GODDESS PERSONIFIED - CHAPTER II
As we were talking about him, at the strike of 10, the Reporter rang the door bell. Myself and my wife greeted him with folded hands and invited him "come on in". He was comfortably seated and she offered him a cup of coffee. Taking a sip he asked "can we start?". The husband shook his head in affirmative and said "why not, we are waiting for you".
He took out his Notebook and queried: "As the subject matter remains more or less the same as the earlier one with, perhaps, the Time moving forward by 5 years or so, can I retain the heading Goddess Personified with an extension Chapter II?" . Quick came the answer from the husband "I leave it to you". This time the husband was able to give more accurate information as he said he was with his wife throughout from conception unto delivery, which was not the case in the first delivery.
The husband said "after a month or so of her conception, I took my wife to a Gyno, who was running a Maternity Hospital nearby.He was well-known for his professional knowledge and expertise although the Hospital was very small and that too on the 1st floor."The reporter opined "Oh!, I see you made sure that she was in safe hands." "But our first experience with the doctor was a bit awkward. On our arrival he made necessary arrangements with the nurse who took her to the investigation room. The doctor followed and I sat outside impatiently. Without much delay he came back, followed by my wife. She was asked to sit down and putting a half smile he announced "good news". He took out his Prescription pad and began to note down, I believe, his observations. He looked up at me and asked "what's her blood group?" To this I had no answer. He looked at me curiously and called the nurse to take my wife in and ascertain the blood group.The doctor went for his rounds and I was left high and dry brooding over the result. Finally the doctor came back with the result and confirmed that it was O -ve. Then came the next question "what is the blood group of your first child?" Luckily I knew it and answered "O +ve". "From his face I felt he was a bit perturbed and inquired if she was given any anti-body injection immediately after the first delivery. I shook my head negatively and admitted I was ignorant of such a procedure. I also explained him the place, the doctor and the inadequacy of medical facilities at the first delivery. He got up and began to rebuke me for my negligence and shouted "An educated fellow like you, don't you know that the birth of the first child with O +ve blood group to a mother who is O -ve carries the risk of the mother building anti-body leading to complications in the second pregnancy?". My wife began to tremble and started weeping. She murmured "Is my child not safe?". He walked towards her and patting at her back consoled "Don't worry too much. I would do everything possible to make your child safe and also a smooth delivery". He went back to his seat and pulled out a prescription sheet wrote something and handed to me.adding "go to the Lab nearby and get these tests carried out without delay and come back to me with the result." Paying his consultancy fee which was very reasonable, we walked down to the Lab. Her blood was taken by the staff nurse and told us to come back for the result. "One of the tests prescribed is blood culture and it is a bit expensive". My wife was weeping incessantly until the blood report was shown to the Doctor who was happy with the test results. He told us " As of now no problem, repeat this every month without fail and show me the result".
"May I take it that you and your family were not in Kerala then." "Of course not. We were living in a suburb of a big city far off from Kerala. On hearing the 'good news', her sisters and brother living in the same area rushed in with sweets. We offered them as well as our neighbours Peda and narrated the whole thing to them. Offering all their help, they went back.Our son was being looked after by one of the sisters during these 2 days"
"Seeing our son after two days, we were over joyous and I lifted him up and showered with kisses on the cheeks and forehead and his happiness had no bounds", the wife intervened and touching her belly she told our son "you have become the big brother, the baby is growing inside here." As if it was difficult to control his emotions, the Reporter intervened. "your husband objected to your lifting the son up, saying that he was a big boy, you should not carry him any longer until the delivery. Your son was upset with the remark, and cautiously bending down, you profusely kissed him which was enough for the innocent child to regain normalcy. Am I right?". I said affirmatively "Yes of course".
