How to love a woman

There is only one way to do it.

Today, after the gazillionth fight over the phone with my girl, I just got fed up;

The longer I kept arguing with her, the more I realised that I was just adding more petrol to the raging fire. 

When I hung up, four missed calls popped up, all from my mom in the last one hour that I was talking to my girl.

 

I called my mom, and told her about my girl, explaining why the line was busy the whole time.
I ranted,"Mom, women baffle me so much. They say one thing but mean another, want one thing, but they point at another. It is so damn confusing to figure out what do they want?"

She chuckled; it was music to my ears and would always bring a smile to my face even at the worst of times.
It felt so nice that I could make her smile, even though the joke is on me. 

 

"To begin with, she would appreciate it if you were a bit more sensitive to her emotional needs.
Make it a point to call her back promptly because she may not be as patient or as understanding as I am."

"Hehe, Yeah mom, you're right. But tell me, how do they expect us to treat them?"
She thought for a while, then she came the lecture as usual, but this time, whatever she said was unforgettable. 

 

"Treat her like your cousin, how you shared all your toys with her, you always wanted to see her dimpled smile and wouldn't mind sacrificing your costliest toy to get a glimpse of it.

Treat her like your aunt, see her as someone greater than myself. You call your aunt ‘Velliama’ (translated in Malayalam as ‘elder mother’) Let her be on a higher pedestal, let her feel special.  

Treat her like your sibling, whom you can tease, or play pranks with, but at the end of the day, let her feel reassured that you would never leave her side and that she could always lean on your shoulders.

Treat her like your grandma, to rest your head on her lap and listen to her stories patiently.
You never know, she would be just feeling lonely and looking for someone to have a conversation with. 

Last but not the least, look at her the way you look at me, worship the divinity in her because, someday she would become a mother like me and perhaps have the misfortune *Chuckles* to have a son like you."

 

"Mom, can you cut all this philosophical stuff and give me a straight answer." 

"No, I can't be more elaborate than this!"

"Ok, then you're not helping... Bye, and please send me some money, I am broke."

"Ask your dad, bye, love you."

"Yeah yeah". I hung up. 

 

It was good that we had this conversation over the phone, she didn't see the tears that slowly moistened my eyes; not because of what she said, because I missed her so badly and couldn't find words to express that.  

 

The End

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed the story.

Do Rate/Review/ Subscribe.

Thanks a lot and have a good day.

Reviews

[Delmar Cooper]

Thank you for sharing. Have you written this story only in this version? No mistake this is fine, very workmanlike. There may be other ways to tell the same tale, other ways that open different insights to the characters and the effect upon the reader. Just a thought.

[Ashwin Shanker]

Thank you for the review.

[Beautiful Intentions]

This is beautiful... And as a woman, I completely agree with the mother figure in this piece as her answer is really all it should take to make and keep another happy. Man or woman. All we crave is a little tender or playful attention, a little sharing and reassurance from those we love. Signs that we care and deeply so. Such much to love in this little story of yours, Ashan. The close to this piece was beautiful because of something that I had seen, something that you may not have intended to show, but the tears in his eyes in the missing of his mother... The irony... Of loving a woman enough to weep be they our mothers, our cousins, our aunts and grandmothers. Just the girl on the other end of the line. Beautifully executed. And so sincere.

[Ashwin Shanker]

Yes, often we struggle to find the words which can truly express our love for our mother. I used to write letters to her as a third person when I was a kid, and these days I am doing them through stories.

[Ashwin Shanker]

Yes, often we struggle to find the words which can truly express our love for our mother. I used to write letters to her as a third person when I was a kid, and these days I am doing them through stories.

[Jenny]

Just curious... Why'd you say "petrol to the raging fire," rather than the idiomatic expression? Did you just want to allude to it?

You had me hanging on to each word. I really enjoyed the narrator and his relationship with his mother.

