The affectionate Ama (Grand Mother)
I do not remember the year; it may be in the nineteen fifties that young boys were crazy about developing their health. Going for exercise was an unwilling and difficult task. Playing Gulli Danda was alright. But some were interested in developing their health with their eating habits. Some of us used to go to the neighbourhood Ama (Grand Mother) who used to sell eggs. We decided to take one uncooked egg every day in order to develop of our health. Ama was glad because she used to sell the egg at the rate of one Anna (six paisa) per egg. We became her regular customer, especially because she used to advise us to take Ghee also after devouring the uncooked egg. After breaking the egg, Ama would take the remaining cover of the egg from us and would go inside the Kitchen room and would fill the egg covering with ghee and ask us to eat the ghee as well. This offer of ghee was absolutely free. We were happy that we get the egg and the ghee at one anna per day. Those were the days when money was scarce and we used to get hardly one anna per day as pocket money. The pocket money was also not given to us every day. But we used to go to Ama almost every day and she would oblige us with egg and ghee. Of course she would invariably take one Anna for the egg from us, but the ghee was absolutely free.
Today when I recall the reminiscences of the past, I am not able to understand the behaviourial pattern of Ama who was so affectionate to us. Why after all she would give us Ghee free of cost. Was it that there was no monetary value of Ghee and milk product, because no body was there to purchase the same, as every body had milk products in abundance or is it that she was very conscious about our health? It is said that uncooked or un-boiled egg taken with Ghee is quite digestive; hence she would offer Ghee free of cost. I sometimes feel that she wanted to help improve our health. Or was it that it was her selling technique. I don’t wish to believe so. This no doubt was her motherly affection. I discussed this with my friend, who was my companion, but we could not find any reason except the affection of Ama which she used to shower on us. Can any body tell me the reason? This was the story of olden times when people were so considerate, affectionate and helping. Ama was one of them.
