Thanks For The Laughter

By Vishalini Sankaran


Over the years of my life, I have had countless friends. The one thing similar among all of us was the presence of our grandparents. We always had something to say about them, be it good or bad. I remember a friend who said that she never saw any of her grandparents because she was born after they had died. I vividly remember feeling sorry for her. As a little child, I thought my grandparents would be around for good. The thought of their dying never crossed my mind.

But as I became an adult, I began to accept the fact that human beings are not immortal. But my childlike belief still lingers. Secretly, I wish that my old bones will never perish. I lost three of my grandparents pretty early in life. But my maternal grandmother was there all through the years with us.

Grandmother was more like my friend ... my dearest friend, I would say. I remember her for the laughter and gossip we shared. I can hardly recall her reprimanding me for any reason. We used to sit and talk, and she would update me on the latest happenings in the family - with the added "spices", of course.

I remember her sitting at the patio of our house peeling kilos of ikan bilis, for me to take along when I went abroad to study. She would be peeling from sunrise right until sunset. When I peeped on her, I would occasionally see her stretching her stiff neck, due to her small body bending over too long in one position. But when I asked, she would deny the pain. Talk about being selfless.

But now, at 26, I have lost my best friend. Together with her, I have lost my tea-time partner and my story-teller. Now, neither I nor anyone would know the many stories she had in her head. My heart aches when I recall the days of laughter with her. She was an example of pure true happiness - something we miss in this busy life we lead. Oh, how I miss her.

An old African saying comes to mind: "When a grandparent dies, it is like a whole library being burnt down." Happy Mother's Day to the mother of my mother. Thank you for giving me the reason to laugh heartily.

From Starmag on Mother's Day