The Memoirs of an Eighty year Old- Episode XXI

Episode: Grandma speaks 2

Hiyaa readers! I am back again and in this episode we get to know more about our grandma’s famous crafting skills. She still loves to try and create new things with papers, cotton, sticks, buttons and whatnot!

Just a few days ago I assisted in making tiny colorful buds which she stringed together to make a garland. 

So going back to the past...

·       Did she notice any change in her before and after living in different places?

 Ans: “I haven’t even thought about it. Maybe there is and maybe not. I was always friendly and had no problem making friends. But I learnt some crafting, etc.”

·       How did they celebrate the festivals?

 “We had a mixed bunch of people in the railways. We attended the Maharastrian New year fests and they would come to our place for Varalakshmi pooja. It was fun. The women there are very courageous, respectful and affectionate. I had a good time getting to know them.”

·       When did she start crafting? I asked her.

“When I had plenty of time on my hands I knew I couldn’t just sit idle. Crafting was a rage and I learnt to stitch patterns on cloth, create dolls, bunnies, animals with coins, cardamom, cut cotton into shapes and flatten them to stick on cardboard, etc.”

“I really enjoyed making new designs and gifting those to relatives. My sister was better at that.” she added. Must be in the blood then, to have so much talent.

·       Grandpa says your social life was interesting, I said to her.

“It was I suppose. We knew people who owned farms and gardens. So we were always invited during the seasons to join their celebrations. In summer, the mango season meant we had lunches in the mango gardens with the owners and workers together. There was plenty of tasty Aamras with puri as food. Also we were gifted lots of mangoes.”
“During the sugarcane harvest we would be invited to taste the crush of the canes. The farmers have such fests regularly during harvest time to encourage and congratulate the workers for their efforts. It was similar for the maize crop as well. We would all go to the farm and enjoy the fresh crop.” She concluded.

·       You had a garden, did you? I asked and she nodded.

“Yes. We had lots of land and I grew Sunflowers, Zinnia, Cosmos, Chrysanthemums, etc among other flowers. I saved the seeds for next crops and had garden in almost every place we got transferred to. But the quality got diluted.” She answered. (She loves gardening)

·       Water was a problem, right?

“Oh yes, it was. We had no taps or pumps. The workers brought water from the well in the village and we use it for cooking and washing. The water from the steam engine trains was used for drinking. Of course the villagers used to drink water from the wells. Lucky for us we could use the railway water and the workers carried those heavy pots to our house. So I think I can say I had it relatively easy because I never had to do any hard labor. All the cleaning of yard, carrying of water, groceries was done the workers.”

“I did not even have to go regularly into the village to buy things. One trip per month or so and we brought everything in the train. The markets were good to watch. Do you know that the village heads and few other men rode on horses around the place?” She asked me and I just shook my head. I could imagine it though.

I am going to end this episode here and continue about the sightseeing, cinemas, shopping in the next episode. Till then, be happy, be kind..