G - Grouchy #AtoZChallenge

It was evening and Raghu saw Mariamma sitting at the porch as usual. The frown was in its usual place too. He wondered what she had to say this time.

“Hey, you kids. Don’t you dare let the ball come near me. I will swallow you whole even if your shadow falls on my wall.”

Mariamma was frail and alone. Yet her almost toothless snarl was menacing nonetheless.

Raghu and his friends hesitated before going on with their game. Nothing would make the old woman stop anyway.

“Look at you, ignoring a grown woman. Haven’t your parents taught any manners?

How would they anyway, you are always on the roads, hanging out with chillar friends. Cough! Cough! Don’t you have any homework to do?”

Mariamma continued, shoving her wooden cane in the air to no one in particular. “What has happened to this country. Nobody cares. Everybody is a thief. The damn neighbours steal my electricity. No wonder I get such huge bills. And my son is too busy making his dumb wife happy. M**&$f**&@. ”

The tirade didn’t stop. “The government is to be blamed. Rascals. Corrupts. Thieves. They should go to hell! Why doesn’t anybody care!? Wait till you ..hey, hey.. didn’t you hear me? Not even a shad…” Mariamma stopped wobbling her finger at the round eyes that was staring at her. Seeing her face slacken a bit, 4-year-old Raghu mustered a tiny smile and took a step closer.

“What do you want?” Mariamma almost barked.

Raghu dug into his pockets, fishing out oil covered paper pouch. Opening it, he extended the onion pakoras his mom made for him.

“Do you want these? My mom made for me.”

The wrinkled face warmed up. Sniffing, she said softly, “Do see any teeth in here?”

 "Swallow, like you would have swallowed us".

Both erupted into unexpected laughter.

Thank you for dropping by :) The theme of my posts this year, for the A-Z challenge, is To Show, Not Tell. I hope you enjoyed this piece.

U - Utopia

 

 

A far away house tucked in the beauty of valleys and streams. A white picket fence running around it, not so much protecting from the wild but adding more beauty to an already beautiful home.

A half-built tree house, lying in a corner of the front-yard, waiting for some attention. The old man is often seen teaching his grand kids how to build that house on their own. Curious squirrels squirting around it trying decide if it is edible.

An old woman sitting in the patio, reading, adjusting her glasses that refused to stay on her stub of a nose. She is always seen there, outside, the winter sunshine gently brushing her face and the breeze ruffling her short grey hair.

The wind chimes tinkled in some rhythm, bringing in a sense of calm and harmony, that was ethereal. It always soothed the old woman. It was obvious from the fact that she had so many varieties of them hung all over the porch.

Colorful birds visiting the bird-feeder occasionally. Sometimes a red Cardinal, other times a blue Jay flocked the feeder, chirping in their own hungry way. The bird poop was not a bother as much as their absence was.

Hot tea brewing in the kitchen, the heavenly smell wafting across the rooms along with the humming of a 1970's song. There was distant laughter too, a happy and cheerful kind. It probably was the son and his wife, fixing some snacks for the family.

Then the sound of running footsteps. Gentle shrieks and screams followed by giggles. Small pretty frock and rugged jeans scampering all over the house. Happy little feet leaving their footprints everywhere they went.

A cozy home. A beautiful family. And some peace. This is what this place is made of.

I hope to be that old woman someday.