There was a pause for sometime. He seemed to have got engrossed in his thought trying to straighten every strand from the labyrinth. "Seems interesting. Can we continue?", said the Reporter. He woke up and began to continue. "Everything went off quietly. She was attending to the household chores, although at times turning hysterical. In the evenings with our son holding her hand she regularly visited nearby temples praying and seeking solace. I continued with my job and studies in law, leaving the home around 8 am and returning around 11.45 pm. by which time our son was put to sleep by her sweet lullabies, but always looking through the wide folding window." "A brief description of our humble abode. It was a one-room-and-a-kitchen, the so called self-contained apartment with a tiny bath and toilet to qualify. The main room was sort of a living room with a Black and White TV inside a wooden cabinet and, in the common parlance, a sofa-cum-bed (something like a futon). A 6 x 4 bed was set in the kitchen, making it a bedroom-cum-kitchen. Luckily we had two good neighbours on either side and our flat, so to say a luxury one, was in the middle"
After a quick shower, he remembered, holding the plates they used to sit on the edge of the bed relishing their dinner, the main meal of the day for him. As he was then working in a supervisory cadre, break-fast, lunch and the afternoon snack were all free. If the snack item was worth taking home, he used to save it for her.
"May I take a little diversion" he said and pat came the reply from the Reporter "Of course why not?". " As I said earlier, I was doing my law. After successful completion, "during our routine visit to our friends and relatives, I visited a retired Judge and continued practising as an advocate after completing the regulation period. He was in his Office room full of law books and journals and a large number of case dockets neatly stacked on the table in chronological order. He gladly welcomed me into the chamber and congratulated me for my recent success in the exam. After exchanging pleasantries, I inquired of him if I could transplant my family and start practising law here. Bidding time, he slowly pulled out from his drawer a small but beautiful box made of bronze, opened it, took out a few betel leaves. It was quite interesting to watch him meticulously cleaning the back of the leaf with a penknife embellished with elephant combu on either side (an exclusive personal possession), removing the midrib without tearing the leaf and finally cutting off the top sharp pointed piece of the leaf. Applying slowly perfumed lime paste on the so prepared leaf, he began to say "Now-a-days there are super specialities even in law, like civil criminal, insurance, sales tax, income tax etc. and the most lucrative of course is the criminal branch. Even among these branches, a lawyer finds favour mostly from his own clan." . He completed his pan with a few pieces of betel nut carefully cut with a nut cracker, which is also a part of the box, and a piece of tobacco of one inch length, and pushing them all together into the mouth and chewing, he added "when persons of your community start committing murders, then you start practice". My proposition was watered down by such a practical advice".
"Sorry for going astray. Coming back...... days and months flew past without much ado and her morning sickness giving way to other problems usual during pregnancy. Regular blood work as prescribed by the Doctor was being carried out periodically and test report submitted to him. He used to remark that everything was fine which helped to boost her courage. "You did not mention the major event that happened in the 7th month", reminded my wife. She continued "during the mid of 7th month I was subjected to a bout of chicken pox and this harrowing experience can never be explained in a few words. Our son was moved to my sister's house". "I rushed to our Doctor who said "no issues, the child would also gain immunity." Breathing a sigh of relief, I returned home and verbatim explained to her what the doctor told me." "Blessing in disguise", looking at the Reporter she began to say. "By around this time a lock out was declared in his factory and my husband could spend all his time, nursing me, cooking, cleaning the house, going to the market place for provisions and vegetables and so on as the services of the maid was not available due to the nature of the disease. In between, he used to go to my sister's house to see our son from a distance. Coming back upset as he was, some time with tears rolling down the cheeks, he repeated giving a run down each time". "It was too much for me to hear him cry so pathetically as I waved bye-bye to him. To pacify him I would promise him 'Five Star' which he could pick up from our grocery shop, the husband added". "After three weeks or so, she said, I was fully recovered and began to engage myself in my routine work. The vibrant presence of our son and his naughty acts helped us cheer up. It was a pleasant surprise that on a fine evening, standing on the bed and holding on to the protective steel rods of the window he began to sing tere bina bhi kya jeena, oh saathee re, glimpses of his born talent to sing!"
The Reporter noted down everything what he said in detail. All the attendant problems of advanced pregnancy began to show up and exhaustion gradually crept in and she was unable to eat well because of the growing tummy. In those days nanis used to say 'let's pray for them to be separated from one another soon'. At the eighth month, they went to the Doctor with the test report. The doctor remarked that he was impressed with the growth of both the mother and child. but forewarned the parents that he would not wait for the full gestation period and instructed her husband to procure and keep the life saving injection ready. This only helped to add fuel to fire and she wept continuously on their way back home. It was indeed very difficult to convince her that nothing untoward would happen by one who himself was not convinced and a wave of fear enveloped him.
