Images: - 'Grandmother' - by Raminder Pal Singh.
People
One Day, I Want To Be Old ... Just Like Her
by KANWALROOP KAUR SINGH
My grandmother has a long nose that protrudes like a broad brown banana from the center of her face - slightly pointed at the end, it crinkles when she smiles.
She wears pastel colors because she thinks she's too old to wear bright ones. Large dusty glasses cover half of her face, like something out of a 70's film.
And she always wears a black dastaar.
'Ma ji', we call her. Out of respect mainly, but also because she acts like everyone's mother.
"Ma ji! Do you want tea?" we ask her.
"But I never said anything," she replies.
She needs a hearing aid. She refuses to get one - even though we only have to repeat the same thing five times.
She is 80 years old.
But she trudges through gardens as the sun shines in patches on her face, picking cherries from trees as if they were hundred dollar bills; watering plants with a bucket because she can't use the hose. She ambles around the kitchen, bending her four-foot-ten-inch frame over a wooden bowl or a steel pan, filtering through its contents like a miner panning for gold. She rushes outside to put up wet clothes on the clothesline because she doesn't believe in driers. Then she rushes back to
collect them again when it starts raining.
She also climbs small walls.
She swears by mustard oil, homeopathic remedies, and clean feet.
She doesn't own a single item of gold jewelry - quite a feat for an old Punjabi woman. Actually, she ends up giving away everything she gets. Even the one gold chain she got for her son's wedding went to the gurdwara. And the ninety dollar sweater went to the baba ji who prayed at her akhand paatth.
"Wear it next time you do kirtan," she told him. She has a steely stainless faith in God that only hardens with age.
Even when she farts - it happens sometimes - it's a nice wholesome sound, almost like the popping of popcorn, except longer and more drawn out. For a few seconds, she just sits there - quietly, innocently. Then she looks over at me, and slowly I see a smile spread across her face. It turns into a laugh.
I can see her dentures now.
"You did it, not me!" she says in denial.
What an old fart, I think. And I mean it. In the nicest way possible. I guess the daal from the night before is still working its wonders.
Sometimes, she drops epic one-liners from her wrinkly lips at random.
"Wisdom cannot come from others, it comes from within," she once said in the car.
Turn on the television and you're bombarded with botox commercials, pills, and creams to keep you looking young, but I just laugh at those ads.
Because my grandma makes me *want * to be an old woman!
[Kanwalroop Kaur Singh is 17 years old and resides in Cupertino, California, U.S.A. She has written for Stanford University's weekly newspaper, is the founder and editor-in-chief of her school literary magazine, and the copy editor of her school newspaper. She looks forward to attending college in the Fall.]
June 17, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), June 17, 2010, 11:53 AM.
Beautiful! Absolutely wonderful piece from the heart of a young lady. Kanwal, you've got a good soul. And a good pen.
2: Manpreet Singh (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), June 17, 2010, 4:41 PM.
Just wonderful. I loved it. It reminds me of my own grandmother. I had similar experience with her at times. I love the comical way of penning down the fart part. Elders are like jewels in our life, we need to handle them with care. Good work, Kanwal. Hope to see more your work ... soon. May Waheguru keep you in chardi kalaa. You are blessed with an awesome writing talent.
3: Jasminder (Delhi, India), June 18, 2010, 3:32 AM.
I think the bibi in the pic is really cute. Typical Punjabi granny.
4: Gurjeet Singh Bains (Brisbane, Australia), June 18, 2010, 7:22 PM.
It is a wonderful account of the life history of Maa ji. The language used in the article is highly poetic, which really adds to the flavour and makes the account insightful, humorous and pleasurable.
5: Manpreet Kaur Singh (Melbourne, Australia), June 18, 2010, 8:01 PM.
Magical ... I had a smile and a tear reading this. I'm sure we all have or had an older relative who fits this description. Thanks for the wonderful word-picture.
6: Parminder Kaur Dhillon (Raleigh, NC, U.S.A.), June 18, 2010, 9:54 PM.
You are a fortunate young lady to be so close to your grandmother that you actually notice all these things about her. Kids these days are so busy, they have no time to pay any attention to old folks. Keep writing and expressing yourself. Your grandmother's wisdom is rubbing off on you!
7: Pritam Grover (Auckland, New Zealand), June 20, 2010, 10:59 PM.
It is absolutely an amazing article. Please keep it up. God bless you.
8: Devinder Kaur (Australia), June 30, 2010, 6:18 PM.
Well done, Kanwalroop. An excellent piece of writing with vivid pictures of your grandma. Very touching, descriptive account with a bit of humour ...a brillant job done. Keep going with your pen. Enormous amount of talent.