Whining thoughts continue..

Had been to kerala few weeks ago to attend a friend's wedding…also to have some lip-smacking home made food ,by courtesy, mom!! As always mom was a little anxious about not having a maid at home to help her with the cleaning and swabbing because it certainly is a tough job when she has to do it all alone!!!

In fact I was getting jaded as she started off again with the same topic when I modestly dropped the plate of snacks on the floor,while watching tv.I swear that wasn’t intentional ,didn't even think that I should do something to avoid her as she was nagging about me being glued in front of the idiot box all the time!! Any way fortunately the door bell rang and she quickly wiped the floor and went to check who it was !!…I followed her.

It was a prospective maid waiting to be interviewed by the one woman chair... my mom!! And mom started off with negotiating her package…

This took me back to my childhood days when we had a maid at home!! Her name was Gomathy and I had given her the nick name “Go” . She was a funny woman , pretty sweet but slightly dumb! And I was at my most mischievous self…..7th or 8th std if my memory is correct!

Those were the days when I used to have carnatic music classes twice in a week. My music teacher used to come home and teach me for almost 2 hrs a day!
For me, it was a two hour caging and crooning without pitch and emotion with that sweet lady only to forget what was taught till the next class when the whole exercise was mechanically repeated.

One fine day I heard ‘Go’ grating the song that my music teacher taught me! It was so horrible and I wondered why God was so cruel while giving her such growling voice! During her solo concert she saw me watching her and came forward with a request “will u teach me music” ?

My ego swelled and my excitement knew no bounds when I heard this and we started off with our Music classes. Mind you ‘Go’ was between 55 and 60 yrs of age. After few days of initializing i told her i was substituting notes with words..i sang..Go go go ..Ma ma ma..Ti ti ti....and she repeated her drone.The nit wit did not realize that i was playing with her own name!!……My bass was her highest pitch and we used to turn the house a babel, what with my screechy tone accompanying her braying!!

She had subsequent interests like being photographed…the imp in me used to make her pose like a 20 year old model for an ad before a camera which had no film in it.She had no qualms about dressing the way i wanted her to..This weakness in her I exploited and very often made her dip her face in her favourite talcum bin...just to tell her she looks gorgeous after making her apply half a tin on her face....Flattery has its own limits..Remember i was a bad kid!!!!

Watching TV serials was another interesting leisure pursuit of hers .She used to finish off all her work as quickly as possible to get herself placed before the TV to watch her favorite serials. Most of the days by 9 pm my mom used to have a tough time consoling her for the death of the hero's wife!! She used to cry as if the hero was her son!!!

‘Go’ used to enjoy a nap every day after a heavy lunch.As much as she enjoyed her food was she devotional . She used to chant prayers even while working…The Chimney tube ended at the terrace from the kitchen and I used to go to the terrace, stand next to the edge of the chimney tube and say “Gomathiii this is lord Krishna calling you... I am pleased with your prayers..tell me one wish”
Poor Go used to get so scared as my voice reached down through the chimney tube with an echo which in turn enhanced the divine effect…

Playing pranks with ‘Go’ was one of my activities after school…Also teaching her English was something I loved . I think I managed to teach her names of all common vegetables :)


It was fun spending time with her and I would say she was one of a kind!!

Poor dame had to leave our place due to ill health!!!
But I really miss my ‘Go’!!!

Mom any way seems to have recruited the lady who was waiting outside!Iam sure she can never ever match up with my sweet 'GO'!!