All said and done, during the last visit to the doctor before delivery, he opined that some signs of dilation were noticed and delivery was round the corner, might be in a couple of weeks. That meant she would deliver a fortnight ahead of the original prediction. This, perhaps, was an impetus for her and she started preparing herself for the arrival of the baby. At last the day arrived. She started showing signs of labor pain. He informed her brother and sisters to move to the maternity home. They took an auto, both the road and the vehicle were in a deplorable condition, and the driver drove them carefully and safely there. One of the sisters took care of their son and the others helped her slowly climb up the ladder.
The nurse on duty took her to the labor room and on her way, turned her head towards them and said "doctor is in. He wants you to fetch the injection soon". Hearing this his brother-in-law ("he is more a brother to me than an in-law", he emphasized) rushed to the pharmacy and came back with the vial and syringe, knocked at the door of the labor room and handed them to the nurse. "After half-an-hour or so, we were all relieved hearing the first cry of the child", he said. The doctor came out after some time, drying up his hands, with an air of confidence he announced "A baby girl. Both the mother and the baby are healthy and safe. The injection was administered in time. Do you need any help, please call me". They all thanked him abundantly and he went home to take some rest.
He resumed to narrate. "After the preliminary clean up, the nurse brought the child out so that all of us could see her. She was fully wrapped in a cozy towel. She placed the baby into my extended hands and I kissed her on her forehead again and again. It was inexplicable as to the state of joy I was in. After everybody could have a glimpse, she took the baby back to her mother and I was asked to follow. As I walked in, I could read the anxiety writ large on her face for not being able to see me earlier. The child was placed on the right side and I sat on a chair on the other side. I held her right hand and the other was placed on her forehead and murmured into her ears "thank you for gifting me a lovely cute little girl".With the left hand, I swiped the warm tears of joy. She was a bit palish and looking tired. I removed my hand slowly without disturbing her as she was gradually falling asleep.
As I came out, the others went inside one by one. Half asleep, I was told, she answered their queries though not very clearly. Leaving one sister as stand-by, we moved out. Myself and our son went straight to our house. Both of us had a quick shower and he was dressed up in the best way a father could do. As he sat on the bed, I gave him something to munch and got myself involved in preparing the evening meal. Meanwhile, the meal box was washed again and dried up with a fresh piece of cloth. The different containers were filled with the food items sufficient for two. Carrying the meal box, we began to walk down to the maternity home. By the time we landed there, she was moved to a general ward and as directed by the nurse on duty we reached the bedside. The meal box was placed on the small table telling her sister "hope it would be sufficient for two of you". Seeing our son, she could not control her emotions and hurriedly embraced him and showered upon him kisses of love, though with great difficulty. Pointing towards the little baby, she reminded him "Oh! Big Brother, she is your little sister. As a responsible brother, hereafter you should look after her always". He shook his head in affirmative. He was a little abashed and coming round the bed, he took her tiny fingers and fondled them caringly. I took the baby and for a few seconds placed on his lap and his face glowed. Half heartedly I put the child back on the bed. After inquiring about her health and comfort and her sister if she wanted anything to which she said 'no', we began to move out of the ward. Preventing me from going, she held my hand back and sympathetically looked at me as if to say that I be with her. I convinced her that only females were allowed as by-standers and her sister would take care of her. She was aware of it and gradually released my hand. Off we went to our house promising her that we would be back early morning with coffee and breakfast.
The next day morning myself and my son visited the maternity home with a thermos flask and breakfast. On our way upstairs, we met the doctor who was coming down after his usual rounds. He said she would be discharged the next day. More than me our son was so elated that he ran to his mother to announce this. But my enthusiasm had lasted for a short-while only as by then I received a message from my boss that the lock out was being lifted and I should be there the next day morning to assist in the preparation of the compromise agreement. Without any let down, somehow I prepared the meals, bathed our son and attended to all other household chorus.