And I noticed that some people said that they liked that it was a quick read, but I wanted more. I can't say exactly what I wanted more of though. But I felt like the ending was so abrupt and, for me, took away from the endearing dialogue that you created between the mother and son. I liked the emotion in the end but it was just too fatst for me.

Thank you for sharing! It's wonderful reading your work
J

[Ashwin Shanker]

It is just a form of use, that petrol one.

Well, a few of my friends have asked me to really push this forward to a novel, cause they liked the idea; I might work on that in the future.

I have a habit of ending abruptly, well, it's simply because I feel that all endings are abrupt in real life, don't you think so?
It's not like in the movies where the boy meets the girl, woos the girl and they live ever after. I am sure they will fight a lot, maybe cheat on one other, in life all endings are abrupt and I look to keep my stories as real as possible.

I always stress on making sure that the reader is hooked to my story. I am happy that you were. It is a wonderful compliment, thank you so much.

I do have longer stories, 'Behind Each Door' and 'Sweet Angel'. They are close to six pages long and even then people have told me that it is too short! Why don't you tell me what you feel about them?

Thanks :)

[Jenny]

All things in real life don't end abruptly. However, I do see what you mean. I just greedily want more. A book is a great idea.

I didn't read those two yet but I loved the ending in the story that you wrote about Anjali ("Unknown" i think). Is your last name the same as hers? The ending to that was badass I loved it!

I was going to say something else but I completely forgot it hahahaha I got distrated ;)

J

[Ashwin Shanker]

Try thinking what it was ... hahah..

[Jenny]

I will but that was weeks ago LOL

[D Connolly]

sigh... mom is a smart one. LOVE THIS

[Ashwin Shanker]

Thanks for the review Conolly :)

[D Connolly]

I had to come back and add this to my favorites, because I liked it so much and there's so much wisdom here coming from mama

[Surabhi Kaushik]

Fabulous Ashan! Such a lot of stuff packed in a real quick read. Awesome. I enjoyed the simplicity of the language and the depth of the message. I think they were both juxtaposed in a very fine style of writing. I admire the fact that you kept it so short and yet very complete. Congratulations!

[Ashwin Shanker]

I felt that the length is enough to complete the message and say it effectively. Glad to know that you have loved it. Thank you for the review Surabhi.

[Tabby Mac]

I love the way this is written! It's like a peek into life. I especially loved the wise words delivered by the mother although the son sounds like he still didn't quite understand in the end. I think he did. He just doesn't know how to put the wise words into action.
Wise women with words like these are hard to come by now a days in my country. I long to be as wise as this woman is. To be able to deliver such a heartfelt message that may not be the answer the son was looking for, but was exactly what he needed to hear. And more powerful than any quick fix. She explained, respect, patience, friendship, love, dedication, perspective, selflessness, and honor in the most delicate way.
Women are hard to understand! LOL
I should know! We just want to be heard, understood, and gently led. It's often just as hard for us to understand men. Finding our way to be as wise as this mother here takes time.
My grandmother gave me a few tricks that have served me well. I believe the best relationships come when both involved try to remember why they fell in love and how they treated each other in the very beginning. What comes natural at first often becomes work later. And the things we fall in love with often the things we resent later. But if we remember that we can sort through to the truth and pure love we once had. Life loves to distract and deceive us with selfish thoughts.
My husband is ambitious. I loved that about him when we met! Now as he works his life away to provide I find myself missing him and resenting it every now and then. But then I ask myself...would you rather have married a bum or one addicted to drink? Or one who works so hard to give you all he can? His heart is with me and for me for sure. His work is another way to show it. I must keep truth in my heart and not selfishness.
This made me misty. It touched my heart. It made me long even more for a mother like this. It made me miss my grandmother and reminded me to love my husband fearlessly!
Thank you for sharing!! Tabby

[Ashwin Shanker]

I only wish that the women of my age group are as wise as those that I have written about. I often tell my mother that I hope someday I could meet someone who is as smart as you are, but the truth is that, till date I have not. '

This story is not a true incident or anything, it is fiction; but the way in which the lady talks in this is exactly how my mother usually advices me, short, to the point and effective. I am sure that you are just as wise and mature as the lady that I have mentioned here.

