What's her mistake? - 43

“There are 40 to 50 parts of the body which are susceptible to get cancer. I am not trying to scare you. I am trying to help you find out how to avoid the disease” said Nammu Aunty after the murmur died down.

Then she explained how to avoid the disease. Hygiene is one main thing to be carried out. We have to ensure that we wash all the vegetables and fruits which we take to eat. We have to keep the surrounding and the toilet clean. By clean environment, we would be avoiding the invasion of houseflies and mosquitos who are carriers of many diseases. Cancer is one big disease. But by being clean and alert, we could avoid even a small disease. We have to get our children to the doctor when they fall sick. Not rush to a medical store ask for some adhoc medicine.

“I have been told by a doctor that the children get fever a few hundred times. But each fever is different. They develop antibodies each time they get fever. We need to give them the antibiotics. We should ensure that the course is completed. We should not stop the medicine in between just because the kid’s fever gets subsided.”

I was surprised that Nammu Aunty knows so much about all these. May be she was always concerned about the society and its methods. When she found a platform she went on giving the people small tips.

When we were back in the house I asked her, “Nammu Aunty! You are so surprising! I have never seen you like this, when Uncle was with you or when you were alone your relative’s house!

Nammu Aunty smiled and said, “Son, I was always interested to help the society even in the smallest possible way like the squirrel which helped Lord Sri Rama during the building of bridge to Lanka. I am happy that there is awareness. Being forewarned is to be forearmed. I do hope the people take seriously whatever is important” she said fervently.

The week passed. Kids came home presenting us with different vegetables and fruits. Every day Nammu Aunty went on teaching the kids about many things. Sometimes it was just fun and games. But her idea was that if something is required to be long-lasting, then it has to be when the kids are adolescent. They are on the verge of embracing either good or bad. If we turn them towards the good, they remain good.

She taught them about very simple things which were not even thought of generally. When she finished telling the kids, there would be a sound of ‘Ohho’. Meaning, we knew about this, but we did not know this!

Suddenly it was Friday evening. Even though Nammu Aunty looked healthy, she was becoming more and more fragile.

Is she surviving only on willpower? This question was bothering me when we were standing in the bus stand to catch the bus to the city.

Suddenly Dammu’s car appeared round the corner and stopped in front of us.

When we opened the door, we even saw Dammu sitting at the back seat and smiling at us.

“Ha, you two are very bad! You have company of each other. But I am really feeling lonely!” she spoke in mock anger.

“Sorry Dammu! I was busy” said Nammu Aunty in a guilty voice.

“I know. I was getting information about you from this young man! Right young man?” Dammu directed the question to me.

I just nodded. Yes, I was keeping Dammu informed about Nammu Aunty’s health. Dammu had clearly told. Do not disturb her. Help her in all ways. But let her not have tension. She wanted to be in the village in the house of her husband. Let her be! Your job is to look after her well – were the instructions of Dammu to me! I did it to the core.

“Sorry Dammu, I should have spoken to you” Nammu said. I looked at them from the front seat. Nammu Aunty was holding the hand of Dammu. “Good thing you agreed to send me. The kids called me Nammamma! Wow, it was a great feeling to have. Now I am a mother of about 20 apart from my own. Oh, this is great. I shall go on teaching them many more things till .....” the sentence was never finished.

As I looked with horror, Nammu Aunty’s head suddenly rolled on the lap of Dammu.

“Nammu!” Dammu screamed. The driver swerved the car to the left and stopped.

“Nammu, wake up!” shouted Dammu and started shaking her. Nammu was as still as a stone idol.