What a pity! Until the last night, I was with her all the time, and when it was needed most I was called upon to resume duty. Making all arrangements with our neighbours and her sisters to get her discharge and bring home my wife and the little one, hesitatingly I left for work which I realized was all the more important with the added responsibility at home. Like me, her brother was denied a casual leave because of exigencies of work. At work I was unable to concentrate and my boss, a very affable personality looked at me inquiringly. On hearing my predicament, he immediately relieved me. I rushed back home and never thought that it would be such an astonishing scene that our friends and relatives were around her chatting, at times laughing loudly. After they all left one by one, I sat by her side on the bed. and she suddenly turned her head to the other side expressing unhappiness in my absence at the time of discharge. I explained the situation and added "my boss said it was a good sign that on the day your baby arrived home, the lock out was lifted". She responded with a smile".
The Reporter continued jotting down these details and said. "This is only one part of the story. Bringing up the two kids, giving proper education, guide them to do good things by appropriate pieces of advice, are all very important and there is no substitute for a mother in these areas also. The heading mother is "Goddess personified" is thus nothing but very apt." "Very true I concurred with his views. Do you know not so long after the second child was born, I had to leave both the kids in her safe hands on a better assignment far away from home with my visit limited to a few days in six months or so until they could join me at my work place.
'The whole thing looks interesting. Let me go home and do some fine tuning and arrange to publish it soon and I shall post you a copy. If there is anything new, please give a tinkle and I will only be pleased to come down." So saying, the reporter gathered all his stuff, got up and began to walk. The old couple thanked him again for spending some time with them, a much wanted respite from loneliness, and invited him to visit them whenever he could find time. By then it was around 12.30 pm. She went into the kitchen to complete the cooking and he resumed reading the newspaper from where he left in the morning.
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There was a pause for sometime. He seemed to have got engrossed in his thought trying to straighten every strand from the labyrinth. "Seems interesting. Can we continue?", said the Reporter. He woke up and began to continue. "Everything went off quietly. She was attending to the household chores, although at times turning hysterical. In the evenings with our son holding her hand she regularly visited nearby temples praying and seeking solace. I continued with my job and studies in law, leaving the home around 8 am and returning around 11.45 pm. by which time our son was put to sleep by her sweet lullabies, but always looking through the wide folding window." "A brief description of our humble abode. It was a one-room-and-a-kitchen, the so called self-contained apartment with a tiny bath and toilet to qualify. The main room was sort of a living room with a Black and White TV inside a wooden cabinet and, in the common parlance, a sofa-cum-bed (something like a futon). A 6 x 4 bed was set in the kitchen, making it a bedroom-cum-kitchen. Luckily we had two good neighbours on either side and our flat, so to say a luxury one, was in the middle"
After a quick shower, he remembered, holding the plates they used to sit on the edge of the bed relishing their dinner, the main meal of the day for him. As he was then working in a supervisory cadre, break-fast, lunch and the afternoon snack were all free. If the snack item was worth taking home, he used to save it for her.
"May I take a little diversion" he said and pat came the reply from the Reporter "Of course why not?". " As I said earlier, I was doing my law. After successful completion, "during our routine visit to our friends and relatives, I visited a retired Judge and continued practising as an advocate after completing the regulation period. He was in his Office room full of law books and journals and a large number of case dockets neatly stacked on the table in chronological order. He gladly welcomed me into the chamber and congratulated me for my recent success in the exam. After exchanging pleasantries, I inquired of him if I could transplant my family and start practising law here. Bidding time, he slowly pulled out from his drawer a small but beautiful box made of bronze, opened it, took out a few betel leaves. It was quite interesting to watch him meticulously cleaning the back of the leaf with a penknife embellished with elephant combu on either side (an exclusive personal possession), removing the midrib without tearing the leaf and finally cutting off the top sharp pointed piece of the leaf. Applying slowly perfumed lime paste on the so prepared leaf, he began to say "Now-a-days there are super specialities even in law, like civil criminal, insurance, sales tax, income tax etc. and the most lucrative of course is the criminal branch. Even among these branches, a lawyer finds favour mostly from his own clan." . He completed his pan with a few pieces of betel nut carefully cut with a nut cracker, which is also a part of the box, and a piece of tobacco of one inch length, and pushing them all together into the mouth and chewing, he added "when persons of your community start committing murders, then you start practice". My proposition was watered down by such a practical advice".
