A quick tale 166

Aged 76

Don't listen to what they say. They have no clue how good this makes me feel. Ignore your mother. For what does she know? I know people think it's odd that you should address me by my first name. But what's their problem if I'm fine with it? You see, when you get to my age, there are few people left to call you by name. Just the other day I met a friend of your mother's. And she introduced me to her husband as 'So-&-So's Amma'. I don't think she even knew my name. I'm sure there are a whole lot of others to whom I'm just 'Mrs So-&-So' or 'Such-&-Such Aunty' or 'This-or-That Paati'. Sometimes I long to be just me. I yearn to hear my name called out. Like my mother used to. When she wanted me to come inside because it was getting dark. Like my father would when came home from work and didn't find me rushing to greet him. Like your grandfather did when he wrote all those wonderful letters to me, all those years ago. You, my child, take me back to the time when I too was a young girl. And everybody knew my name.