Acchappam- An Old friend

A Story by Shweta

Amma brought "acchappam" for her. Acchappam is a native snack. It's sweet and looks like a small merry go round in hand.
Mol exclaimed and she sang "Amma made acchapam for me, amma made acchapam for me.." Her mother gave her a restrained smile.

She asked Ammachi, "Ammachi, you ate?"

Ammachi stayed in the neighborhood with her daughter. She was 87, who could not come to terms with her lately developed clingy oldage issues. For others she was physically strong and doing good in her ripe oldage. A real tough bird. But for her she was not satisfied with life in general with all the changes in her system. She visited them now and then. Apart from having tea which she loved there, she also loved to lament about her five wayward children and twelve more wayward grandchildren. She had spent almost all her life in her native place. She was like some native shrub in her prime old age plucked mercilessly and made to establish its roots in a foreign land with excess water and fertilizer, but love. She crooned about her children, grandchildren, native place and back again about her children and grandchildren and native place. The small gestures of love and empathy which she should be getting many times over from her children and grandchildren, she found it in this house.

She said, "Had chai Mole. Could not have anything much these days. It gives me a burning sensation."

It dawned on her again. These sensations, these issues would come up once even I am old. "Kanna!!" She called out in her head. (Kanna was Lord Krishna's common name.) She thought, "it's inevitable. How can that be made better..?

© 2019 Shweta

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emmajoy

Gently written in finely laid English but with distinct touches of national phrasing -a strong sense of where the tale is taking place. Quite a few extra clues included which is charmingly instructive. Addes to that is the oldage lady's discomfort that obviously worried her.. But, then, prayer and thought helped her feel better about the way she felt, the ways she looked.. life was good. Reading a second time, i wonder: is 'acchappam' something an elderly lady should eat?