"Sorry for going astray. Coming back...... days and months flew past without much ado and her morning sickness giving way to other problems usual during pregnancy. Regular blood work as prescribed by the Doctor was being carried out periodically and test report submitted to him. He used to remark that everything was fine which helped to boost her courage. "You did not mention the major event that happened in the 7th month", reminded my wife. She continued "during the mid of 7th month I was subjected to a bout of chicken pox and this harrowing experience can never be explained in a few words. Our son was moved to my sister's house". "I rushed to our Doctor who said "no issues, the child would also gain immunity." Breathing a sigh of relief, I returned home and verbatim explained to her what the doctor told me." "Blessing in disguise", looking at the Reporter she began to say. "By around this time a lock out was declared in his factory and my husband could spend all his time, nursing me, cooking, cleaning the house, going to the market place for provisions and vegetables and so on as the services of the maid was not available due to the nature of the disease. In between, he used to go to my sister's house to see our son from a distance. Coming back upset as he was, some time with tears rolling down the cheeks, he repeated giving a run down each time". "It was too much for me to hear him cry so pathetically as I waved bye-bye to him. To pacify him I would promise him 'Five Star' which he could pick up from our grocery shop, the husband added". "After three weeks or so, she said, I was fully recovered and began to engage myself in my routine work. The vibrant presence of our son and his naughty acts helped us cheer up. It was a pleasant surprise that on a fine evening, standing on the bed and holding on to the protective steel rods of the window he began to sing tere bina bhi kya jeena, oh saathee re, glimpses of his born talent to sing!"
The Reporter noted down everything what he said in detail. All the attendant problems of advanced pregnancy began to show up and exhaustion gradually crept in and she was unable to eat well because of the growing tummy. In those days nanis used to say 'let's pray for them to be separated from one another soon'. At the eighth month, they went to the Doctor with the test report. The doctor remarked that he was impressed with the growth of both the mother and child. but forewarned the parents that he would not wait for the full gestation period and instructed her husband to procure and keep the life saving injection ready. This only helped to add fuel to fire and she wept continuously on their way back home. It was indeed very difficult to convince her that nothing untoward would happen by one who himself was not convinced and a wave of fear enveloped him.
All said and done, during the last visit to the doctor before delivery, he opined that some signs of dilation were noticed and delivery was round the corner, might be in a couple of weeks. That meant she would deliver a fortnight ahead of the original prediction. This, perhaps, was an impetus for her and she started preparing herself for the arrival of the baby. At last the day arrived. She started showing signs of labor pain. He informed her brother and sisters to move to the maternity home. They took an auto, both the road and the vehicle were in a deplorable condition, and the driver drove them carefully and safely there. One of the sisters took care of their son and the others helped her slowly climb up the ladder.
The nurse on duty took her to the labor room and on her way, turned her head towards them and said "doctor is in. He wants you to fetch the injection soon". Hearing this his brother-in-law ("he is more a brother to me than an in-law", he emphasized) rushed to the pharmacy and came back with the vial and syringe, knocked at the door of the labor room and handed them to the nurse. "After half-an-hour or so, we were all relieved hearing the first cry of the child", he said. The doctor came out after some time, drying up his hands, with an air of confidence he announced "A baby girl. Both the mother and the baby are healthy and safe. The injection was administered in time. Do you need any help, please call me". They all thanked him abundantly and he went home to take some rest.