I am so happy to know that it has touched your heart and has evoked a ray of emotions in you, every writer aims for the same through his/her writing and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Thank you for your kind words Tabby.

[Coyote Poetry]

Great advice shared by the mother.
"It was good that we had this conversation over the phone, she didn't see the tears that slowly moistened my eyes; not because of what she said, because I missed her so badly and couldn't find words to express that. "
I liked how you led to the above lines. Old wisdom shared by the mother. I believe. Worthwhile. We must be careful with what we say and do. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[Ashwin Shanker]

This is not poetry, this is a short story dear friend :P

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right. A story.

[richieb]

Ashan,
Enjoyed your story. I have been married to the same woman for 35 years and I learned some finer points from your story.
I think the setting for your story worked well. You were able to define logical and realistic reasons for improving and building a meaningful, lasting relationship. Your teaching points were not preachy and hollow. You used defined examples that allowed the reader to see how these examples would work. I liked this story and the way the structure works for the reader.
Peace and Blessings,
Richie b.

[Ashwin Shanker]

Thank you very much for your kind and encouraging words Richie :)

[secretinsanity]

It's pretty straightforward, but I feel it was written in an eloquent way. For instance, there is just enough detail to get a view on the situation that is happening, but not an overbearing amount of detail to keep the reader distracted from the original goal. For a short story, it was well written out and I feel the beginning, middle, and end were all there! You could totally expand on this one day (in a book), but for now I think that the short story works perfectly because it expresses how the speaker sees/understands women, and about his mother. I think the ending is crucial to the story because it shows the closeness between the mother and son. I feel that is the crucial part of this whole story. But the way you had the mother explain how to treat a women was perfect too. I liked it.

Instead of your mother, who is obviously a woman, saying it in a "simple" way, she is a woman to, so she expresses herself differently than a man would. She also described things better than a lot of other women would have as well, because well she is the mother of the speaker (not sure if it's about yourself or a random speaker for the short story). I think the descriptions of how to treat a women was "perfect" was perfect can get anyways because no one would think to make her answer in that way. Most would just answer in a simple way, but she used examples of your childhood or the people you connected with throughout your childhood or life.

The only parts I didn't think fit was the first sentence, for some reason, I just didn't think it fit with the other language throughout the short story. However, I think the starting it that way is a good thing, just maybe word it differently or play with word choice somehow. Not sure how to explain more than that, but it just didn't fit the eloquence or language as the rest of the story. The only part that was similar to the first sentence was when you wrote the sentence "the last bit of the conversation was to piss her off, something I always enjoyed doing," I think that you can do this without using words somehow. Can't really think of an example of what I mean, but I feel that, that part was already explained between the closeness between y'all because she said "ask your dad, bye, love you." So she showed that she was already slightly annoyed, but i feel the "yeah yeah" kinda shows that you were just messing with her anyways! If that makes sense. I feel that sentence doesn't have to go there at all, it can be omitted. However, you could add, "I hung up jokingly" or something like that to omit that sentence.

The ending sentence was a strong sentence as well. I think it definitely shows the bond between mother and son. It also shows the distance between the speaker maybe not being home for a long time or something? So there is a lot to explore! I think that for a short story it's a good story! Just a simple conversation over a phone is enough to get a reader interested.

Good job! Keep writing!

[Ashwin Shanker]

Wow, Your review could have more words than my story. Thank you so much for this absolutely fantastic constructive review. I have made the change that you have suggested as it makes sense (towards the end) hope the message is clearer at that section. Thanks once more.

[Surabhi Kaushik]

Is there really a word like gazillionth? just curious....

[Ashwin Shanker]

Hahahaha, no, I made that up.