“Ammu…”
“De Ammu”
Little Reshma stirred in her bed.
“Ammu, get up; it’s time for school. Don’t you need to get ready for the Onam festival back at school?”
Reshma woke up with a start.
She studied in "Little Mount High School". Today was the traditional Onam celebration held in the school and after that it was going to be a two week long Onam holiday. She was really excited. She had expected to arrange the floral rangoli called atha pookalam with her friends for today’s programme.
Reshma quickly went to the bathroom, washed her face, found her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. Then after freshening up she filled a bucket full of water and went out to her garden.
Reshma had wanted to arrange the pookalam in her home for the ten days of Onam. Her mother was not in the mood to let her do it, saying it was more wastage of flowers. But she was adamant. So her mother allowed her on the condition that if she grew the flowers at home, she would be allowed to arrange the pookalam at her home. Reshma had begun with enthusiasm; she had around fifty flower pots along the verandah of her house. She made her mother buy saplings of at least nine different colours and varieties of flowers so that she could arrange a beautiful pookalam.
She looked into her garden. Wow! It looked fresh and ready to bloom. Many plants had already put out its buds and some had already flowered. The jasmine, the mogia, the marigold, the rose, the violets, the shoe flowers. They all looked so lovely, inviting and fresh. She really enjoyed her garden and took pride in her work. She thought of using all of them for making a grand pookalam on Thiru-Onam.
“Ammu, get ready. You said you and Shweta were to go out at 8:00 AM to buy flowers…”
“Yes, Amma. I am getting ready… Just ten minutes…”
Reshma had a very quick bath. She and her friend Shweta had decided to wear Onnapattu – a typical Onam dress—for school. Reshma dressed herself up and was doing slight makeup in her own ways.
“Ammu, you look beautiful… Here, wear some jewelry today…”
Her mother also joined in dressing her up and after a long time which well exceeded her ten minutes. Reshma looked beautiful in her Onam dress and after having breakfast set out to find her friend Shweta.
They both reached at the agreed place and they went from there on to the market to buy the flowers. From there, they went to school. The school was all decked up for the festivities. The boys busied themselves with decorations. The girls were cleaning up, helping the boys with arrangements and layouts.
Reshma and her friends soon designed the layout for the pookalam and started picking the petals from the flowers. Soon a huge heap of petals accumulated on one side and the flower waste on the other side. The girls quickly arranged the flowers and a grand pookalam was ready. The floral wastes were quickly gathered and disposed of to one corner.
Soon the festivities began and there was lots of activities and fun. After the festivities, the school authorities announced that the students should clean up the place before they go. Soon everybody got busy in removing the decoration. Students were moving here and there cluelessly. They just wanted to finish the job and reach home quickly. Reshma stood there in horror as students stamped the pookalam that she had made. The flowers were stamped upon and the whole thing was messed up. Slowly, she took a broom and cleaned it up and put it in the waste. The flower petals all lying useless and wasted made tears flow down her eyes.
With a heavy heart she reached home. On reaching her home, the garden at her home greeted her. She stood a long time watching her flowers. She made up her mind and went inside.
Soon the Onam days started and celebrating began in full swing. Soon came the Thiru-Onam. On the previous night, she asked her mother to allow her to sit after midnight. Her mother allowed her. On the Thiru-Onam, as Reshma’s mother opened the front doors of their home, she was greeted with a pleasant surprise. There was a great pookalam arranged but this time all the flower pots were made part of the arrangement. Her heart was filled with joy. She went to her daughter’s room, woke her up and kissed her, saying, “Today you realized the truth behind Onam. It is the act of self-giving. As you enjoy the sumptuous Onam food inside, outside the birds, the bees, the butterflies will enjoy the sumptuous arrangement of live flowers that you kept for them. I am proud of you.”
Reshma hugged her mother tightly and felt a glow inside her heart.
“De Ammu”
Little Reshma stirred in her bed.
“Ammu, get up; it’s time for school. Don’t you need to get ready for the Onam festival back at school?”
Reshma woke up with a start.
She studied in "Little Mount High School". Today was the traditional Onam celebration held in the school and after that it was going to be a two week long Onam holiday. She was really excited. She had expected to arrange the floral rangoli called atha pookalam with her friends for today’s programme.
Reshma quickly went to the bathroom, washed her face, found her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. Then after freshening up she filled a bucket full of water and went out to her garden.
Reshma had wanted to arrange the pookalam in her home for the ten days of Onam. Her mother was not in the mood to let her do it, saying it was more wastage of flowers. But she was adamant. So her mother allowed her on the condition that if she grew the flowers at home, she would be allowed to arrange the pookalam at her home. Reshma had begun with enthusiasm; she had around fifty flower pots along the verandah of her house. She made her mother buy saplings of at least nine different colours and varieties of flowers so that she could arrange a beautiful pookalam.
She looked into her garden. Wow! It looked fresh and ready to bloom. Many plants had already put out its buds and some had already flowered. The jasmine, the mogia, the marigold, the rose, the violets, the shoe flowers. They all looked so lovely, inviting and fresh. She really enjoyed her garden and took pride in her work. She thought of using all of them for making a grand pookalam on Thiru-Onam.
“Ammu, get ready. You said you and Shweta were to go out at 8:00 AM to buy flowers…”
“Yes, Amma. I am getting ready… Just ten minutes…”
Reshma had a very quick bath. She and her friend Shweta had decided to wear Onnapattu – a typical Onam dress—for school. Reshma dressed herself up and was doing slight makeup in her own ways.
“Ammu, you look beautiful… Here, wear some jewelry today…”
Her mother also joined in dressing her up and after a long time which well exceeded her ten minutes. Reshma looked beautiful in her Onam dress and after having breakfast set out to find her friend Shweta.
They both reached at the agreed place and they went from there on to the market to buy the flowers. From there, they went to school. The school was all decked up for the festivities. The boys busied themselves with decorations. The girls were cleaning up, helping the boys with arrangements and layouts.
Reshma and her friends soon designed the layout for the pookalam and started picking the petals from the flowers. Soon a huge heap of petals accumulated on one side and the flower waste on the other side. The girls quickly arranged the flowers and a grand pookalam was ready. The floral wastes were quickly gathered and disposed of to one corner.
Soon the festivities began and there was lots of activities and fun. After the festivities, the school authorities announced that the students should clean up the place before they go. Soon everybody got busy in removing the decoration. Students were moving here and there cluelessly. They just wanted to finish the job and reach home quickly. Reshma stood there in horror as students stamped the pookalam that she had made. The flowers were stamped upon and the whole thing was messed up. Slowly, she took a broom and cleaned it up and put it in the waste. The flower petals all lying useless and wasted made tears flow down her eyes.
With a heavy heart she reached home. On reaching her home, the garden at her home greeted her. She stood a long time watching her flowers. She made up her mind and went inside.
Soon the Onam days started and celebrating began in full swing. Soon came the Thiru-Onam. On the previous night, she asked her mother to allow her to sit after midnight. Her mother allowed her. On the Thiru-Onam, as Reshma’s mother opened the front doors of their home, she was greeted with a pleasant surprise. There was a great pookalam arranged but this time all the flower pots were made part of the arrangement. Her heart was filled with joy. She went to her daughter’s room, woke her up and kissed her, saying, “Today you realized the truth behind Onam. It is the act of self-giving. As you enjoy the sumptuous Onam food inside, outside the birds, the bees, the butterflies will enjoy the sumptuous arrangement of live flowers that you kept for them. I am proud of you.”
Reshma hugged her mother tightly and felt a glow inside her heart.