He resumed to narrate. "After the preliminary clean up, the nurse brought the child out so that all of us could see her. She was fully wrapped in a cozy towel. She placed the baby into my extended hands and I kissed her on her forehead again and again. It was inexplicable as to the state of joy I was in. After everybody could have a glimpse, she took the baby back to her mother and I was asked to follow. As I walked in, I could read the anxiety writ large on her face for not being able to see me earlier. The child was placed on the right side and I sat on a chair on the other side. I held her right hand and the other was placed on her forehead and murmured into her ears "thank you for gifting me a lovely cute little girl".With the left hand, I swiped the warm tears of joy. She was a bit palish and looking tired. I removed my hand slowly without disturbing her as she was gradually falling asleep.
As I came out, the others went inside one by one. Half asleep, I was told, she answered their queries though not very clearly. Leaving one sister as stand-by, we moved out. Myself and our son went straight to our house. Both of us had a quick shower and he was dressed up in the best way a father could do. As he sat on the bed, I gave him something to munch and got myself involved in preparing the evening meal. Meanwhile, the meal box was washed again and dried up with a fresh piece of cloth. The different containers were filled with the food items sufficient for two. Carrying the meal box, we began to walk down to the maternity home. By the time we landed there, she was moved to a general ward and as directed by the nurse on duty we reached the bedside. The meal box was placed on the small table telling her sister "hope it would be sufficient for two of you". Seeing our son, she could not control her emotions and hurriedly embraced him and showered upon him kisses of love, though with great difficulty. Pointing towards the little baby, she reminded him "Oh! Big Brother, she is your little sister. As a responsible brother, hereafter you should look after her always". He shook his head in affirmative. He was a little abashed and coming round the bed, he took her tiny fingers and fondled them caringly. I took the baby and for a few seconds placed on his lap and his face glowed. Half heartedly I put the child back on the bed. After inquiring about her health and comfort and her sister if she wanted anything to which she said 'no', we began to move out of the ward. Preventing me from going, she held my hand back and sympathetically looked at me as if to say that I be with her. I convinced her that only females were allowed as by-standers and her sister would take care of her. She was aware of it and gradually released my hand. Off we went to our house promising her that we would be back early morning with coffee and breakfast.
The next day morning myself and my son visited the maternity home with a thermos flask and breakfast. On our way upstairs, we met the doctor who was coming down after his usual rounds. He said she would be discharged the next day. More than me our son was so elated that he ran to his mother to announce this. But my enthusiasm had lasted for a short-while only as by then I received a message from my boss that the lock out was being lifted and I should be there the next day morning to assist in the preparation of the compromise agreement. Without any let down, somehow I prepared the meals, bathed our son and attended to all other household chorus.
What a pity! Until the last night, I was with her all the time, and when it was needed most I was called upon to resume duty. Making all arrangements with our neighbours and her sisters to get her discharge and bring home my wife and the little one, hesitatingly I left for work which I realized was all the more important with the added responsibility at home. Like me, her brother was denied a casual leave because of exigencies of work. At work I was unable to concentrate and my boss, a very affable personality looked at me inquiringly. On hearing my predicament, he immediately relieved me. I rushed back home and never thought that it would be such an astonishing scene that our friends and relatives were around her chatting, at times laughing loudly. After they all left one by one, I sat by her side on the bed. and she suddenly turned her head to the other side expressing unhappiness in my absence at the time of discharge. I explained the situation and added "my boss said it was a good sign that on the day your baby arrived home, the lock out was lifted". She responded with a smile".
The Reporter continued jotting down these details and said. "This is only one part of the story. Bringing up the two kids, giving proper education, guide them to do good things by appropriate pieces of advice, are all very important and there is no substitute for a mother in these areas also. The heading mother is "Goddess personified" is thus nothing but very apt." "Very true I concurred with his views. Do you know not so long after the second child was born, I had to leave both the kids in her safe hands on a better assignment far away from home with my visit limited to a few days in six months or so until they could join me at my work place.
'The whole thing looks interesting. Let me go home and do some fine tuning and arrange to publish it soon and I shall post you a copy. If there is anything new, please give a tinkle and I will only be pleased to come down." So saying, the reporter gathered all his stuff, got up and began to walk. The old couple thanked him again for spending some time with them, a much wanted respite from loneliness, and invited him to visit them whenever he could find time. By then it was around 12.30 pm. She went into the kitchen to complete the cooking and he resumed reading the newspaper from where he left in the morning.
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