door smiling. I felt relieved. Had she forgotten
everything? After a hearty lunch I retired for my siesta. When I woke up at
four, mother kindly asked me to prepare the dinner and left for an important
meeting. After she left I enjoyed five hours continuously. Mother had returned
by the time I entered kitchen. She quietly started preparing dinner. Her
silence disturbed me. I just wished she scolded me.
Suddenly
I woke up from my thoughts. My mother’s fingers were moving softly through my
hair. I wanted to ask forgiveness. I twisted restlessly. “Again a bad dream?”
my mother’s voice broke the silence. I couldn’t speak. I just hugged her and
slowly fell into the world of good dreams.
