The eyes widened. The eyebrows shot up. And a shrill noise pierced my ears. My amma nearly knocked me over as she ran towards me, grabbed my shoulders for support and climbed on the sofa behind me!
I was shocked. I had never seen amma move faster than our honorable madam chief minister in my entire life time (Yes, I am sly. I omitted the number of years I have completed in my lifetime.) I staggered and somehow managed to maintain balance. If I fell down, amma would fall on me. But something told me that she would not be worried about breaking my bones. She might, in fact, crush a few more while trying to get up and run away again.
"Ok. Stop. What was she running away from?" - I know that is what you are asking me now. She was running away from Pogo. The cute li'l fella on the top right corner of this blog.
Amma is scared of anything that moves on fours. Dogs, cats, cows and cars (ok, the last one is only when I am the driver). I had acquired Pogo recently and amma was visiting me for the first time after Pogo's entry in my life. I knew she was scared of dogs but I was hoping she would be partial to Pogo. Look at him. He is so awww :) But I was wrong, wasn't I?
Amma has always been my bulwark against any threat. She has always stood between me and cockroaches, geography exams, toothaches, heartbreaks, scary dreams and every other crazy fear of mine.
Strangely, I felt proud that I was finally between amma and her fear - little Pogo. I loved the cute one more, now!
I managed to hold Pogo in one hand (he was small enough to hold in one hand) and sheperded amma through the furniture and lead her into the bedroom. We sat on the bed and started chatting. Amma kept shooting furtive and fearful glances towards Pogo. I was reminded of the looks I used to bestow upon lone cockroaches near the wash basin while hurriedly washing my dinner plate, all the while running a prayer in my mind invoking all the various Gods to protect me from the vile creature with antennae.
In some time, amma got so engrossed with the tale about my failed attempts to make my favorite kootu that led to my new recipe that was a mix of kootu and sambar comprised of carrot, beetroot, cabbage and pattani, that she forgot to shoot anxious vigilant looks at Pogo. Pogo meandered through my hands and legs and somehow got past the fortress I had formed around him with my legs.
Amma shrieked "SOund!!!!!" ("SO" - when she saw Pogo advance towards her "ound" - when I quickly caught him with one hand and scooped him towards me). She got up and quickly rushed out of the room before I could say "Minnal".
She was gone. By the time I deposited Pogo into my empty laundry basket and rushed out, I got a call on my phone. "I am in your neighbour's house. Please keep him in some friend's house di. Take him back when I am gone. I am so scared Sound!" - Amma.
I smiled. Mothers are such precious people. You can have only one of them. But everyone has one.
I said bye to Pogo for sometime. And that is why I have left him here, on the top right corner of this page. Look after him y'all. Say hi to him whenever you visit.
